Simple quesiton: Wiper Blade replacement
 

04S, what wiper blade/refills do you recommend? I see Bosch Icon and then Suncoast has the original Porsche blades for $46. What works well? I will go through blades every 6 months in the hot Fla sun.

I go with the originals.
They work best. The driver side has a "fin" on it, and the passenger side has a curve to fit the windshield perfectly.

Under $24, look almost identical to the OE SWF blades. Yes, spoiler for driver and curved passenger blade, too. :) Works like OE.

Bosch 3397001582

If you need to replace the entire wiper, get the OEM (or possibly Bosch) ones. Other aftermarket wipers just won't fit very well. If you just need the blades you can sometimes find just the rubber refill for sale, or you can buy a cheap set of wipers and transfer the rubber blades over. :cheers:

I use the ones from Costco and they work well.
Around $8 each

These are what I have too, got them from O'Reilly auto, they had to order them I think but it only took 1-2 days.

I don't daily drive and they have lasted several years for me, since 2012. Dang maybe time to get a new pair. I guess being in the garage helps. I should drive more...

Algiorda, for wipers, if you have the OEM blades still on your car you can go to a VW dealer and just buy the rubber blade inserts by asking for this part number,895-955-429-A, or go to this page in the Pelican Parts website and order them Pelican Parts here. These are the same OEM rubbers in your blades, but Porsche doesn't sell them without the blades. If your car no longer has the OEM blades I can't say that these will work for you though.

Thanks for that info, as the 3rd owner, how do I know if they are OEM blades or not?

One thing, when changing your wipers, always put a folded towel down on the windshield where the blade contacts when you lift the wiper arm. If the wiper arm snaps down onto the windshield with no blade attached, there is a high likelihood that it will crack the windshield, as reported in some earlier threads on here (that I don't have the link handy)

Other than buying new blades or looking at another car that is confirmed has OEM blades, I've got nothing. My car is in the body shop, otherwise I would look to see if there were any part numbers stamped into them. Sorry.

Yikes! GREAT TIP!

Thanks
Al

I've had these for a while now, and they are really fantastic: PIAA 97055 Si-Tech Silicone Wiper Blade - 22" 550mm.

The real question is, why are you driving the car in the rain?:p

I cringed reading this, happened to me once and have put a soft towel on windshield while replacing wipers ever since. Good tip Steve

As far as wipers goes, I use Rain-X water repellent windshield spray along with the wiper blades. Hardly have to use wipers unless it's pouring on the interstate.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016NA9V78/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I wish this forum software had a LIKE button. I also give props to Rain-X, that stuff is amazing. I treat all my vehicles with it. But you have to apply it correctly or it will become a streaky mess.

Last time I tried to use it, it became a streaky mess? What is the correct way? :cheers:

Or maybe look to see if the drivers wiper has a wind deflector on it. Didn't the originals have that?

I purchased refills, for the stock wipers/arms, at Napa for $5.83.

Thanks for that info. NAPA was the one auto parts store I didn't check thee first time
I started looking for refills!

YES, the drivers side did have the spoiler on it. I kept both of them they look very original and I went with the BOSCH blades. WOW, what a difference quiet and very competent.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1484310741.jpg
Rain ?

Both blades for that price?


Pelican list a 22" in their ad that can be trimmed for size.
Wiper Blade Insert 895955429A - SWF - Valeo - Volkswagen - 895-955-429-A | Pelican Parts

I purchased Bosch at Advance Auto Parts. Very happy with them. This is the whole blade.

Napa Part #602298, $5.40 + tax on 1/13/16. They rarely see rain, but they work great with the washer.

https://www.napaonline.com/napa/en/p/ACO602298/ACO602298

+1

Great tip for new 986 owners.

Just sayin'..........

TO

I had a tough time...
 

....installing new OEM blades last year.

I did not know there was a rubber only replacement from Pelican et al and bought the full blade with spoiler from Suncoast.

The brand new, Porsche blades would not fit on my wiper arms. I had to use a small file and grind down the flash in the casting to get the brand new blades to "click" and fully lock onto the wiper arms.

It was a major pain in the ass.

I had a blade fly off while on a road trip out in the middle of nowhere Arkansas in a downpour.

I also had an issue with the arm attachment nut being loose on the car itself.

These two combined issues made for a hairy vacation for my wife and I and it took a weekend dedicated to solving all of this after we got back home.

Rain-X saved our bacon on the trip.

After a lot of trial and failure of wipers in New England weather, I have settled on PIAA 95050 super-silicone as my preferred replacement wiper. They lack a curved blade and spoiler of OEM blades, but are otherwise superior. They also fit better than single beam wipers.

Originally, I tried Bosch Evolution single-beam wipers that worked great but I didn't like the passenger side blade not completely fitting the curved windshield.

I also used the OEM wipers (directly from Bosch) for a while but got tired of the curved passenger blade deforming and wearing out too quickly. Maybe it was the curve, or maybe I was buying old stock of that part?

Recently, I decided to roll the dice on PIAA super silicone wipers and I have had excellent results so far through the winter season. They're about $20-$25 on amazon which is typical for premium blades, and they have excellent reviews. They also come with silicone wipes (rain-x) and have refill blades available. I think they are the best option. Performance and fit is perfect.

Most importantly, the passenger side blade fits the windshield perfectly. Contrary to what the latest marketing fads led me to believe, traditional wire frame wiper blades are not inherently flawed and actually fit our curved windshields better than trendy single-beam wipers.