Winshield Wiper Replacement

[Derksen]

Have any of you guys replaced your shite wipers? If so, what kind, where did you buy and how much? Mine suck donkey ass and they screw up my auto wiper by pushing the water around instead of clearing it off.

Side note: Anybody have experience with rain-x or something similar. I have never used the stuff.

Thanks.

[bluntman]

Rain-X is great stuff. I\'ve used the stuff in the yellow spray bottle, which you apply on a cloth and then buff off, as well as the one that goes into your windshield washer fluid reservoir (mainly used for the winter).

I haven\'t had any problems with it and the rain sensing wipers, but paranoid, just make sure to avoid the sensor when applying it to the windshield.

[Dr Butcher]

I have yet to pick my car up but I have used a windshield fluid from Crappy Tire that has some sort of rain-x in it. It\'s a summer fluid and is bright pink, I think it\'s about $3 a bottle. It helps out a lot, to mess with my brother when it started raining one time I didn\'t even bother with the wipers, the speed of the car slicked the rain off the windshield.

[miggiddy]

I bought a cheap bottle of Wyman\'s, like Rain-X, wipe on, buff off. Works well, but the front windshield needs to have it re-applied more frequently due to wipers eventually taking off the coat. I\'ve applied it to my driver side, front passenger side, and rear windows and it works perfectly. Pretty cool how the water just runs off.

As for my wipers, they are ok for now, not the greatest like I\"ve heard others say.

[Xenon]

The BOSCH wipers that come with the car are total $#!+.

I have replaced them with the Motomaster Teflon coated ones at Cdn. Tire.

I also bought a blade for the left side 1\" longer than the original (Total legnth 22\"). my right one goes to the edge of the window, so Ileft it at 18\".

My blades now wipe vleanly, no smearing.

[dinu01]

My Bosch wipers work great! No streaks, perfect!

Is this a problem only on the HBs?

[Newlook]

Originally posted by dinu01


My Bosch wipers work great! No streaks, perfect!

Is this a problem only on the HBs?

I\'ve the sedan and they are sh*t since day one.

[dinu01]

Hmm...

We\'ll need to check if Mazda uses the same wipers now (May build date) as in previous months.

[ZoomZoom Girl]

I have the HB (May build date) with Bosch wipers....no problems. In fact, I\'m really surprised how much coverage they provide and how efficient they are at removing rain.

[Xenon]

I think my blades were just off of a crap lot then. My Bosche blades just smeared everything. Didn\'t wipe jack.

[bluntman]

Try cleaning your windshield first. I\'m more partial to foaming cleansers like Zep or Bon Ami.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by Xenon


The BOSCH wipers that come with the car are total $#!+.

I have replaced them with the Motomaster Teflon coated ones at Cdn. Tire.

My blades now wipe cleanly, no smearing.

+1 and I have the sedan.

i even cleaned the windshield with Invisible Glass and the BOSCH wipers were still sh1t.

[fat mike]

i think its kinda luck of the draw when it comes to this. Mazda puts on really crappy wipers from the factory, but the nice thing abuot this is $20 will get you a better set of wipers from CT. My brothers Jetta still has the factory wipers on it and they work great after 64,000KM so who knows

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by fat mike


i think its kinda luck of the draw when it comes to this. Mazda puts on really crappy wipers from the factory, but the nice thing abuot this is $20 will get you a better set of wipers from CT. My brothers Jetta still has the factory wipers on it and they work great after 64,000KM so who knows

the wiper blades on my maxima lasted 3 years. from the day i picked it up to the day i returned it, never once did it smear or need changing.

[Newlook]

Price isn\'t the matter, the thing is we shouldn\'t even have to replace the wipers this soon. On our previous 2 vehicles, the stock wipers kicked arse and lasted forever.

[fat mike]

Well I owuld suggest going into the dealership and ask for new wipers. If you can get alignment done and stuff like that for the first 20,000kms then I dont see why you shouldnt be able to get new wiper blades

[Nex]

Can\'t you guys just go and get new wiper blade inserts instead of replacing the whole wiper? I\'ve tried basically every brand from CT and ALL of them are crap. They\'re good for a couple of months, but after that, they go downhill really fast. Just stick with OEM blade and replace the wiper inserts as needed.

