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New Windshield Wipers?

1K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  Aaron Gilbert 
#1 ·
I need new wipers. I have a 95 9000 CS, and I was wondering which wipers to get. How long should they be? Is one brand better than the other? I live in the US; not sure if things are different in Europe or not, or if it matters.

Thanks.
 
#5 ·
I just switched to Rain-X Latitude wipers on my 9000, primarily because they were on sale for 1/2 price at Fred Meyer (sale good through next month). They're one of the new frameless styles, which I admit looks a little weird, but they work GREAT! The blade is graphite coated rubber. They're the best wiper blade I've used yet, and I have used quite a few, being around Seattle. In the 9000 size, they are $15, so that gets you two blades. Not the cheapest, but you can certainly pay much more (for example, Bosch Icon, which looks nearly identical).
 
#9 ·
The stock size is at least 21 inches. Bosch make the best wiper blades currently available in Western Canada. Winter blades are a dumb idea because they cannot handle wind. I have NEVER had a problem with frozen blades. You simply bang them with the back of the snow brush to break the ice, NEVER pull the blades up off a frozen windshield without breaking the ice first and NEVER EVER get the ice scraper anywhere near the blade itself. This very common mistake mad eby many Canadian drivers puts tiny nicks in the upper leading edge of the wiper blade and ruins them!

A great technique for ice on the blade arms is to wait until the windshield is warm enough to stop the washer fluid freezing (use minus 35 C fluid at least, undiluted and consider using the extra cold minus 40C stuff if it is very cold) and then spray lots of washer fluid onto the windshield to completely wet the blades then they won't ice up at all.

This is also a good way to get frozen rain or thick ice off the windshield. Just use the corner of the ice scraper to score the ice so that the washer fluid can penetrate underneath the ice film and then soak the windshield in washer fluid before trying to scrape. It won't freeze and it will speed the softening of the ice so it will scrape off more easily. I usually turn on the rear window defroster first (it goes on automatically if you have ACC) score and spray the windshield and then scrape the side windows first. By the time you have then also done the rear window (that the defroster has de-iced) the windshield ice will be softened and will scrape off easily and bonus: the rear window defroster switch also switches on the outside mirror heaters so you won't need to try and scrape them (that is a royal PITA).
 
#11 ·
Nope, because in Canada when it's cold enough to need to heat the windshield washer fluid everythign will freeze onto the windscreen! The windshield washer fluid isn't freeze proof exactly it just won't freeze hard. As soon as as you spray it onto the window at minus 10 or colder it will freeze in the thin layer that is left after the wipers finish clearing it off.


Now on my X Type Jag I just switch on the windshield heater and thaw the washer fluid!
 
#12 ·
Aaron Gilbert said:
I just switched to Rain-X Latitude wipers on my 9000, primarily because they were on sale for 1/2 price at Fred Meyer (sale good through next month). They're one of the new frameless styles, which I admit looks a little weird, but they work GREAT!
Hmm, I might have to eat these words. They still work silently, but both blades are skipping across the windshield and starting to smear slightly, though they have only been used a matter of days. Could be my wiper arms are weak, I suppose. Hmm.
 
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