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Wiper blade life - sydney the oz

I bought a set of Bosch wiper blades last June, 2 aero-types for the front and a (more expensive) standard rear blade, The rear blade failed at 5 months and was replaced without query. The dirvers side has just failed at 10 days over a year from purchase. In both cases the 'lip' has split form the body. Am I unlucky or are these items engineered to just last the year if they can? Car does just 5K miles per year.

Edited by Avant on 01/07/2018 at 00:39

Wiper blade life - gordonbennet

This weather especially the blades will stick to the screen stretching the thin rubber each time you use them until they finally rip, might be stuck to the screen for weeks between use this weather, so lift them regularly.

They need to be cleaned well so nothing on them to form an adhesive, and if you can, leave them off the screen whilst parked for extended periods on your driveway (some cars this is awkward because they are parked under the bonnet rear edge as it were), and every now and again lift them gently.

They also develop a natural lean because of the direction they were travelling when they 'parked', so every now and again when you think about it lift the blades and 'park' them leaning the other way, this also helps to reduce judder, i do this out of habit now every time i've used the wipers and leave the car, and yes my blades last many years.

Also if use only use the wipers and washers to clear dead insects that have been welded on by weeks of blazing sun, you might as well be trying to clear a surform blade the same way.

Wiper blade life - KenC

I agree with the abaove post,easiest thing you can do ( if you can) in the summer and the winter is raise the wipers from the screen when the vehicle is parked ( which is overnight and most of the day especially in strong sunlight) the heat from the sun is stored up in the windscreen glass and transmittedi into the wiper blade which will damage the rubber. During the winter with blades covered in ice its easy to damage them by accidently engaging them over ice.

I have an old fiesta that is never garaged, the blades tend to last 2 to 3 years, I usually replace them before they wear out with LIDL special;s at £4.99 a pair

Edited by KenC on 01/07/2018 at 10:01

Wiper blade life - Bolt

I replace mine every year and sometimes earlier if the rubber is not clearing straight away, you seem to collect lots of road dust while driving and parked.

which gradually ruins the clearing edge of the rubber and as a full set is only £32 I think its better to replace, one thing I hate is a dirty screen, so if the wipers dont clear properly they are renewed

I have never had cheapo blades that last long, they either split or dont clear screen properly after a few weeks, but then I do in excess of 15k miles a year

Wiper blade life - John F

Might seem obvious, but only use them when the screen is really wet. Use the intermittent setting in light rain, and turn them off when rain stops. I have often been a passenger biting my lip with insensitive drivers oblivious to the scraping on an almost dry screen long after passing through the shower.

Wiper blade life - gordonbennet

Indeed JohnF, and how many rear wipers does one see intermittently wiping hours after any rain has long since evaporated.

It's amazing what some people expect wipers to do, ie shifting 2" of snow already frozen solid to the screen, what's going on in their mind.

I cared for the wipers on my last lorry as descibed above, can't recall it needing any new blades over 5 years and 700k kms, 'parking' them against their natural lean alone will extend life considerably as did near enough daily washing of the vehicle paying particular attention to the windows, though lorry wipers are a much heavier design than car blades, rubbers themselves probably twice the width.

Wiper blade life - corax

I bought a set of Bosch wiper blades last June, 2 aero-types

I got the same for my car when I bought it in 2013. They still work well, only minor streaking and quiet. I'm amazed really because I have usually had to buy blades every year, and these ones have had no special treatment, apart from the obvious like thawing the windscreen in winter before using them. Based on my experience I would say that the Bosch items are very good.

Wiper blade life - sydney the oz

Some interesting and useful replies, thanks all.