Windscreen wiper advice please

Qualitymark

Windscreen wipers on my beloved 1996 Ford Mondeo saloon are getting a little ropey, so I went into Halfords, who quoted me €40, I think it was, for the full wiper gadgetoon, or €10 for a bunch of rubber blades I could cut to length and slide in as needed. Guess which I chose?

Trouble is, I can't get the old ones to slide out, nor can I find any internet instructional video on doing this.

On the other hand, the price is a bit pricey. Looked on Amazon.co.uk and they're asking £20, but they seem to have a couple of different models, and I'm not sure which is my car.

Advice?

corkgsxr

Unless you have a trade card halfords can be expensive. Go to a motor factors

bazz26

It is worth trying Tesco, they have a range of wiper blades, especially the older type.

JohnBoy26

As has been said already a motor factors is the way to go. For not much more than those refills cost you in halfords, you could get two new wipers in a motor factors. Imo those refills are a waste of time as they usually aren't a tight fit on the wiper blade.

MugMugs

Or you can just do as your username inspires and spend some money on some decent Bosch blades online.

Spend peanuts, get monkeys.

visual

Ive bought those low profile wipers from ebay.
Much cheaper and better wiper than original.
Only criticism I would have is they only last 2 years but saying that they are a 1/3 of the price of halfords.

OldmanMondeo

visual wrote: »

Ive bought those low profile wipers from ebay.
Much cheaper and better wiper than original.
Only criticism I would have is they only last 2 years but saying that they are a 1/3 of the price of halfords.

Lasted 2 years? It is recommended to change your wipers at least once a year.

OP what brand where €40? I would expect to pay that for Bosch or in a main dealers. You would get a decent brand for around €20 for both. Those refills are a waste of time.

Toyotafanboi

i got bosch old style wipers, the pair for €25 im fairly sure in my local motor factors a few months back. used to always get champion wipers, but having used the bosch ones i actually do think they are worth the extra few pound.

I just received a pair of Bosh wipers from these guys.

Cant argue over that price for quality Bosch blades, forgot how silent wipers should be.

visual

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Lasted 2 years? It is recommended to change your wipers at least once a year.
.

Is it more correct to say when worn as per manufacturers recommendations.
Either way much better value to get the aero low profile wipers that are cheaper and better ?

Qualitymark

My main problem is that I don't know what wipers to buy - there are different styles, and I don't know which is right for my car. Normally I'd just walk in and say "It's a 1996 Mondeo saloon" and they hand me out the right thing. But buying online I don't know which is correct.

MugMugs

Is she a MK1 or 2?

Here's a link for MK2 blades.

Gran Hermano

Qualitymark wrote: »

My main problem is that I don't know what wipers to buy - there are different styles, and I don't know which is right for my car. Normally I'd just walk in and say "It's a 1996 Mondeo saloon" and they hand me out the right thing. But buying online I don't know which is correct.

I've used http://www.wiperblades.co.uk/ the last few times I need blades. You can specify your car and year and the site tells you what parts suit.

BostonB

Are some blades better than others. Every-time I get the cheaper ones they end up squeaking really badly.

Any recommendations for brands?

bazz26

OP, either take off the wiper blades, bring them into a motor factors and ask the lad behind the counter for the same type. Alternatively ask the lad to come out to the car and he will see what type you need and probably fit them for you too.

monkeypants

Gran Hermano wrote: »

I've used http://www.wiperblades.co.uk/ the last few times I need blades. You can specify your car and year and the site tells you what parts suit.

They also stock retrofit aero blades, which I haven't seen anywhere else.
Currently have a 21"/19" set on my '03 6 that I picked up in Lidl. Seem to be doing the job so far.

Qualitymark

MugMugs wrote: »

Is she a MK1 or 2?

Here's a link for MK2 blades.

I don't know - what's the difference?

Brought it back to the NCT today, having done what they asked me to. They re-failed the car on another, though related, issue; another €28, plus another €50 for the mechanic, I suppose!

BostonB

Cheaper than spending hours at the mechanic trying to guess what the NCT will find.

Qualitymark

BostonB wrote: »

Cheaper than spending hours at the mechanic trying to guess what the NCT will find.

Well, he'd given me a list of around €450's worth of stuff it could fail on. I shrugged hopelessly and brought it to the NCT and they failed it on the brake hose covers, so I brought it back to him and he fixed them, and also promised to look for a scrapped model of my car to do the other things he found wrong.

When I brought it back, the NCT said the brakes were incorrectly adjusted. The mechanic says the he'll have to wing it, because he doesn't have the machine the NCT has to check the exact adjustment of the brakes. And he says there aren't any Mondeo saloons in the scrapyards for the parts it needs for the other work.

visual

Item: Aero Flat Flexi Front Wind Screen Wiper Blades FORD All Models windscreen pairURL: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=290783773699Alt URL: http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Aero-Flat-Flexi-Front-Wind-Screen-Wiper-Blades-FORD-All-Models-windscreen-pair-/290783773699?var=

Hope the link works

Mar4ix

Qualitymark wrote: »

I don't know - what's the difference?

Brought it back to the NCT today, having done what they asked me to. They re-failed the car on another, though related, issue; another €28, plus another €50 for the mechanic, I suppose!

Wonder, wht they failed ?? i think wiper blades has to be visual, as no equipment to use to check them out. ... not sure though .

It is something new to me, if they fail on something else, if repaired faults found in first time. :eek:

Qualitymark

No, it didn't fail on the wiper blades, they just need replacing! It failed on the brake hose covers, and then when I brought it back they said the brakes needed doing; they hadn't checked the brakes first time - presumably because they saw the hose covers and said "Oh, they need doing". I'm a bit annoyed that they didn't check them - could have saved me a second re-test and more payment to the mechanic if they had.

BostonB

Id didn't think they could fail you on something they didn't find the first time around. At least that used to be the case.

Few garages have all the testing gear that the NCT uses. So unfortunately a few things might show up that a garage is unable to test for.

Qualitymark

BostonB wrote: »

Id didn't think they could fail you on something they didn't find the first time around. At least that used to be the case.

Few garages have all the testing gear that the NCT uses. So unfortunately a few things might show up that a garage is unable to test for.

I didn't think so either. Alas!

enricoh

get bosch blades. if yer deaf buy in lidl, aldi n the cheapest in yer motor factors as u wont notice the squeking! i bought all of the above before n with bosch ones i often forget to turn wipers off.

BostonB

bosch - cheers I'll try a set.

coylemj

enricoh wrote: »

get bosch blades. if yer deaf buy in lidl, aldi n the cheapest in yer motor factors as u wont notice the squeking! i bought all of the above before n with bosch ones i often forget to turn wipers off.

+1 I have Bosch blades, the odd time I'd drive away of a morning with the wipers still set to intermittent so they would do a swipe on a totally dry screen but they don't make a sound and I use good screenwash so there is no layer of grease on the glass.

Mc Love

Bought a set from the ford dealer and they have been the best set of wipers I have had! Plus there is an indicator on them to let you know when to change them!

PaulKK

Had to change my blades a couple of weeks ago and discovered you cant get aero twins for an e46. So I chanced the valeo flat blades in halfords. Very happy with them and got the two I needed for under 30e. They come individually so you just buy the sizes you need. My drivers side blade is longer for example.

corkgsxr

just realised iv had my bosch wipers on for the last 2 years. just shows quality lasts