Recomendations: wiper blades for my03
17 February 2004, 02:33 PM
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Recomendations: wiper blades for my03
Looking for recomendations on the above as the originals are poor to say the least! Where from and what price if poss. Cheers.
17 February 2004, 02:59 PM
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17 February 2004, 03:14 PM
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PIAA are ment to be good , I don't know what the 03 has on it as standard , but you could always try Bosch ones , have a look here for good prices (free delivery) www.speeding.co.uk
Dave
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17 February 2004, 05:20 PM
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PIAA are very good - although you have to be careful fitting them - follow the instructions exactly. Never taken me so long to fit a pair of wipers. The only problem I found was that they didn't seem to last that long (I guess it depends on usage). I've gone back to Bosch wipers and RainX which is just as (if not more) effective.
Chris
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Last edited by Chris L; 17 February 2004 at 05:21 PM.
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17 February 2004, 08:25 PM
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Got my PIAA silicone ones from Wendy at Scoobyworld. I seem to recall they arrived next day or day after.
Takes ages to fit them as the screen has to be clean and then prepared with silicone wipes. IMHO the PIAA whito logo looks neat as well. Was tempted by the carbon fibre effect ones but opted for satin black instead
The silicone sticks to the screen and the rain runs off in little *****.. I don't always use the wipers in drizzle as the rain dissapears from the screen
Midlife.....
Takes ages to fit them as the screen has to be clean and then prepared with silicone wipes. IMHO the PIAA whito logo looks neat as well. Was tempted by the carbon fibre effect ones but opted for satin black instead
The silicone sticks to the screen and the rain runs off in little *****.. I don't always use the wipers in drizzle as the rain dissapears from the screen Midlife.....
Last edited by Midlife.....; 17 February 2004 at 08:27 PM.
17 February 2004, 08:33 PM
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Piaa
These are deffo the business, got some on my Focus RS and brother has got some on his Ibiza Cupra.
Is worth prepping the screen properly though, but yeah highly recomend them.
Is worth prepping the screen properly though, but yeah highly recomend them.
17 February 2004, 09:05 PM
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Compliments of "Snowcrash" on www.scoobyzone.co.uk
Borrowed from AutoExpress
Windscreen wipers
The Test
Windscreen wiper systems are now so sophisticated they can even 'think' for themselves on some new cars. When it's wet, they automatically switch on! But all this counts for nothing if the blades are past their prime.
And the chances are they will be, because when it comes to replacing wipers, British drivers are among the worst in Europe. We have a seemingly infinite tolerance for squeaks, streaks and judders.
Even when we finally get round to binning worn-out wipers, we tend to go for rubber refills rather than new units. Yet according to official statistics, one road accident in five is caused by poor visibility, which is just what you get with old wipers.
A blade lasts about a year, and for a car to pass its MoT, wipers must give a clear view of the road - so it makes sense to renew them annually. But which offer the best performance for your money? Here, we put 10 top brands to the test.
When buying blades, never assume you need two the same size. Citroen's Xsara, for example, has a 20 and 22-inch combination, while the Fiat Punto has an even more unusual pairing of 23 and 16-inch examples. Be sure to note the sizes and your car's model year before you buy - and while you're at it, check that the wiper arm is straight and there is no play in the spindles.
In the shop, you'll find that some makes come fitted with the correct adapter, but others include a selection. This seems a waste of money, as you only use one, and end up throwing the rest away. We have quoted typical high street prices, but motor factors can often save you a packet - so shop around!
We really put these wipers through the mill, using them in the wet when travelling at 70mph, and on a dry screen until they squealed. Our test vehicle was a Vauxhall fitted with the popular 19-inch (480mm) blades.
Where we had the option, we used a spoiler on the driver's side and a standard blade on the other. We looked for a silent, smooth, streak-free sweep, plus an easy fit with clear diagrams.
TP TV480
Rating:
Price: £11.69 (pair)
The Car Parts Direct boxed-set price put these among the cheapest on test, which was a good start - especially as delivery was included. But we had to attach our own adapter from the choice of half a dozen - there were four possible diagrams, and fitting was a bit fiddly. The performance was extremely good, with no squeaks or smears, wet or dry. For its great mix of price and performance, the TP set is our Best Buy.
