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Car Forum / Honda Cars / March 2009Honda OEM wiper blades, any better than aftermarket?
I have a Honda Accord nearing 300K. It could be that my winshield has too many small pitts that make my windshield wipers wear out quickly (2-months). I clean them once a month with rubbing alcohol and polish my winshield with newspaper every 2-weeks or so. I have always used aftermarket blades. But I see no difference in longevity between the more expensive and cheaper brands/models. I thought about trying the OEM blades, but they are pricey at the dealer. Has anyone noticed any longevity differences in Honda OEM blades vs. aftermarket? >I have a Honda Accord nearing 300K. It could be that my winshield has > too many small pitts that make my windshield wipers wear out quickly [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Has anyone noticed any longevity differences in Honda OEM blades vs. > aftermarket? I am sure that at least five people will jump in and tell you that you MUST use OEM blades! I don't know why because there are many good brands out there to be had at prices far less than OEM at the dealer. That said, I think part of your problem is cleaning them with isopropyl alcohol. IIRC this actually has a degrading effect on the rubber in the blades. Hot water and dishsoap with a good rinse will clean them just as well as anything. I don't really think you will notice any significant difference in the longevity of a quality aftermarket wiper blade and the OEM ones.... DaveD techman41973 <techman41973@yahoo.com> wrote in news:159c3f7f-8619-48ee- 902c-d4e2c64debb0@p6g2000pre.googlegroups.com: > I have a Honda Accord nearing 300K. It could be that my winshield has > too many small pitts that make my windshield wipers wear out quickly > (2-months). There's a very good possibility of that. It's happened to me more than once. > I clean them once a month with rubbing alcohol and polish > my winshield with newspaper every 2-weeks or so. > I have always used aftermarket blades. But I see no difference in > longevity between the more expensive and cheaper brands/models. > I thought about trying the OEM blades, but they are pricey at the > dealer. Five dollars is pricey? However, if you've discarded the metal wiper blades themselves, then yes, OEM is expensive (~$40 per side). But only the first time. After that it's five dollars per side for the rubber refill. > Has anyone noticed any longevity differences in Honda OEM blades vs. > aftermarket? OEM lasts longer and works better (six months to a year). In my humble opinion, which is based on 18 years of trying everything out there and eventually going back to the five dollar OEMs.  SignatureTegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > techman41973 <techman41973@yahoo.com> wrote in news:159c3f7f-8619-48ee- > 902c-d4e2c64debb0@p6g2000pre.googlegroups.com: [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > opinion, which is based on 18 years of trying everything out there and > eventually going back to the five dollar OEMs. We had this discussion about a week ago and Tegger you called the price at $5. I stopped by the Honda dealer in Manassas. Retail for both sides were $13. That seemed to be pricey. Maybe you get a special rate, but I don't. Daveed > We had this discussion about a week ago and Tegger you called the > price at $5. I stopped by the Honda dealer in Manassas. Retail for > both sides were $13. That seemed to be pricey. Maybe you get a > special rate, but I don't. Noted, thanks. Maybe your wipers are longer and more expensive than mine. Mine are just a bit over $5 each, no discount. I still think $13 is pretty good for OEM quality versus aftermarket quality. When people complain about their wipers, they're almost always using aftermarket. SignatureTegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ On 3/24/09 3:28 PM, in article Xns9BD8A78C9CA88tegger@208.90.168.18, >> We had this discussion about a week ago and Tegger you called the >> price at $5. I stopped by the Honda dealer in Manassas. Retail for [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > quality. When people complain about their wipers, they're almost always > using aftermarket. Last time I needed wipers for the '06 CR-V I got the rubbers from Majestic Honda (along with some other stuff) for $3.22 each. If the local dealer is price gouging, the internet is your friend. > On 3/24/09 3:28 PM, in article Xns9BD8A78C9CA88tegger@208.90.168.18, > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Honda (along with some other stuff) for $3.22 each. If the local dealer is > price gouging, the internet is your friend. no sh.t. On 3/24/2009 3:47 AM Tegger spake these words of knowledge: > techman41973 <techman41973@yahoo.com> wrote in news:159c3f7f-8619-48ee- > 902c-d4e2c64debb0@p6g2000pre.googlegroups.com: [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > OEM is expensive (~$40 per side). But only the first time. After that it's > five dollars per side for the rubber refill. Dave is right about the cost; $14 each at my dealer. The cheapest Amco wiper refills at Wal-Mart are $5 for the 18" side, $6 for the 26" side. RFT!!! Dave Kelsen SignatureWhen you wish upon a falling star, your dreams come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor. > Dave is right about the cost; $14 each at my dealer. The cheapest > Amco wiper refills at Wal-Mart are $5 for the 18" side, $6 for the 26" > side. OK, $14 each, then. I stand corrected. But mine are $5 each. My last invoice (with 10% discount because I spend so much there) shows $4.95 each. Still, I've had way too much annoying trouble with aftermarket over the