Aero wiper blades: which way up?

[Stratman]

I bought some replacement aero blades and noticed they're the 'other way up' compared to those I got from MB, in that the spoiler lip projection on the replacements is on the top whereas those from MB is at the bottom.

Which is correct?

 

[markjay]

This is Aerotwin on my 2013 W204:

 

[Stratman]

Thanks, that's the orientation of the replacements. Those supplied by MB Brooklands are the other way up!

Now it's just a matter of judicious bending so they touch the screen along all their length.

 

[markjay]

This is a picture form the Internet of the MB wipers that fit my car:

Judging form the position of the MB star (which in this picture is actually upside down), it seems to me that the location of the spoiler is the same as it is on the Aerotwin - i.e. at the top part of the wiper.

 

[Stratman]

I do MB a disservice. I got confused because I swapped over the sliding clips which secure the wiper to the arm, to get them in what I figured out would be the correct orientation.

The eBay replacements I suppose would be mass produced for the LHD market and imported by the seller. Put them on a RHD car and they're upside down, with the spoiler lip towards the bottom.

Swap over the sliding clips and they're now the right way up. I may have to judiciously bend the passenger side arm itself to exert a little more pressure but that can wait until I've been out in the rain.

 

[Petrol Pete]

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

I personally do not think that bending a wiper arm has any real affect on the pressure exerted as the spring is fixed at two points and is constant. my theory is the only way to apply more pressure would be to fit a stronger spring.

I am sure there is a professor of mechanical engineering on here somewhere who will prove I am wrong and explain why.

Discuss.

 

[optimusprime]

No one makes the blades to fit the screen like mercedes .And before long you will find that wont sit flat on the screen and that they dont do the job righ,, and before long will mark the screen .

 

[bazzabear]

How much are genuine Mercedes wiper blades then?

 

[markjay]

The MB ones I had on the W203 were made by the French SWF, now part of the Valeo group.

 

[gianton]

How much are genuine Mercedes wiper blades then?

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/121223994453?_mwBanner=1

 

[Stratman]

The end of the passenger side arm doesn't quite touch the screen when lowered gently with no blade fitted, even though the pivot is free to move. A visually imperceptible slight bend has fixed that and there are no gaps between blade and screen.

As for genuine MB blades, I had just as much bother with them not clearing quite large areas of the screen as I've had with cheap ebay ones. Given the choice of paying over thirty quid or eight quid for blades which will need 'adjusting on test', I chose the cheaper option.

Aero blades are a bit too flexible methinks.

 

[bazzabear]

Actually, having gone out and looked at the screen on my car (W204 C class) it's extremely flat, so I don;t think there's any need to aim for an OEM one to avoid it not pressing against the screen for the whole length.

 

[optimusprime]

Bazzer i would not know . I have both Aero and Bosch blades in my garage the Bosch is fitted on my car .I did fit the Aero but i could see no way would it fit the screen on the curvature . So had to remove it . The original merc blade had a wind dam on it to hold it down on to the screen .And i am talking about my W124 .So if you have a flat screen then the aero blade should work fine . I have fitted Aero blades to most of my cars in the past . With good results .

 

[rf065]

No one makes the blades to fit the screen like mercedes .And before long you will find that wont sit flat on the screen and that they dont do the job righ,, and before long will mark the screen .

Except Mercedes don't actually make wiper blades! Bosch, Valeo or whoever supplies them with a Mercedes emblem.

Russ

 

[MancMike]

They're made to Merc's specifications.

They don't manufacture most of the parts the cars are made of. They design and assemble cars and the parts are made to spec.

 

[rf065]

They're made to Merc's specifications.

They don't manufacture most of the parts the cars are made of. They design and assemble cars and the parts are made to spec.

Wow, I did not know that!!!

 

[Stratman]

Went out in the rain and all's fine :bannana:

The 203's screen is curved, as of course are the blades as supplied. Following the curvature of the screen wasn't the main problem, it was the centre of the blade under the mounting clip not touching. Like I said earlier, judicious bending of both blade and passenger side arm gives what I like to think of as a custom fit.

 

[markjay]

Except Mercedes don't actually make wiper blades! Bosch, Valeo or whoever supplies them with a Mercedes emblem.

Russ

The issue is that simply knowing the manufacturer's name is not always enough - because in many cases the manufacturer does not make the exact same part under their own name.

I used to contract for Delphi Automotive and many parts are made to order. Whether they are allowed to also sell same part under their own brand is down to the commercial agreement between the Tier-1 automotive manufacturer and the car manufacturer.

Another example are MB car batteries - you can't buy directly from Varta the exact same battery that you buy from MB, in spite of the fact that all the Varta batteries (MB and non-MB) are made by the same manufacturer (Johnson Controls).

In other cases you may be able to get the item with the same Tier-1 manufacturer's Part Number both MB-branded and not MB-branded.

But unless you are in the trade, it is not always clear when an MB-branded part can also be bought directly from its Tier-1 manufacturer.

 

[markjay]

More to the point, the original MB wiper blades on my W203 were made by SWF Valeo, but when checking the manufacturers' product catalogues, the itmes they listed for my car looked nothing like the original MB wipers.

Not that oy matters much - I have been using Bosch Aerotwin recently and I am happy with them.

But just o say that if for whatever reason you did want to buy the exact same model as the MB-branded one - I will not be surprised if you can only buy the MB-branded wiper blades from MB i.e. you can't buy the exact same model without the MB branding.

 

[bnam]

I've also been able to remove the endcaps and insert the rubber portion from another blade onto the MB blade. I made sure they were the same size.