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      12-22-2008, 01:42 PM   #1
koala
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Wiper blade inserts?

I want to replace just the rubber inserts for my wiper blades (the part that actually wipes the windshield)... but I'm a bit confused-- all of the online part catalogues are saying they must be "trimmed to fit" - is this actually the case?

I'm used to buying new inserts for other car brands at about $3 per insert and they just slip right in, no "trimming" required.
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      12-22-2008, 06:50 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by koala View Post
I want to replace just the rubber inserts for my wiper blades (the part that actually wipes the windshield)... but I'm a bit confused-- all of the online part catalogues are saying they must be "trimmed to fit" - is this actually the case?

I'm used to buying new inserts for other car brands at about $3 per insert and they just slip right in, no "trimming" required.
The standard BMW rubber inserts are 600mm or longer, designed for general fitment on many models. You just trim them with a knife or pair of scissors to the same length as the old ones.
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      12-22-2008, 06:51 PM   #3
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Hmm, that probably explains why the current one has the metal "stiffeners" protruding from one end of the blade... if you don't cut them to the right length they look kind of crappy.

I might just replace the entire arms with something from Canadian Tire then
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      12-23-2008, 01:19 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by koala View Post
Hmm, that probably explains why the current one has the metal "stiffeners" protruding from one end of the blade... if you don't cut them to the right length they look kind of crappy.

I might just replace the entire arms with something from Canadian Tire then
Take a look at the Bosch Icon blade replacement.
You'll need a 421A ($16.69) for driver side and 420B ($14.40) for the passenger side.
I ordered mine from Autohaus Arizona http://www.autohausaz.com/ . Plug in the Bosch part number (421A and 420B) and you'll get the correct Icon wiper blade.


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      12-23-2008, 08:57 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by koala View Post
Hmm, that probably explains why the current one has the metal "stiffeners" protruding from one end of the blade... if you don't cut them to the right length they look kind of crappy.

I might just replace the entire arms with something from Canadian Tire then
Don't do that, you'll regret it. There aren't any wiper blades at Canadian Tire that fit the curve of our windshields well. And the driver's side wiper has that wind deflector thing on it which looks cool, so don't get rid of it.

I recently purchased the rubber inserts from my dealer and they were already pre-cut. Just give 'em a call and ask them about it. The BMW wipers are better than almost any wiper you can get at crappy tire. I think the dealer prices for the inserts was $5-6 per insert or $50 for new wipers which includes rubbers.
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      12-23-2008, 11:00 AM   #6
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Thanks guys, I'll look into some of the suggestions.

The local dealer wants $16 per insert and they needed to order them in for me... so I figured if I'm going to pay that much and wait for them I may as well look online and save some money, and save another trip to the crappy local dealers in the process.
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      12-23-2008, 07:15 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by koala View Post
Thanks guys, I'll look into some of the suggestions.

The local dealer wants $16 per insert and they needed to order them in for me... so I figured if I'm going to pay that much and wait for them I may as well look online and save some money, and save another trip to the crappy local dealers in the process.
For the winter, the Canadian Tire hingeless wiper arms work extremely well (the same design as used on the E90), no icing of the pivots that you get with the OEM Z4 ones (I've kept them for summer use). They do leave a very small triangle unwiped in the bottom left of the passenger side of the windscreen (due to the curvature, as takedown8 mentioned), but overall perform much better than the OEM wiper arms in freezing conditions and are cheap enough to trash every winter.
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      12-23-2008, 07:17 PM   #8
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Bingo, I'm going to try those. Part of my issue is that the blades simply need to be replaced (they don't wipe the windscreen very well), and the hinges do freeze in these cold conditions.

Thanks!
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      12-24-2008, 02:22 PM   #9
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You should call to different dealers if you have more than one near you. One dealer in Toronto wanted $15 per insert whereas my dealer here in Hamilton only charges $5 or 6.

If you want to save money, go to crappy tire or Parts source and buy some inserts or buy some wipers and remove the rubber inserts from them and insert them into your OEM wipers.

I don't know about you, but it bothered the heck out of me for those 6 months when I had those non-OEM wipers because they never wiped the corners properly.
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      01-20-2011, 07:02 PM   #10
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I just got these part numbers (qty 2) installed at the dealer under my "free" maintenance.

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...er=61610154440

For $7 I'll trim them and keep my drivers side wing. That downforce keeps the car more stable especially at freeway speeds.





[In case it's not obvious, that was a joke.)
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      01-20-2011, 07:10 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by santov View Post
I just got these part numbers (qty 2) installed at the dealer under my "free" maintenance.

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...er=61610154440

For $7 I'll trim them and keep my drivers side wing. That downforce keeps the car more stable especially at freeway speeds.





[In case it's not obvious, that was a joke.)
LOL!!! Perfect!!!
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      01-21-2011, 09:55 AM   #12
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I am sure you can buy generic wiper blade refills at any auto parts store which would work perfectly well. Just measure the length of each side. They are probably 20" and 21" from the part numbers listed above for the Icon blades. They are supposed to be replaced every 6-12mths anyway so why buy expensive OEM parts?
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      04-11-2013, 02:45 AM   #13
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Bumping an ancient thread to update the part numbers.

Wiper blade inserts are part number:

61611470281

Buy just one because it includes both wipers as a matched set for about $12 from tischer.

Installation was very straight forward, best tool for the job is a wire clipper to snip the rubber that keeps the metal tabs in place.
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      04-11-2013, 08:56 PM   #14
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price must of gone up...they were like 3 or 4 buks a year or so ago, and my local dealer ended up matching the price after some haggling
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      04-12-2013, 09:08 AM   #15
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my dealer told me that they no longer sell wiper inserts and I thought I'd seen another thread on this board that said the same about other dealers. You have to buy new blades. Is this not correct?
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      04-12-2013, 12:24 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mhughett View Post
my dealer told me that they no longer sell wiper inserts and I thought I'd seen another thread on this board that said the same about other dealers. You have to buy new blades. Is this not correct?
I saw the same thread and that's why I figured I'd update. These are just the rubber inserts. The old part numbers are discontinued, this is the correct current part number.
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