[Newlook]

The stock wipers suck big time with the heavy drizzle tonight... They were just pushing the water around.

You call this no problem, huh??
Picture 1 (http://gtabus.natransit.com/770/IMG_5880.jpg)
Picture 2 (http://gtabus.natransit.com/770/IMG_5881.jpg)

Just talked to my friend who also owns a 3, he said he also have a set of crappy wipers and could barely see through the drizzle tonight.

Grrrr....:(

Anyone knows how much is Honda/Toyota (or even Ford, GM) selling their stock wipers?

[rbart4506]

I just took my car in for it\'s 8000km service and I mentioned the wiper blade problem. He looked up in the computer and there seems to be a TSB on it. He never questioned anything, just looked at the list and added the TSB number to the work order...

We\'ll see...

Rich

[dinu01]

I don\'t have that issue Newlook. You\'re right, this is bad! Maybe the wiper arm needs to be adjusted towards the windshield???

[Newlook]

There is a TSB on it? I should pay a visit to the dealer and check that out....

I replaced the driver\'s side wiper to a crappy tire teflon (found an extra in the garage). I\'m expecting some rain today I\'ll see if the result is significantly better.

[rbart4506]

There is something on it, because he looked in a list on the computer and it said something about \"wipers\"....He wrote the number on the workorder and that was that...

Rich

[miggiddy]

Originally posted by rbart4506


There is something on it, because he looked in a list on the computer and it said something about \"wipers\"....He wrote the number on the workorder and that was that...

Rich


So did they replace your wiper blades? I think mine are as bad as newlook, from what I can tell in his photos.:( I\'ll ask when I go in for my oil change, should be within the next week or two.

[Xenon]

My blades were just as bad as newlooks.... until I changed them to the Teflon ones...

One thing about the bosch ones, the arms that push the wiper to the window are too small. they don\'t apply enough force to sweep away the water. I don\'t think changing the rubber would make a difference.

It rained the day after I picked up my car, the blades have been crap since then.

[Soulcrusher]

Mine was crappy since day 1 as well. The first time I drove on the highway, it wasn\'t even raining hard and I had to keep spraying windshield washer fluid to keep the windshield clean. So after that experience I applied a glass shield similar to Rain-X. The next time I drove on the highway, it was amazing. The water barely stuck to the windshield and I never once had to used the washer fluid. The blade still didn\'t clear the water cleanly from the windshield, but since the water was dispersing into very miniscule droplets upon contact with the windshield, my vision wasn\'t compromised.

Anyway, I soon changed the wipers to a brand called Lexor that was being sold at Costco. It clears the windshield completely with every wipe. Since then, I\'ve only used the washer fluid on a handful of occasions. I don\'t even have to use the defroster because my windshield never fogs up.

By the way, I compared the wiper blade between the Bosch and the Lexor. The Bosch was very flimsy while the Lexor was more stiff. I don\'t think the brand of the wiper will really matter (a Teflon blade from Crappy Tire should be good, too) ... anything\'s got to better than the Bosch. (I purchased my car in March so maybe they\'ve already got better quality blades for the newer models)

Regardless of whether you\'re happy with the wipers or not, I would recommend putting on the Rain-X. (Nowadays, I actually hope for rain :D )

[Newlook]

My driver\'s side crappy tire blade worked well today in light showers. While the stock blade on the pass\' side was sh!t and kept messing up my rain sensor!

I\'ll drop by the dealer asap and get my new blades reguardless... thanks for the info.

[WickEd M3]

if any of you have some car wax handy, use it on the windshield. works just as well as the advertised stuff (example: rainx) if not, better. you notice that rain beads off the car after its waxed, same with the windshield.

[rbart4506]

Got the car back and the wiper blades were replaced, free of charge of course....Now the question is if they are any better....I need rain to test it, but the long weekend is near so I don\'t want the rain right now...

Rich

[civiclad]

Originally posted by rbart4506


I just took my car in for it\'s 8000km service and I mentioned the wiper blade problem. He looked up in the computer and there seems to be a TSB on it. He never questioned anything, just looked at the list and added the TSB number to the work order...


