Shortening the arm is no big deal for me as I have a welder and used to do work. So both arms flip up when parked?That would be awsome for me when clearing the windshield of snow. Sent from my SM-G781W using Xoutpost.com mobile app

Yep, just as shown in the pic. Had mine done at a Maaco body shop. He took like 10 minutes - no welding, just opening up the joint with a special tool, cut the arm to length, then compress back the joint. It was a very clean job.

Even better,nice clean job too.Sent from my SM-G781W using Xoutpost.com mobile app

I just installed my new E70 rear arm/wiper blade ,it works perfect.Sent from my SM-G781W using Xoutpost.com mobile app

I on the other hand bought a new (not OEM) E53 wiper arm and I'm having the same issue :( I still have the old arm in the trunk. Paint coming off + some surface rust were the reasons I decided to replace it.
Call me crazy but I actually think the E53 wiper arm suits the E53 better. It's an old, mean, bulky barge, no place for subtleties :)

I also bought a new E53 wiper arm last spring worked good for about a month, so that's why I decided to go with the E70 wiper arm,it's plastic and has no metal rivets to rust.Honestly I don't mind the look of it on the X5 E53. Just my opinion. I think I know why you like the E53 arm better though.Sent from my SM-G781W using Xoutpost.com mobile app

I found a possible solution in one of the older threads on the subject! It could be that I didnt install it correctly.
"Install the arm by inserting into the screw with the tip of the arm aiming at the ground. This allows a very good fit of the entire arm to the base of the motor and eventually flush with the surface of the glass.

While holding the arm down with some force, gently bring the tip of the arm to the edge of the rear glass, making the arm and the wiper blade as horizontal as you can to the edge of the glass.

Now tighten the 13mm nut holding the arm to the base and put back the cover.

Doing both the spring lube and the arm re-position brought my wiper back to 100% functionality!"

Will try this out when I get my engine repaired!

Keep us updated on this and let us know how it works out. Thank you for the info
Sent from my SM-G781W using Xoutpost.com mobile app

I got tired of cleaning and oiling the pivot point every 6 months or so even after oem arm replacement and eventually gambled on this one from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

It's not perfect (sometimes leaves an inch at the top), but the price is right, includes the blade, it does the job, and it's lasted nearly 2 years. When the issue comes up a again, I'll buy it again.

it's always something
 

I installed two rear wipers on my X5, almost two years ago; one was an E53-style, and the other was an E70- style. The E53-style wasn't working any better than the original, bent wiper, which X5only said "sounded like someone wiping the windscreen with a closed umbrella", https://xoutpost.com/1216423-post11.html, so I bought an E70-style wiper (also not OEM) a month later. It worked a bit better, as it was quieter, and skipped less.

Fast forward to yesterday, 9-25-24: I had just returned home from getting my '04 Chevy 2500HD inspected/tagged for the year. It hadn't been driven for 6 months, starts slow everytime now (battery is 7.5 y.o., but checks out OK), and set a TPS code & CEL the day before (making me have to do a "drive cycle" to reset the emissions monitors)...it's always something...and I looked over at my X5, and saw this
Attachment 84469 one of my semi-feral yard cats must've slid down the back windshield glass, and bent it (more than once); I attempted a temporary repair a week prior

When I installed this E70-style wiper arm in Nov'22, it wasn't a tight fit, and I had to use epoxy to secure it in place. It sagged a bit, overnight, before it dried, and pointed down at an 8 o'clock angle, but it worked. Until lately. The wiper's rubber blade was heat-cooked, and skittered across the glass, so I was going to replace it before the X5's inspection in October.

I still have the E53-style wiper arm (used only one month) in my parts storage; I'm going to try it again (if I can pry the other wiper arm off), because I also think the old-style arm better suits the looks of my aged vehicle. I'm ordering a wiper arm puller to assist in removing the bent arm.
Attachment 84470


I really don't need a rear wiper anyway, so the original style arm will probably get used once or twice a year (if I drive, if it rains). I can always get out, and use my long-handled squeegee to clean the glass, if need be.