Do you want nice wiper blades?

[TJM]

I've tried them all and the only ones that I have been able to tolerate were the OEM blades. But even with those I had to tweak the wiper arm so they wouldn't lift on the highway, thus sacrificing wiper performance when stopped (chatter etc). Finding the balance is a PITA.

I did some research yesterday on "structureless" blades like you see on the Lucerne and many other newer cars. I came across Innovision by Trico www.tricoproducts.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=2838&location_id=65

I was able to buy the last 2 at the Car Quest down the street from my office. A little pricey at $16 each but these things are great. Nice clean, even wipe AT ANY SPEED; no hollow spots, no chatter and they park nicely too.

The number for the Classics is Innovision 154-220 and I highly recommend.

These blades also received the Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice Award www.tricoproducts.com/news/index.cfm?location_id=87&id=1400&show=newsitem

[95mushroom]

Awesome, I wanted Bosch's look-alikes for some time, but they never had our style pin connector. It will be awesome to finally have a wiper that touches the bottom right of the windshield.

[NYsteve]

I have Michelins (didnt even know they made them until i went looking for new ones) and they are the best i've ever used. Got 'em at the local Wally World for $8 each. They even have the little Michelin Man on them. I thought it was cool.

[scottydl]

Man I hate wiper chatter. Drives me bonkers... the highway is when you need the wiper the most, and that's when they freak out! I bought some middle-of-the-road ones this last time around for the Aurora, but maybe I will upgrade to something a little better next time.

[blong579]

tjm you got a pic of what they look like on the rora

[Letitroll98]

I'm gonna go out to Pep Boys and see if they have a set this weekend, I'm about ready for replacements and these look kewl. BTW, the part number given on the company web site was 14-220, any idea why the discrepancy?

[95mushroom]

Got mine yesterday, from NAPA, Pepboys didn't have any. The first Napa I went to had to look them up and I had to go across town to the other one. Glad I did, this are the best wipers I've ever used. The center area is a bit chunky, but it looks nice IMO. At NAPA, they're under their name as the brand, part# 60-2242. The total was $37 for both including my AAA discount at NAPA of 7%. Install was easy. Make sure they come with a little plastic adapter floating around in the package, you'll need to swap them out. I hit the mount with a q-tip and some TW Super Protectant and the pins with light amount of WD-40 sprayed into a paper towel and applied, make sure you have at least 3 hours in the sun for everything to dry.

I got to use them briefly on the highway last night, and they're amazing, no noise and perfect performance.

[TJM]

yup - dem's da ones. my part # must have been the CarQuest #

[macadamiaman]

I've been looking for some new blades lately, but these look pretty flimsy. I'm thinking in terms of winter driving, ice, snow, hail... (typical 4-5 months in Maine...) and wiping through all that?

[95mushroom]

While I don't have any winter experience, the blades are quite the opposite. The really beefy base attaches very securely to the wiper arm, that's probably the main issue with most wipers, I've literally had some play with other wipers before. And the blade part, the metal support is flat and wide so there's no flex with the direction of the windshield.

[macadamiaman]

ok, yeah, reading about them seems to indicate this as well... the Aurora REALLY needs some new blades so when inspection comes up December 31st, I'll get a pair of these... Ebay is over $30 for the pair so I guess for once I'll go retail

[scottydl]

macadamiaman said:

I'm thinking in terms of winter driving, ice, snow, hail... (typical 4-5 months in Maine...) and wiping through all that?

In this Partsamerica.com (Advance Auto) search for wiper blades, it looks like there are two Trico Innovision wiper blade products. Part #14220 is the standard blade at $14.98, but part #37225 is the WINTER blade actually cheaper at $9.98 (90 day warranty) or $12.98 (1 year warranty). I was just in my local store the other day, and all wiper blades were 25% off. Getting the Trico winter blade for $7.50 each sounds like a pretty good deal!

[95mushroom]

Close, but those winter blades are not frameless like the Innovision's. They just appear to be standard blade wrapped in rubber sleeve.

Winter
www.tricoproducts.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=148&location_id=65

Winter Telfon
www.tricoproducts.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=1433&location_id=65

[scottydl]

Ahhhh, nice catch and thanks for the correction. I saw the standard Innovisions and kept right on reading...

[luvmybravada]

Wow, what a great find! Thanks for sharing. I think my blades also need to be replaced. I hope they last more than a year though since the cost is so high.

[Letitroll98]

I haven't been able to find any yet. I haven't searched diligently, just stopping when I go past a store, but no luck yet. I did find almost exact replicas in the Bosch line, but they were significantly more expensive, over $20 each (don't remember exactly). These had little spoiler lips built in the top side of the frame, but were otherwise identical. Anyone with experience with the Bosch. I've used nothing but Anco for the last 20 years or so, which was far superior to any Trico or Bosch product, albeit 20 years ago when I experimented with other brands.

[luvmybravada]

Saw something very simmilar if not the same thing on a Mercedes today!