years, mostly smearing and squeaking. That's the reason I stopped (in disgust) using aftermarket and went back to OEM. Best decision I ever made. If aftermarket is working for you, go for it. Too often they did NOT work for me. Of if they did, it was only briefly before the streak & squeak came back. In any case, wiper rubbers should be changed twice a year for optimum performance. SignatureTegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ On 3/24/2009 3:37 PM Tegger spake these words of knowledge: >> Dave is right about the cost; $14 each at my dealer. The cheapest >> Amco wiper refills at Wal-Mart are $5 for the 18" side, $6 for the 26" [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > In any case, wiper rubbers should be changed twice a year for optimum > performance. Of course they should, but I change mine (as most folks, I imagine) when they bug me enough to do so. Probably once a year, or so. But I agree about when they *should* be changed. ;^) RFT!!! Dave Kelsen SignatureAll men are frauds. The only difference between them is that some admit it. I myself deny it. > On 3/24/2009 3:37 PM Tegger spake these words of knowledge: > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Of course they should, but I change mine (as most folks, I imagine) > when they bug me enough to do so. Probably once a year, or so. Most people I've seen change their wipers whenever the rubbers start peeling into CheeseStrings, or whenever they can't see out the windshield anymore, whichever comes last. Two, three years, maybe more. > But I agree about when they *should* be changed. ;^) An update here, regarding my boss's '03 CR-V. He went to some Jelly Lube quick-change place yesterday for an engine oil swap. The monkeys there badgered him into replacing his wipers with new ones (from them, of course). This he allowed, just to get them off his back (monkey on his back, ha ha). He did not actually use the wipers until this morning. He tells me that the first time he turned the wipers on they were getting tangled up in themselves during their sweep, so he got a pair of cutters and snipped off the end of one of the wipers, after which the assembly flew apart when next used. Of course, Jelly Lube's lower primates did not give my boss back his expensive OEM wiper blades, so there's no ready fallback. Gonna look at this myself tomorrow and see what's precisely wrong. I LOVE AFTERMARKET! SignatureTegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ snip > Most people I've seen change their wipers whenever the rubbers start > peeling into CheeseStrings, or whenever they can't see out the > windshield anymore, whichever comes last. Two, three years, maybe more. You bin spyin' on me pal??? Actually, I get two to three years out of a pair of refills. 1. I use Rain-X which often results in the wipers not being turned on. 2. Texas is notorious for lengthy droughts. JT (Who ain't cheap but frugal!) > An update here, regarding my boss's '03 CR-V. > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > I LOVE AFTERMARKET! Fixed the problem today. Here's the setup I found: http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/cr-v_bad-wipers.jpg Turns out the Jelly Lube place installed the wrong lengths of wiper blades (from 2 different brands). In a way, this was fortuitous, since it flushed out another problem. The glass place that replaced the windshield a couple of years ago somehow managed to swap the arms left for right (so they were on the wrong sides). This did not become obvious until the blades were replaced with the Jelly Lube ones I saw today. The original OEM blades appear to have had just enough clearance that they didn't foul on each other during their sweep. Not only all that, but both wiper arm nuts were only slightly more than finger-tight, so there had been some slippage of the arms on their spindles. The spindle splines were partially flattened and smeared. How the wipers didn't eventually get turned around 180 degrees I don't know. I put the arms on the correct sides, replaced the blades with new OEM ($25 each; includes the rubber), and tightened the nuts properly. My boss tells me he can't remember ever before having wipers that worked so well. Aftermarket parts + incompetent servicing = disaster. And finally, the parts guy at the local Honda dealership says he has no wiper refills that cost any more than $6. Where you guys are getting $14 refills from is a mystery to me. SignatureTegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > On 3/24/2009 3:37 PM Tegger spake these words of knowledge: > > Of course they should, but I change mine (as most folks, I imagine) when > they bug me enough to do so. Probably once a year, or so. But I agree > about when they *should* be changed. ;^) Wiper blades on the new model Hondas cost about $50 for the pair. I change them no sooner than they absolutely need it... ;-) SignatureJoe - Linux User #449481/Ubuntu User #19733 joe at hits - buffalo dot com "Hate is baggage, life is too short to go around pissed off all the time..." - Danny, American History X >> On 3/24/2009 3:37 PM Tegger spake these words of knowledge: >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Wiper blades on the new model Hondas cost about $50 for the pair. I > change them no sooner than they absolutely need it... ;-) majestic honda has wiper rubbers for the 2009 accord listed at $3.22. that's $6.44 the pair. shipping extra. >>> On 3/24/2009 3:37 PM Tegger spake these words of knowledge: >>> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > majestic honda has wiper rubbers for the 2009 accord listed at $3.22. > that's $6.44 the pair. shipping extra. 