Wipac WX19
Rating:
Price: £4.99 + £4.99
There was nothing at all fancy about the Wipac WX19 pairing - purely the blades, arms and choice of two adapters, although they were rather tricky to fit, especially with cold fingers. However, at less than a tenner for the pair, these examples were the cheapest here. As a result, the WX19's near-perfect performance - only a hint of a smudge on the passenger's side - was all the more impressive.
Trico ExactFit E48K + ES48DR
Rating:
Price: £7.32 + £8.80
Exact indeed - true to their name, Trico's separate blades attached accurately, using a ready-fitted, snap-in adapter. They were priced at the higher end of the range on test, and dry-screen performance was smooth and silent. On the wet screen, though, they didn't do so well. The driver's-side wiper dragged across the glass, leaving a smear of water over most of the screen, which was disappointing at this price.
Cosmic Clearview CC19
Rating:
Price: £5.86 + £5.86
These cost only three pence more than the excellent TP blades, so direct comparison with our Best Buy is inevitable. As with the TP units, Cosmic's kit included a selection of fiddly, self-fit adapters and neither blade had a spoiler. Dry performance was good but on a wet screen, the story was rather different. The driver's blade picked up water from the edge of the glass and smeared it across at eye level.
Dyna
Rating:
Price: £7.03 + £7.03
No spoilers or fancy names, here - only metal arms and 100 per cent natural rubber blades. However, each wiper came with six adapters and a plethora of tiny diagrams, which took a few minutes to sort out. The arms were rather slim compared with more chunky competition from Champion and Bosch, but all-round performance was still good. Yet the price for the pair made the Dyna one of the costlier here.
Valeo Silencio
Rating:
Price: £7.03 + £7.03
Uniquely, Valeo's Silencio blades were fitted with wear indicators, which turn yellow as replacement time draws near - a great idea. They were also ready-fitted with click-in adapters. We noticed that the ends of the arms were very stiff, which no doubt contributed to the excellent performance at the outer reaches of the screen sweep. But at more than £14 a pair, they weren't cheap - and didn't even have a spoiler.
Bosch Super Plus 19/19S
Rating:
Price: £16.99 (pair)
In its ready-boxed standard and spoiler blade set, the latter has an unusually long 'wing', which runs nearly the entire length of the unit. Performance was totally silent on the dry screen and the blades wiped well in the wet, although the passenger's-side example lifted slightly at the far extreme of its downstroke. While that may seem nit-picking, these are the most expensive blades we tested.
Halfords Easy Fit Wiper Set
Rating:
Price £13.49 (pair)
There's plenty of choice from Halfords, which sells individual standard and spoilered blades, as well as sets. Buying this set would save you £2.99 over purchasing the separate items. The 24cm-long spoiler was par for the course, and neither squeaked nor squealed on the dry test. However, the spoiler blade picked up some of the water and dragged it across the screen on the downstroke, leaving a small smear.
Trico Teflon TEF480
Rating:
Price: £10.27 + £10.27
Think Teflon, and frying pans are most likely to come to mind. But now it's being used on wiper blades. The fitted clips are described as 'universal', and have an unusual design, but they were tricky to install, and the diagram didn't help much. In the dry, they were suitably silent. In the wet, though, the driver's-side blade squeaked and juddered quite badly. At more than £20, that's unsatisfactory.
Champion X48 Aerovantage
Rating:
Price: £12.99 (pair)
As well as decent quality from Champion, this boxed set worked out £4.99 less than two separate blades. Easy-to-use adapters were fitted and all-round performance was very good - silent and competent on both wet and dry glass. We also tried the SX48 pair, which includes one spoilered blade. That cost £21.98 - so we'd stick to the standards, which are good enough for our Recommended award.
Verdict
What a turn-up for the books - little-known TP grasping the win from big hitter Champion. Sort yourself a little local discount, however, and the price differential would not be an issue, so it's a close-run thing.
In third place, Valeo's Silencio produced good results and the wear indicator was useful. Again, though, the price for a pair was its downfall.