[95mushroom]

letitroll98 said:

I haven't been able to find any yet. I haven't searched diligently, just stopping when I go past a store, but no luck yet. I did find almost exact replicas in the Bosch line, but they were significantly more expensive, over $20 each (don't remember exactly). These had little spoiler lips built in the top side of the frame, but were otherwise identical. Anyone with experience with the Bosch. I've used nothing but Anco for the last 20 years or so, which was far superior to any Trico or Bosch product, albeit 20 years ago when I experimented with other brands.

For the Bosch, they've been out for a bit, and I've looked at them before, but couldn't find a model that commodities our pin-style connector, they just seem for that flat-style.

For finding the Trico's, you have to ask the guy at the counter. The first store I went to I asked and said they didn't have any, but the store across town did. I went over there and they were in the back with the other parts, not in the 'store' area.

For ANCO's, I think I replaced a set of their Triple Blade Wipers with the Innovisions. I really was not a fan, they were really loud and skipped in anything but a heavy rain.

[TJM]

The big test will be how they respond to snow and ice. Without the "mechanics" of the normal blades, I am anticipating they will do well.

[Mr. Javi]

I just picked up a pair of the Peak Polar Guard® Winter Wiper Blades and very satisfied with them, my old ones were like leaving lines and they would not clean good that well, but this ones, man are like nice and smooth, plus they are covered in this plastic rubber thing, which is good if you live any a place were there is trees, I did not like when leaves and debris would get stuck in between the arm of the blades, this ones are covered, real smooth.

[TJM]

Here is a great link on the Trico web site for stores that carry the Inovission line.
www.tricoproducts.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=1043

I looked at the Bosch blades but they are not available for the Aurora (although AutoZone give the part #, they don't work)

[unirok]

tjm said:

I've tried them all and the only ones that I have been able to tolerate were the OEM blades. But even with those I had to tweak the wiper arm so they wouldn't lift on the highway, thus sacrificing wiper performance when stopped (chatter etc). Finding the balance is a PITA.

I did some research yesterday on "structureless" blades like you see on the Lucerne and many other newer cars. I came across Innovision by Trico www.tricoproducts.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=2838&location_id=65

I was able to buy the last 2 at the Car Quest down the street from my office. A little pricey at $16 each but these things are great. Nice clean, even wipe AT ANY SPEED; no hollow spots, no chatter and they park nicely too.

The number for the Classics is Innovision 154-220 and I highly recommend.

These blades also received the Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice Award www.tricoproducts.com/news/index.cfm?location_id=87&id=1400&show=newsitem

Thanks for the tip...I am gonna buy these tomorrow. These have to be what my BMW has already.

[JimW]

Shawn, I just picked up the same blades for $25 a piece, however here they are call Reflex and available at any local Canadian Tire store. I'll put em on shortly.



22" model

[unirok]

I just bought the rainX versions of the wipers at pepboys for 19.95 each but then the had a buy one get one free mail in offer.....yay.....and they seem to work great.

Btw these are just like the OEM blades that came on my Girlfriends 07 Civic.

[macadamiaman]

My wipers are really big ones with rubber surrounds - $40 wipers that my dad bought for me.... anyway, at highway speeds they clatter against the windshield. No solution.. With winter coming up I figured I'd put these to the test.

Bought them for $27.90 including shipping for both of them from Amazon.com. (#14-220 for the 2001-2003 Auroras)

[NYsteve]

I'm sorry, I just can't bring myself to spend $40 on wiper blades. The combination of $9 (each) Michelins and Rain-X that I use works great for me.

[unirok]

Whatever happened to the new cars that used HS Air instead of wipers

[macadamiaman]

nysteve said:

I'm sorry, I just can't bring myself to spend $40 on wiper blades. The combination of $9 (each) Michelins and Rain-X that I use works great for me.

It's less than $28 including shipping via amazon....

But I only bought them because my wipers (and countless past wipers) have been some of the weakest points of many of my cars, including the Aurora. So maybe this will correct that. If they work fine for you don't "upgrade"

Unirok: I've only seen that in concepts? Like Acura...
..going on that, I would equip my car with them just so that people couldn't give me tickets (what do they do in that case??)

[Aurora40]

To me, they have to last long as well as do a good job. That's one thing I've liked about the GM replacements. They tend to last a couple years at least and work well without streaking. Those spineless ones look interesting though.

Can you believe my Aurora still has the original blades? They are over 5 years old now with 38k miles on 'em. Using a rubber protectant and of course being out of the sun really helps.

[95mushroom]

nysteve said:

I'm sorry, I just can't bring myself to spend $40 on wiper blades. The combination of $9 (each) Michelins and Rain-X that I use works great for me.

Well, I was tired of paying $9 repeadly for wiper blades every couple of months or so after I got disatisified with them. I suspect that on most 95s/96s/97s the wiper springs are losing their strength. These 'frameless' blades actually have a bit of spring to them, to get the blade to curl to fit the windshield. As opposed to a standard blade that uses levers and the force of the wiper to work. I believe that's why I've noticed an improvement with them. Plus they're cool