I will mention this about my blades also. I notice when it drizzles....the wipers suck. However, when it pours the wipers work like a charm. If the dealer does not fix the wiper issue....I will certainly be replacing the blades before winter.

Richard

[Xenon]

Originally posted by WickEd M3


if any of you have some car wax handy, use it on the windshield. works just as well as the advertised stuff (example: rainx) if not, better. you notice that rain beads off the car after its waxed, same with the windshield.

Be careful, some car waxes may cause windows to go cloudy. I don\'t recommend waxing ANY of the windows. Head/tail lights are ok. Someone on Mazda3 Forums waxed the windows and he couldn\'t see out of them until he unwaxed them, which was very very, very troublesome.

[Newlook]

RE: TSB on wipers

I went to Oakville Mazda today and there isn\'t any TSB on my vehicle. Of course I was the first one to complain about the wipers. They told me to clean them with alcohol (I tried and it didn\'t work) and go back if they\'re still crap.

I\'ll go bug them again tomorrow. :D

[Newlook]

Correct myself... using alcohol to wipe the wipers actually *work*, well at least a lot better than before. It worked ok in the drizzle today but I expect better.

[Big__M]

I have a GT sedan. Mine suck too.

[teambedlam]

MIne worked great for 3 months and then started sucking. So the next time i washed the car i wiped them down with just a paper towel. Now they work perfect again.

[bubba1983]

thats all it takes...people clean their windshield, fine and dandy...but they neglect to wipe the sole thing that is supposed to CLEAN your windshield...you can ahve the cleanest windshield there is...but heaven sake..clean your blades!!!

[Xenon]

Allright.. I think I have come up with an explanation... but before I get to that, I just want to mention some points so people know how I see the problem.

I wash my car at least once every 2 weeks. Usually Every Friday. I spend extra time on my car if there is a car meet the following Saturday. When I wash the car, I have an old rag (old but it\'s still washed with Tide and dried with fabric softener like all the rest of my car wash stuff) that I leave soaking in a separate wash bucket with car soap. I use this rag to clean the wiperblades (front and back) until the towel wipes from black to a light gray. As for windows, even after washing the car, I use Eagle One 20/20 on all the windows. I also use the 20/20 every time my windows get dirty in between washes. It bothers me when my car is dirty, but I must always have clean, spotless windows. It annoys the hell out of me when they aren\'t clean.

I have had problems with the stock BOSCH wipers since I picked up the car. so I changed them to the Motomaster Teflon Blades sold at Canadian Tire. Since then I have had no problems whatsoever.

I just think that BOSCH made a bat lot of wipers. This would be the perfect explanation to why some of us have good ones and the others have crappy ones. I do believe Newlook, Soulcrusher and myself did buy their cars around the same period... all of our Mazda3\'s were from the same lot, hence we all probably got wipers from the same BOSCH lot too.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by Xenon

When I wash the car, I have an old rag (old but it\'s still washed with Tide and dried with fabric softener like all the rest of my car wash stuff) that I leave soaking in a separate wash bucket with car soap.

you shouldn\'t use fabric softener on towels used to wipe your car...especially microfiber towels.

it keeps them fluffy but fabric softener also puts \"greasy\" coatings on the fabric that can streak windows, etc.

[Xenon]

Originally posted by MajesticBlueN



Originally posted by Xenon

When I wash the car, I have an old rag (old but it\'s still washed with Tide and dried with fabric softener like all the rest of my car wash stuff) that I leave soaking in a separate wash bucket with car soap.

you shouldn\'t use fabric softener on towels used to wipe your car...especially microfiber towels.

it keeps them fluffy but fabric softener also puts \"greasy\" coatings on the fabric that can streak windows, etc.

I use bounce :D and Tide with bleach... It has a \"built-in\" fabric softener... so far I haven\'t seen any streaks or anything.