Windscreen wipers
1 TP TV480
2 Champion X48 Aerovantage
3 Valeo Silencio
Contacts
Car Parts Direct (TP) 01332 290833 (www.carparts-direct.co.uk)
Champion (Federal-Mogul) 01274 723481 (www.federal-mogul.com)
Eusalco (Dyna)0116 278 2776
Halfords 0845 762 6625 for nearest store (www.halfords.com)
Motormania (Cosmic) 01332 369701 (www.motormania.co.uk)
MotorWorld (Champion) 01274 805350
(www.motor-world.co.uk)
Robert Bosch 01895 834466 (www.boschautoparts.co.uk)
Trico 01495 767700 (www.trico.co.uk)
Valeo 01527 510755 (www.valeo.com)
Wipac 01280 822800
Borrowed from AutoExpress
Windscreen wipers
The Test
Windscreen wiper systems are now so sophisticated they can even 'think' for themselves on some new cars. When it's wet, they automatically switch on! But all this counts for nothing if the blades are past their prime.
And the chances are they will be, because when it comes to replacing wipers, British drivers are among the worst in Europe. We have a seemingly infinite tolerance for squeaks, streaks and judders.
Even when we finally get round to binning worn-out wipers, we tend to go for rubber refills rather than new units. Yet according to official statistics, one road accident in five is caused by poor visibility, which is just what you get with old wipers.
A blade lasts about a year, and for a car to pass its MoT, wipers must give a clear view of the road - so it makes sense to renew them annually. But which offer the best performance for your money? Here, we put 10 top brands to the test.
When buying blades, never assume you need two the same size. Citroen's Xsara, for example, has a 20 and 22-inch combination, while the Fiat Punto has an even more unusual pairing of 23 and 16-inch examples. Be sure to note the sizes and your car's model year before you buy - and while you're at it, check that the wiper arm is straight and there is no play in the spindles.
In the shop, you'll find that some makes come fitted with the correct adapter, but others include a selection. This seems a waste of money, as you only use one, and end up throwing the rest away. We have quoted typical high street prices, but motor factors can often save you a packet - so shop around!
We really put these wipers through the mill, using them in the wet when travelling at 70mph, and on a dry screen until they squealed. Our test vehicle was a Vauxhall fitted with the popular 19-inch (480mm) blades.
Where we had the option, we used a spoiler on the driver's side and a standard blade on the other. We looked for a silent, smooth, streak-free sweep, plus an easy fit with clear diagrams.
TP TV480
Rating:
Price: £11.69 (pair)
The Car Parts Direct boxed-set price put these among the cheapest on test, which was a good start - especially as delivery was included. But we had to attach our own adapter from the choice of half a dozen - there were four possible diagrams, and fitting was a bit fiddly. The performance was extremely good, with no squeaks or smears, wet or dry. For its great mix of price and performance, the TP set is our Best Buy.
Wipac WX19
Rating:
Price: £4.99 + £4.99
There was nothing at all fancy about the Wipac WX19 pairing - purely the blades, arms and choice of two adapters, although they were rather tricky to fit, especially with cold fingers. However, at less than a tenner for the pair, these examples were the cheapest here. As a result, the WX19's near-perfect performance - only a hint of a smudge on the passenger's side - was all the more impressive.
Trico ExactFit E48K + ES48DR
Rating:
Price: £7.32 + £8.80
Exact indeed - true to their name, Trico's separate blades attached accurately, using a ready-fitted, snap-in adapter. They were priced at the higher end of the range on test, and dry-screen performance was smooth and silent. On the wet screen, though, they didn't do so well. The driver's-side wiper dragged across the glass, leaving a smear of water over most of the screen, which was disappointing at this price.
Cosmic Clearview CC19
Rating:
Price: £5.86 + £5.86
These cost only three pence more than the excellent TP blades, so direct comparison with our Best Buy is inevitable. As with the TP units, Cosmic's kit included a selection of fiddly, self-fit adapters and neither blade had a spoiler. Dry performance was good but on a wet screen, the story was rather different. The driver's blade picked up water from the edge of the glass and smeared it across at eye level.
