Quote:
|
Originally Posted by psfred
Buy a whole new blade, not just the insert. They get weak with age and loose their "spring", so the outside doesn't wipe well. They also wear at the connection link, and start to thump and slap.
Peter
|
Peter,
I agree about replacing the whole blade, at least from time to time -- I tend to replace the insert at least once or twice between replacing the whole blade--but I am confused about the comment about the "springiness" of a wiper blade. I just looked at mine and, when the insert is out, there is no spring in the blade, so I think the springiness is from the metal strips in the insert. I do agree that looseness in the various joints or pivots in the blade certainly does accumulate over time and causes problems.
I've also found that using the Bosch blades which are MB specific (and have "124" stamped on them, in my case) are better and more robust than the generic Bosch blades you get at AutoZone, etc.
Here's a related question: How often does one need to replace the actual spring-loaded "arm" which holds the blade? Seems to me that the spring would wear out over time and thus the pressure of blade on glass would probably go down over time. I have thought about replacing it, since like so many others I have suboptimal wiper performance, and some chatter at the bottom of the stroke on the driver's side.