[wtom]

Xenon, does drying the windows with your chamois still leave tiny streaks or water spots too? It happens to me and I understand your frustration and annoyance of this matter.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by wtom


Xenon, does drying the windows with your chamois still leave tiny streaks or water spots too? It happens to me and I understand your frustration and annoyance of this matter.

use crumpled newspaper...no streaks

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by Xenon

I use bounce :D and Tide with bleach... It has a \"built-in\" fabric softener... so far I haven\'t seen any streaks or anything.

<thumbsup>good to know...keep the towels soft so that they won\'t scratch the car AND no streaks :) </thumbsup>

[Xenon]

Originally posted by wtom


Xenon, does drying the windows with your chamois still leave tiny streaks or water spots too? It happens to me and I understand your frustration and annoyance of this matter.

To dry my car and windows, I use a Moose River Synthetic Chamios followed by a dry old bath towel that has been washed as if it was a perfectly new towel. No Streaks, no water marks. Chamios will always leave a little something behind, just because chamios\' don\'t work if they are dry. Chamios should ALWAYS be used damp.

For windows specifically, after going over with a chamios and the towel, I use Eagle One 20/20, with a fresh towel, once again, the towel has been washed as if it was a good quality Bath Towel.

Only when it\'s good enough for my body, is it good enough for my car :p

[FLIPDADY]

The wipers are still made by Bosch. I\'m not sure if the 05\' models will have different ones.

[bluntman]

What size are the wipers? 21\" and 19\" or 20\" and 18\" or some combination thereof?

[Xenon]

I think it\'s 18 R 22 L

When I bought replacement wipers I baught the left side 1\" longer.

[FLIPDADY]

They are left 21\" and right 19\" just like the Protege\'s.

[bluntman]

Originally posted by FLIPSPEED


They are left 21\" and right 19\" just like the Protege\'s.



Damn, Costco only sells them (a two pack of blades) in even lengths. :(

[majic]

buy 21 and 19 and split with someone here :D

[wtom]

Just curious why buy from Costco and not Crappy Tire?

[majic]

perhaps cheaper? no hassle refund policy (crappy tire is pretty good with it too) and maybe proximity to a store?

[firstmazda]

Originally posted by FLIPSPEED


They are left 21\" and right 19\" just like the Protege\'s.



They don\'t sell those sizes in the Winter teflon coated blades at CanTire.
Will it still be okay to get a 22\"/18\" combo?

I like those blades because the arms are coverd in a rubber casing
so ice doesn\'t build up in the joints raising the blades off the glass.

TIA,
Ray

[bluntman]

Originally posted by wtom


Just curious why buy from Costco and not Crappy Tire?

The wipers that they sell are always in a twin pack.


Originally posted by firstmazda

They don\'t sell those sizes in the Winter teflon coated blades at CanTire.
Will it still be okay to get a 22\"/18\" combo?

I like those blades because the arms are coverd in a rubber casing
so ice doesn\'t build up in the joints raising the blades off the glass.

TIA,
Ray

Buy a 22\"/20\" combo instead.

[Xenon]

Hint: Buy the Left wiper blade one inch longer.... Covers more area... that\'s what I did... and I\'m happy :D

[jlefk44]

Hey,

I changed my blades a few weeks back after enduring the summer with the garbage stock blades. Cdn Tire was just fine. I got some kind of performance blade - forget which - tht have wind delfectors built in. They work great.

Here\'s the killer though....

When I took my M3 to the dealer for the 1st service, I noticed that they had allocated \"0.5hrs for wiper blade arm inspection and blade replacement\". Maybe \'m out to lunch but at $85 per hour to service the car....Im thinking that puts it at $42.50 + material for a simple blade replacement. I had that crossed off the list in about 30 seconds.

Just thought I\'d mention it.

cheers...

[majic]

just found this ... (http://www2.zoomautoparts.com/parts/parts1/zoomautoparts/wizard.jsp?year=2004&make=MA&model=3--002&category=P&&part=Wiper+Blade) they don\'t seem to have much at al for our 3 and i\'m not sure if they ship to canada but i think that\'s cheaper than the 42 bux someone quoted? but then again.. prolly we can get the OE ones from FLIPSPEED at a competitive price

[ng3]

Crappy tire has 2 types of winter wipers with the protective casing... The teflon ones (you will find correct sizes 21 and 19 individual package but they run at over $25 each) and some Blue generic crap ones (no 21 size, found 19 at $8 each). DON\'T GET THE CHEAP ONES... You\'ll be sorry... the one on the left ( put a 20\") doesn\'t wipe good on the lower portion when the blade is up...

