I had a set of Bosch "Bracket-less" wipers years ago for my Audi. I think they were called the Aero-Twin or something. Very expensive and came in a boxed package of the driver and passenger side lengths. Are the Icons any different? Have they been re-designed/upgraded?

I have a set of Valeos on my Benz, and I love them! They seemed to last longer than the Bosch. I had a couple of the Boschs where the plastic "flip cover" on the mount broke off.

 

See post #101 (above).

Availability April 20 or 21.

 

Thanks Cam.

The only thing I found from Bosch was:

Aero-Twin Wiper Blade

The new generation aero-twin wiper blade offers improved wiping quality with a unique design that more evenly distributes pressure on the windshield. Unlike conventional wiper blades with articulated sections, the aero-twin blade is pressed onto the window with two pre-curved spring rails, improving pressure distribution. By eliminating the traditional sections, airflow turbulence over the blade is reduced and wind noise is significantly lower.

With the integration of a spoiler, the blade helps provide clear vision, even when the vehicle is traveling at high speeds. The absence of the wiper blade superstructure also enables the aero-twin blade design to outperform conventional wiper blades on winter days by reducing snow and ice build-up.

A search shows limited availability for them and only for certain vehicles. It may well be that the Icons are the same blades, but in different lengths for aftermarket up-grades for other vehicles. I'll check into this with my other distributor as he brings in high-performance parts for European cars. One UK site lists them for £82.99 inc. VAT!

 

hmmmm... so i got the valeo blades in the mail today. took the old blades off and slid these new one's on. is it just me or is there nothing really locking these new blades in place? they kind of just slide on to the u-shape of the control arm. seem a little loose to me. i've ran them on the car and they seem to operate normally though. someone let me know if i installed these incorrectly. hopefully i won't lose them on the highway to work tomorrow

 

I installed mine on the weekend and had to pull on them quite hard to get it to click in place. They are not "loose" at all.

The only thing I noticed is that the passenger side wiper does not fully contact the windshield at the bottom end of the travel -- the outside edge curve of the wiper doesn't match the windshield. Tried adjusting the arm for more pressure but only made things worse. Anyone else experience this ???

 

That's weird, mine works perfectly. Does it leave any smeared water marks?

 

Hey bro, I was 'passing by' and saw your post andhad to log in....

I got my Valeos today too and after looking at the settup closely, I found that the new blades fit on a little differently than the OEM's and that the 'U' hook at the end of the arm was a very tight fit on the new blade's mount.
I had to firmly push the 2 together to them to 'CLICK' into place and lock properly.

I think you'll find that yours are not locked in yet and may fall off.

Hope this helps and G/L

-- Back to my 'list' of To-Do's......

Laters
Colin.

 

I noticed this too, mine didnt have the flipup hinge as the previous post pictures did. You have to push it in until it clicks.

Also, i noticed the passenger side blade, furthest to the outside of the windshield, doesnt sit flush against the glass. So there is a small ~1inch section or so that doesnt 'wipe' well at all. This is pretty disapointing since it costed close to $45

 

I guess that's why Bosch have a "B" blade with more curve for the passenger side.

Should be getting the Valeo blades any day now...
I'll post how mine fit when they get here.

 

hey thanks guys. just went into the garage to have a look at them again. i finally got them to both 'click' in with some force... although the driver's side really was a pita for some reason. i also noticed the same seperation at the end of my passenger wiper blade and glass as others have mentioned. but after operating it once the wiper seems to contact the glass on the way up... so hopefully this won't be an issue. looks like we might get some wet flurries this week as well so hopefully we'll be able to test them out properly. i looked at my boss's benz today and he's got the same valeo wiper blades on his car. bad news is that he told me they aren't operating as well as i thought. only time will tell i guess. cheers all.

-rj

 

Got them on... (Valeo)
I have the same gap on the passenger side.

 

Rained a little today on the way to work -- There is an area in my line of sight where there blade doesn't wipe clear on the way down... on the way up it is fine. I will have to try and adjust the pressure later to see if it improves.

Sad to say, I put on a $6 wiper from Canadaian Tire on the driver's side till my Valeos arrived and it was wiping much better.

 

I posted about that very same thing in this thread - post # 31, top of page 3. My Bosch haven't done this, but my Valeos did.

Take a look at my thread that I mention.

 

I got my Bosch from Atlanta so I'll try those first. I haven't received my Valeos from Rick yet. I'll keep you posted on my experiences.

Actually, I installed the Valeos first as the packaging was in just cellophane so might as well use these up. Seems to work but no rain here to really try, just with lots of windshield wiper fluid. BTW, I have a coupe.

 

hmm, i have the bosch icons installed, and got the "B" blade for the passenger side. From what i can tell, the entire blade makes contact with the windshield, and from my test wipes (i didn't actually get any rain), it seems to have good contact going up and down.

edit: I can't believe there's 120 posts about wiper blades, even after colin pared all the fluff :P