Screeching Wiper Blades

I recently replaced the wipers on my run-around - they were about 3 years
old, and were definitely past their prime - but I only realised how bad
when the new ones went on. How old are yours ?

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do you know what, mine could be about that as well time does fly past
quickly I must check for certain. Maybe that's what I should do change them
for new ones. - Big decision though, pay arm & leg from main dealer or try
and get from a motor factors.

cost about £14 for a set for my Fiesta in Halfords - clip of exactly liek
the old ones - you get the metal bit which holds the blade (or for less you
can just buy the rubber bit but i found it a pain to put on)

I think I paid =A323 for 3 blades and arms at Halfords in the "prepacked"=
=20
sets - all different sizes and designs IIRC due to it being a sodding=20
Hyundai :-}

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I think I paid £23 for 3 blades and arms at Halfords in the "prepacked"
sets - all different sizes and designs IIRC due to it being a sodding
Hyundai :-}

They should have stuck to producing Video Recorders and DVD Players!  :-)


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It's because the blade is not flipping over at the end of its travel. When
the screen is wet they can glide 'backwards' and you don't notice it, but
when the screen gets a bit drier the blade shimmies as it goes the wrong
way. If you twist the wiper arm slightly (making it a gentle corkscrew) in
the direction that causes the blade to face the screen properly then it will
be able to flip both ends of its travel. I use two molegrips.

Rob Graham

Thanks for that advice. If I can pluck up enough courage (frightened I might
break the arms altogether if I bend them!) I will give that a try.

Cheers,

No, you won't break them. The metal is a bit springy but if you hold it near
one end and try and twist it a little bit about 2 inches away it'll be fine.
Don't do it too much tho'. The blade is probably only a few degrees out. If
you do it too much it'll screech and judder in the opposite direction.

Rob

You've had good advice - I've just replaced the blades on my 2 year old 206
and was astounded at the difference in screen clearing. They were Bosch
blades from new, Halfrauds wanted about £22 per pair, GSF in Farnham
www.gsfcarparts.com charged me £14 for the pair of identical Bosch blades. I
was in there already buying parts for our Citroen and asked when I saw the
Bosch blades. Staff very good in there too.

The advice from Rob Graham about changing the blade angle on the screen
should help too.

I read somewhere that if you take out the rubber blade and put it back in
the other way round, it cures the squeak. I don't know if this is possible
on your type of wiper though.

I'll have a look - cheers worth a try....

Thanks, Although that sounded like an April Fools Joke (if you put the
rubber blade the other way round....) but I tried it today and I think it
has cured the screeching! - well it rained this evening and I couldnt hear
them screach this time.

Cheers,

It is recommended that wiper blades are renewed every year, but provided
they clear the screen, without smearing or streaking then it doesn't really
matter.
Certainly if the blades are over a couple years old, new ones should cure
the problem.

As for twisting the wiper arm, the end off the wiper arm where the blade
clips in should be parallel with the windscreen.

Last pair I bought cost £12, and were genuine vauxhall ones.