[wtom]

Okay, Flipspeed mentioned the stock wipers are 21\" and 19\" but both Xenon and ZoomZoom Girl purchased 22\" and 18\" wipers... have either of you found the passenger side, the \"top\" end tip of the wiper not reaching the edge of the windshield? Cuz I noticed on my stock wipers, the tip reaches the edge of the windshield (when in off position).

The driver\'s side wiper looks like it can use an extra inch of coverage, thus 22\" would be perfect. But passenger side, I\'m confused because of the two numbers thrown around... is it 18\" or 19\"? TIA :)

[bluntman]

Originally posted by wtom


Okay, Flipspeed mentioned the stock wipers are 21\" and 19\" but both Xenon and ZoomZoom Girl purchased 22\" and 18\" wipers... have either of you found the passenger side, the \"top\" end tip of the wiper not reaching the edge of the windshield? Cuz I noticed on my stock wipers, the tip reaches the edge of the windshield (when in off position).

The driver\'s side wiper looks like it can use an extra inch of coverage, thus 22\" would be perfect. But passenger side, I\'m confused because of the two numbers thrown around... is it 18\" or 19\"? TIA :)

There\'s not enough pressure at the tip of the longer wipers to press the squeegee against the glass, that\'s way the coverage isn\'t as \"complete\" as with the stock sizes. Of course, if you have a membership at Costco or Sam\'s Club you can buy two 2-packs of winter wiper blades in 22\" and 18\" for the cost of two single 21\" and 19\" wipers from Canadian Tire. Why didn\'t they get a 22\" and a 20\"?

[ZoomZoom Girl]

Simple.... in the Sudbury Canadian Tire stores, they don\'t have the sizes of our stock wipers (19\" and 21\"). Apparently you are supposed to buy 1\" down to ensure the wipers aren\'t too long, but I went with 1\" longer for the driver side (so 22\"). Using the 18\" and 22\" wipers I get complete coverage (when wipers are vertical they just reach the top of the windshield, not over, not under).

[Xenon]

Originally posted by bluntman



Originally posted by wtom


Okay, Flipspeed mentioned the stock wipers are 21\" and 19\" but both Xenon and ZoomZoom Girl purchased 22\" and 18\" wipers... have either of you found the passenger side, the \"top\" end tip of the wiper not reaching the edge of the windshield? Cuz I noticed on my stock wipers, the tip reaches the edge of the windshield (when in off position).

The driver\'s side wiper looks like it can use an extra inch of coverage, thus 22\" would be perfect. But passenger side, I\'m confused because of the two numbers thrown around... is it 18\" or 19\"? TIA :)

There\'s not enough pressure at the tip of the longer wipers to press the squeegee against the glass, that\'s way the coverage isn\'t as \"complete\" as with the stock sizes. Of course, if you have a membership at Costco or Sam\'s Club you can buy two 2-packs of winter wiper blades in 22\" and 18\" for the cost of two single 21\" and 19\" wipers from Canadian Tire. Why didn\'t they get a 22\" and a 20\"?

The right wiper blade already goes to the edge of the windshield already... if you get an inch longer, it will start scratching the side of the windshield.

The only blade that I bought a different size for is the left one. one inch longer than manufac. spec. The right blade is a new blade, but same size. (whatever the sizes may be).

and on a side note, Why do they give you crappy winshield wipers, but the back wiper on my hatch is flawless? Would it be that much more expensive to give us three high quality blades?

[wtom]

I couldn\'t find the manufacturer spec size for our wiper blades, in the manual. Where is it posted?

[bluntman]

Originally posted by wtom


I couldn\'t find the manufacturer spec size for our wiper blades, in the manual. Where is it posted?

I remember FLIPSPEED mentioning it once.

[wtom]

Originally posted by bluntman

I remember FLIPSPEED mentioning it once.

