Wiper arm position

[jacovdw]

Gentlemen,

This is a small issue that has been bugging my obsessive-compulsive brain for quite a while so please bear with me.
What is the correct parked configuration of the wiper arms as the cars rolled off the production line?

A search through the forum revealed nothing substantial and a search through the BBB (Section 82-4) just added to the confusion.
According to the BBB, the arms should be installed with the left arm below the right arm in the parked position.

Now, interpretation of this depends heavily from which angle you look at this - from behind the steering wheel looking over the bonnet (hood) or standing in front (facing) of the car?

The reason I ask, is that you quite often see cars (irrespective of whether it is a 108, 109, 111, 113, or 114) with the configuration flipped.

Is there supposed to be a difference between LHD and RHD cars?

Any input/opinions would be greatly appreciated...

[thelews]

Left and Right on cars always refer from the driver's perspective behind the wheel.  Left is the driver's side and right is the passenger side of a LHD car.

[al_lieffring]

your left or right doesn't matter. in a manual left always refers to the side of the car to the drivers left when seated in the car.
The parked wipers on 108 and 114 sedans (111s I dont remember) are the opposite of the 113 rosdsters. if the wrong arm is placed to the top they will get tied up about half way up the windshield when they are swiched on.

I have very little experience with RHD pagodas, if the wiper motor is on the left side it could be very likely that the left wiper should go on top, That tends to be the rule, the top wiper goes to the side of the car the wiper motor is on.
 

[jacovdw]

Thanks Al and John.

Those are my thoughts as well.

To throw a pebble in the pond, my 114 (RHD) has the right arm under the left arm and my pagoda (LHD) has the left arm under the right as per BBB.

However, the service manual for the 114/115 chassis cars state that the left arm should be under the right arm as well (could this be a mistake?).
Therefore I was hoping to spark a bit of a debate.

[reggie]

Funny this should pop up, i took mine off last week, and made a note of it, left under the right, LHD car.
Reg

[Larry & Norma]

My RHD has left over right. Just changed the blades and they snagged!! They are Bosch but slightly longer than 13" this was enough to make them snag
in use so I had to raise the top blade a notch. Not very neat but will have to do till I get some correct length ones.

[wwheeler]

My LHD 111 has the left under the right like the 113's. Mine have always worked well.

I saw a picture of a 108 that has 42,000 original miles and it has the left wiper ABOVE the right. Al is right.

[thelews]

....

[Garry]

RHD Left over right

[al_lieffring]

So is the wiper motor on the left side of a RHD Pagoda? If so, I think that gives some credence to my "top wiper on the motor side" theory

[Naj ✝︎]

I'm with you Al.

The wiper mtr is on the left on an RHD car and the left wiper is on top on mine ever since I bought it.
And my previous 230 SL was ther same.

http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=13355.0;attach=7852;image

naj

[JamesL]

Just been through all my photos.... including 2 SL Club Pagode rallies, Stuttgart museum and a visit to Mechatronik

RHD cars have left mounted wiper motor as Naj says. Left wiper arm on top
LHD cars (which I assume have a right mounted wiper motor) have right arm on top

That's from the inside....

[Jim Donati]

So to summarize what seems to be the consensus here.... Drivers side wiper succumbs to the dominant position of the passenger side wiper. 

Translation.... drivers side wiper belongs below the passenger side wiper.


Jim

[JamesL]

So to summarize what seems to be the consensus here.... Drivers side wiper succumbs to the dominant position of the passenger side wiper. 

Translation.... drivers side wiper belongs below the passenger side wiper.


Jim

Fixed that for you - at least as it applies to the pecking order in my household...

[Jim Donati]

Touché

[jacovdw]

...
RHD cars have left mounted wiper motor as Naj says. Left wiper arm on top
LHD cars (which I assume have a right mounted wiper motor) have right arm on top

That's from the inside....

This then as far as the pagoda is concerned. Kind of makes sense at the end of the day.

However, as far as 108/109's and 114/115's are concerned, the wiper motor is always on the left (irrespective if LHD or RHD car). Thus the left arm will be above the right arm and thus fits perfectly with Al's theory... 

Aaaahh, zen has finally returned to the land of the obsessive-compulsive originality nuts... 

[JamesL]

steady on

it's not obsessive compulsive. We just like things in the right place