Rear wiper not working

The rear wiper and squirter worked fine last year, the last time it rained here in SoCal. The next time it rained (this morning), it didn’t work. I tried all the switch positions and held the squirter on for 30 seconds thinking the fluid line just had air in it. No dice. Front wipers and squirters were working fine. Thinking it was some odd computer glitch, I took it to the dealer. The service tech who took my statement, figured it out. Apparently, sometime between the last rain and this rain, someone had left the rear window down 3/4 of an inch or so (I’ve never messed with the rear window myself). It was enough to tell the computer not to wipe or spray the open window, but not enough to actually see that the window was down a little. Service tech rolled the window up all the way and voila! the wiper and squirter worked again. I now have a fabulous fan shaped void in the middle of my otherwise dirty window.

 

ya gotta love that 4runner dirty window thing lol

 

Back in the ‘70s it wasn’t uncommon for auto manufacturers to put airfoils on the end of the luggage rack of the station wagons that would deflect air down behind the vehicle. This would lower the “suck zone” below the rear window keeping a lot of the dust and spray off the window (this would give the kids in the rear-facing 3rd row seat a clearer view out the back window). I think this also helped a little with MPG by reducing aerodynamic drag by reducing the low pressure zone directly behind the vehicle. Since I first got my Runner, I’ve always wondered why the engineers haven’t incorporated similar technology into the rear wing.

 

Had freaked out a few months ago when it wasnt wiping and spraying thinking it failed lol. Then figured it out wasnt allllll the way up

 

Ok. I added a picture.

 

The same aerodynamics that would have kept the exhaust below the window also keep dust and spray down there too.

 

You’re probably right. Maybe if I had ordered my T4R with the rear facing 3rd row seat, it may have come with the airfoil.

 

Yea. I’ve got the spoiler. What I was hoping for was something designed to cover the wiper and house the brake light, but somehow deflect slipstream air coming off the roof to keep dirt and road spray off the rear window like the station wagons of yesteryear.

 

For it to even hint at working it would need to scoop air into the front of the spoiler that is an inch or two higher than the roof, then direct it downward towards the window.

 

I kinda thought the 3rd gen spoilers worked good.

 

Now THAT’S what I’m talking about! Modify the gen 5 spoiler so there are a couple of ducted passages through the spoiler that leaves closed in area in the middle for the wiper motor and cyclops brake light, and near the ends for structure, and has low scoops on top near the front of the spoiler.

 

Thanks for posting this you saved us a 3hr trip to the dealer!!!! I thought it can't be that simple, we had the same thing 2018 4 runner. Today we tried to use the rear wiper first time in several months, and it would not work, I just went out to the garage and tried what you said, I first looked at the rear window, and it looks like its all the way up from outside. But I pushed up on the window control, It moved probably a 1/4 " up and the stinking wipers and washer both worked just like its supposed too.