Wiper Blades

[reible]

I can't believe I did this but I ordered some Bosch 28B ICON Wiper Blade, a pair of them came up to $37.98. BTW the "28" is the length, 28" and is what is used on my 2000 Town and County van.

I love the van and that is why I've kept it as long as I have but the wiper blades never seem to last very long, even the better/best quality ones. I have the rainx version of the icon on now, they wipe good where they wipe but not so good where I need them to. Put them on last summer.

Back in the old days it was common to replace wiper blades every 6 months or so and that is about how long they lasted. Then things seem to be getting better and you could get a year out of them. I even once had a set that lasted a few years! Of course in those days it was wear of the edge that got you. Now it is lack of conformity. The blade edges are fine but what good does that due when they lack good contact across the windshield.

I drive less then 10,000 miles a year on average so it is not wear and tear from that. I drive even less in the winter so that should be less of factor even if I live in an area that has snow/ice.

The blades will be here tomorrow. I'd sure like them to last at least a year this time. Weather permitting new blades and an oil change in the next few days.

So anyone have any good experiences with wiper blades? Maybe it the van that is at fault, I mean 28" long wiper blades, can that be a good thing?

Ed

[wa2crk]

If the blades wipe cleanly in one area but not another they are probably not flexing properly so as to not make contact in one place. Check to make sure that the blade arms are free to flex to maintain contact. If you change the rubber only then this may be the problem. When I change wiper blades I change the flex arms also. If you still have a problem the windshield may have to be polished. A lot of windshields are acrylic, not glass and a glass shop can clean them properly.
I had a Dodge Dynasty that we got slightly used that had a similar problem and the dealership sent the car to a glass shop to have it polished and it did the trick.
Bill V

[ERLover]

I see a few things here, a long wiper blade, most likely a windshield that curves, and maybe the wiper blade arms not putting enough pressure on the blade.
Heck I bought some at Menards last spring, they were a in store special $2.00 a blade, and I have them on still, but I drive about 8000 a year, and really no snow driving this winter do to El Nino.

[reible]

I guess I should post reference to the blades that I am getting but I didn't get them here.

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-24A-ICON-Wi ... &sr=8-1-ac

These are the ones I have on now:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IPS3HHC/ref ... per+blades

I didn't get them here either.

Again it is a matter of fitting to the curvature of he windshield, the blades simply miss the area when they wipe as they age.

Since I use rainx glass treatment on the windshield traveling at highway speeds I don't even need the wipers but in town driving I do.

Ed

[ERLover]

I use rainex also, love it. anything over 40 mph the rain runs off faster then the wipers can do it. It does not work well for road spray/mist from a car in front of you though.

[robinson46176]

I have a 1999 Town & Country van that is my work (farm / ranch) van that I bought cheap for intended temporary use then I was going to sell it. Instead I liked it so much I searched out and bought a 2005 T & C as a regular vehicle. The 2005 is quite nice and serves us well (put 3,000 miles on it in a week last fall) but you know what? I really like using the 1999 better. The 1999 has a lot of miles on it but it just keeps going.
A couple of weeks ago the rubber strip failed on the passenger side wiper blade of the 1999 and I grabbed a new blade I had in the shop still sealed in the package, that was the wrong size and put on it. The old ones were both 22" and the one I put on the passenger side was an 18". It still wipes well (no blind spots) due to the wiping pattern and I will probably just leave it on there given the nature of use of that van. I think the rear blade is an 18" and I had already replaced it.
I had already put a new set of 22" blades on the 2005.
On a woodworking note I can haul 10' lumber in either van no problem. The 1999 only has the two front buckets and the 2005 has the "Stow & Go" seats.
.
A fair number of years ago I had a decent 1975 full sized Ford van with the fancy upholstery and trim package. We were in a town south of here when a "toad strangler" rain storm hit us. One of the wiper blades fell off and kind of jammed under the arm against the cowl. We were already pulling off of the street because we just couldn't see in the heavy rain. As such storms often do it was over almost as fast as it started. I got out to put the blade back on and as I grabbed the loose blade it hit me... I had just replaced both blades on the van a few weeks earlier... These blades were obviously quite old, worn out and even rusty. Then I realized what happened. Some &%$# had probably parked next to me somewhere and swapped my new blades for his crap blades.
Nobody pays any attention to someone in a store lot working on wiper blades especially if the store sells wiper blades. I can only hope that somewhere Karma caught up with him.


.

[garys]

I find that wiper blades will last a long time if they are kept out of the sun. I keep my vehicles in the garage whenever they are not on the road, and summers are short with the destructive sun rays.
I typically don't have to replace my wiper blades more often than once every 10 years or so.

[ERLover]

I find that wiper blades will last a long time if they are kept out of the sun. I keep my vehicles in the garage whenever they are not on the road, and summers are short with the destructive sun rays.
I typically don't have to replace my wiper blades more often than once every 10 years or so.

I agree about the sun, I do the garage thing usually, but not the last 2 summers in WI, but 10 years??? Are you on a different calendar?
How much are you on the road?

[ChrisNeilan]

My wife's 2009 Subaru Forrester is on it's second set of blades. I truly think that the factories get a better grade of rubber/ nitrile when buying a new car. Aftermarket blades never seem to last. Regarding Rainex- great product, but it can build up on the windshield after several applications and become a problem. I buff it off every now and then with a very high grit polishing compound ( 3M hand glaze) and it makes a world of difference. I also wipe the blades with lighter fluid to clean the oxidation off. Really helps!
I should add, my 2014 Lincoln MKZ hybrid is still hanging onto its original wiper blades with no problem.... 30,000 miles....

[ERLover]

I hit the wind shield about once a year with 0000 steel wool soaked in Dawn dish soap, ammonia and water.