Yep, quite a few posts back within this thread.


Originally posted by FLIPSPEED

They are left 21\" and right 19\" just like the Protege\'s.

[billyfo]

I am using Motomaster one and way better than stock. I using the OEM sizes for front, but can\'t find any size for rear one, including owner manual.

[S.F.W.]

I bought motomaster Teflon wipers. They make such a big difference! I did a comparison(right after cleaning th ecar and wipers), the stock Bosch left nasty streaks..the motomaster was nice and clean.

[idreamofmazda]

I took the advise from here, and bought the Teflon wiper blades, which work well so far. I don’t know about going any larger that 19 and 21 inch, as least with the Sedan, I was concerned the blades would collide, as they appear to come quite close. Be aware there are different blades for different cars, for the Mazda, pick #1 for both.

[Zaku_4]

hmm,

speaking of wiper blades, my wipers never seem to get a certain large area on the passenger side part of the window. im thikning of going to canadian tire and getting those dual-wiper blades lol. they loook funky. but yeah so far my bosch blades are ok, except for that 1 area. grr i think its cause o fthe windshield washer sprayer thing does spray up that high, so it wipes the area dry? id unnooooo

lol thats my input

[Xenon]

Originally posted by S.F.W.


I bought motomaster Teflon wipers. They make such a big difference! I did a comparison(right after cleaning th ecar and wipers), the stock Bosch left nasty streaks..the motomaster was nice and clean.

I did the exact same thing as SFW...

I have a 22\" left blade and a 19\" blade on the right.

Left side is 1\" longer than the original. Right one is the same size.

[al01]

my wipers sucked the day i first used them.. i cannot see anything in my window except for water n snow...

i changed my to the Arista Chrome Dual Wiper from canadian tires.. they work prettyy good for $20 =)

[bluntman]

Originally posted by al01

i changed my to the Arista Chrome Dual Wiper from canadian tires.. they work prettyy good for $20 =)

Rigghtt!!!!
http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/images/Automotive/WiperBlades/0410562_450_CC_18c6a.jpg

[Dr Butcher]

I picked up a set of these the other day but haven\'t installed them yet.

Reflex Wipers (http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortments/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444327 8593&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath=2534374303517494&FOLDE R%3C%3EbrowsePath=2534374303517495&FOLDER%3C%3Ebro wsePath=1408474396669503&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath=25 34374303517476&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374303517 476&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474396670271&bmUID= 1103406111653)

I really don\'t like being a guinea pig on a new product but I hate how winter wipers lift off your windshield during highway driving. These look kind of odd but hopefully they\'ll be a good winter blade alternative. They better be for $40. :sarc I\'ll give a full review once they\'re installed and put through some use...

Edit: Linking problems due to a massive URL

[bluntman]

Use the force Luke!
http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/images/WiperBlades/WiperBlades/RegularWiperBlades/0211400_450_CC_39edf.jpg

[triplezoom]

Originally posted by bluntman


Use the force Luke!
http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/images/WiperBlades/WiperBlades/RegularWiperBlades/0211400_450_CC_39edf.jpg

Hmmm, the commercial is very convincing. I like how they use the term \"low profile\" to describe em, lol! :D

[Xenon]

Originally posted by Dr Butcher


I picked up a set of these the other day but haven\'t installed them yet.

Reflex Wipers (http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortments/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444327 8593&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath=2534374303517494&FOLDE R%3C%3EbrowsePath=2534374303517495&FOLDER%3C%3Ebro wsePath=1408474396669503&FOLDER%3C%3EbrowsePath=25 34374303517476&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374303517 476&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474396670271&bmUID= 1103406111653)

I really don\'t like being a guinea pig on a new product but I hate how winter wipers lift off your windshield during highway driving. These look kind of odd but hopefully they\'ll be a good winter blade alternative. They better be for $40. :sarc I\'ll give a full review once they\'re installed and put through some use...

Edit: Linking problems due to a massive URL

I\'m quite curious about them... Have you gone through rain at high speeds yet? do they do what they promise?

[AfterBurner]

For $21 each (w/o Tax) it is really expensive. I wonder how they wear?