Dyna
Rating:
Price: £7.03 + £7.03
No spoilers or fancy names, here - only metal arms and 100 per cent natural rubber blades. However, each wiper came with six adapters and a plethora of tiny diagrams, which took a few minutes to sort out. The arms were rather slim compared with more chunky competition from Champion and Bosch, but all-round performance was still good. Yet the price for the pair made the Dyna one of the costlier here.
Valeo Silencio
Rating:
Price: £7.03 + £7.03
Uniquely, Valeo's Silencio blades were fitted with wear indicators, which turn yellow as replacement time draws near - a great idea. They were also ready-fitted with click-in adapters. We noticed that the ends of the arms were very stiff, which no doubt contributed to the excellent performance at the outer reaches of the screen sweep. But at more than £14 a pair, they weren't cheap - and didn't even have a spoiler.
Bosch Super Plus 19/19S
Rating:
Price: £16.99 (pair)
In its ready-boxed standard and spoiler blade set, the latter has an unusually long 'wing', which runs nearly the entire length of the unit. Performance was totally silent on the dry screen and the blades wiped well in the wet, although the passenger's-side example lifted slightly at the far extreme of its downstroke. While that may seem nit-picking, these are the most expensive blades we tested.
Halfords Easy Fit Wiper Set
Rating:
Price £13.49 (pair)
There's plenty of choice from Halfords, which sells individual standard and spoilered blades, as well as sets. Buying this set would save you £2.99 over purchasing the separate items. The 24cm-long spoiler was par for the course, and neither squeaked nor squealed on the dry test. However, the spoiler blade picked up some of the water and dragged it across the screen on the downstroke, leaving a small smear.
Trico Teflon TEF480
Rating:
Price: £10.27 + £10.27
Think Teflon, and frying pans are most likely to come to mind. But now it's being used on wiper blades. The fitted clips are described as 'universal', and have an unusual design, but they were tricky to install, and the diagram didn't help much. In the dry, they were suitably silent. In the wet, though, the driver's-side blade squeaked and juddered quite badly. At more than £20, that's unsatisfactory.
Champion X48 Aerovantage
Rating:
Price: £12.99 (pair)
As well as decent quality from Champion, this boxed set worked out £4.99 less than two separate blades. Easy-to-use adapters were fitted and all-round performance was very good - silent and competent on both wet and dry glass. We also tried the SX48 pair, which includes one spoilered blade. That cost £21.98 - so we'd stick to the standards, which are good enough for our Recommended award.
Verdict
What a turn-up for the books - little-known TP grasping the win from big hitter Champion. Sort yourself a little local discount, however, and the price differential would not be an issue, so it's a close-run thing.
In third place, Valeo's Silencio produced good results and the wear indicator was useful. Again, though, the price for a pair was its downfall.
Windscreen wipers
1 TP TV480
2 Champion X48 Aerovantage
3 Valeo Silencio
Contacts
Car Parts Direct (TP) 01332 290833 (www.carparts-direct.co.uk)
Champion (Federal-Mogul) 01274 723481 (www.federal-mogul.com)
Eusalco (Dyna)0116 278 2776
Halfords 0845 762 6625 for nearest store (www.halfords.com)
Motormania (Cosmic) 01332 369701 (www.motormania.co.uk)
MotorWorld (Champion) 01274 805350
(www.motor-world.co.uk)
Robert Bosch 01895 834466 (www.boschautoparts.co.uk)
Trico 01495 767700 (www.trico.co.uk)
Valeo 01527 510755 (www.valeo.com)
Wipac 01280 822800
17 February 2004, 10:50 PM
#14
Scooby Regular
I have just fitted the carbon-effect PIAA wipers to my 03 STi. I got them from JW Racing for £47.00 approx.
They are superb.
Cheers
TONY
They are superb.
Cheers
TONY
18 February 2004, 12:47 PM
#16
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BOSCH BLADES
I'm slightly against these as i fitted a set to my my99 before and the b#gger on the drivers side always whistled at me at anything over 60mph! Put originals back on for a try and whistling stopped.
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