2006 Civic Si, Passenger Blade 25.62, Driver is not listed for some reason, but being the longer of the two, and with my experience, a couple bucks more... The local dealers did not "carry" the refill blades, just the assembly, and I needed the assembly anyhow, as the stupid clips don't last a damn on these things. The passenger blade clip broke after a year. Of course, Majestic sells THAT, too... ;-) I ended up buying Trico's that have lasted almost 2 years now, but are just starting to streak, so are slated for replacement... SignatureJoe - Linux User #449481/Ubuntu User #19733 joe at hits - buffalo dot com "Hate is baggage, life is too short to go around pissed off all the time..." - Danny, American History X On 3/24/09 11:47 PM, in article slrngsjdqu.aid.joe@barada.griffincs.local, >>>> On 3/24/2009 3:37 PM Tegger spake these words of knowledge: >>>> [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > I ended up buying Trico's that have lasted almost 2 years now, but are > just starting to streak, so are slated for replacement... Look again - the refill rubber is $3.22. If by "clip" you mean the end caps, they are $2.30. If by "clip" you mean the center "element" that holds the blade to the arm, that's $1.61. The $25.62 is "suggested retail" for the whole blade assembly (they sell it for $17.93). It is sort of strange that they left off the price for the driver side blade assembly, especially since its identified in the diagram. I have become totally disillusioned with the local dealers (there are three). They all have their parts jacked up to about 3X retail and as you say, tend to not carry the cheaper essentials like wiper blade fillers at all. If it weren't for places like Majestic on the net, we'd never know what the price of some of these things is supposed to be. > In any case, wiper rubbers should be changed twice a year for optimum > performance. To be technical, they should be changed *daily* for truly *optimum* performance. Signature"Ubuntu" -- an African word, meaning "Slackware is too hard for me". Need help?: http://brandybuck.site40.net/pics/ubuntu.jpg The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org Ahhhhhhhh!: http://brandybuck.site40.net/pics/relieve.jpg Dan C <youmustbejoking@lan.invalid> wrote in news:pan.2009.03.25.01.17.30 @moria.lan: >> In any case, wiper rubbers should be changed twice a year for optimum >> performance. > > To be technical, they should be changed *daily* for truly *optimum* > performance. I can be even sillier: Change them every sweep. ;^) SignatureTegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >> In any case, wiper rubbers should be changed twice a year for optimum >> performance. > > To be technical, they should be changed *daily* for truly *optimum* > performance. Whether it rains or not, goddammit! :) >>> In any case, wiper rubbers should be changed twice a year for optimum >>> performance. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Whether it rains or not, goddammit! :) Well, yeah. Strong sunlight is quite damaging to the rubber. Signature"Ubuntu" -- an African word, meaning "Slackware is too hard for me". Need help?: http://brandybuck.site40.net/pics/ubuntu.jpg The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org Ahhhhhhhh!: http://brandybuck.site40.net/pics/relieve.jpg > Has anyone noticed any longevity differences in Honda OEM blades vs. > aftermarket? I certainly have. Not only in longevity, but in how well they work. Stick with the OEM blades, and replace just the rubbers when necessary. >I have a Honda Accord nearing 300K. It could be that my winshield has > too many small pitts that make my windshield wipers wear out quickly [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Has anyone noticed any longevity differences in Honda OEM blades vs. > aftermarket? Consumer Reports recently rated wipers/blades and found little relationship between price/quality-- but did recommend three or four models. They found that all of them had deteriorated a good bit after 6 months and after a year, all needed replacement. Both are about once a year deals for me. But I was able to get refills (rubbers only, natural rubber) for about $5 each with coupon. Without coupon? Then it's a little known WalMart brand (not Anco, Trico, etc) IIRC ~$3-4 each (natural rubber). Nitrile rubber ones stink. > I have a Honda Accord nearing 300K. It could be that my winshield has > too many small pitts that make my windshield wipers wear out quickly [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Has anyone noticed any longevity differences in Honda OEM blades vs. > aftermarket? > I have a Honda Accord nearing 300K. It could be that my winshield has > too many small pitts that make my windshield wipers wear out quickly [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Has anyone noticed any longevity differences in Honda OEM blades vs. > aftermarket? These threads don't address the "OEM vs" issue, but do offer some information on specific brands, and their effectiveness and longevity. http://stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8371 http://stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=11141 http://stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2924 http://stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=14834 Windshields a relative commodity now and sometimes you can get them for under two hundred. I might consider a replacement of a pitted and scratched on a younger considering the hours I spend looking through one. Its like when I get a new pair of eyeglasses (which approach the price of windshields)- a fresh pair without scratches is like heaven. |
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