This might look completely daft, but when you’re choosing which new or used car to buy next; you’d do very well to take a look at the Wiper blades. They can make a significant difference to your non-fuel running expenditure.
Many of the new models that have been introduced in Europe over the last few years are coming fitted with the new type of Flat Wiper Blades. These look terrific, and provide inherently much better wiping performance than traditional Wiper blades.
Flat Wiper Blades are also claimed to be far more aerodynamically efficient than traditional Wiper blades, and this gives 2 benefits.
Firstly, Flat Wiper Blades have much better contact with the windscreen , especially at high speeds.
Secondly, Flatblade Wipers have a much lower coefficient of drag when compared with traditional Wiper blades. However, when you realise what a miniscule part of the overall drag of the car the Wiper blades account for; you’ll see that even reducing wiper blade drag by 80% won’t make any real difference to your car’s economy.
Conversely, if you’re not vigilant, you could wind up spending up to £160 a year just on replacement Wiper blades!
This annoying situation has happened because the car makers and the makers of the Original Fit Wiper blades have managed to use their introduction as a means of locking the unsuspecting buyer into a very small number of suppliers for the replacements; namely the franchised dealer and the wiper blade manufacturer’s own local distributors.
This scarcity of competition has led to some outrageous prices being demanded for Flat Wiper Blades.
A friend of mine is fortunate enough to own a very exotic Supercar. Nevertheless even he was amazed to be quoted £80 for A wiper blade when his car was just over 6 months old. He tried to find a different source, and after the vehicle main dealer, he could only find the wiper blade manufacturer’s local distributor, and guess what? The prices were within a few pence of each other.
He was especially outraged by this, because previously, he’s always fitted Silicone Windscreen Wiper Blades to his cars as soon as the original rubber ones wore out. Despite keeping all his cars for at least three years; he’s never had to replace any of his Silicone wiper blades.
What further outraged my friend was the salt that the rubber wiper blade manufacturers rubbed into his wounds. On the pack of the £80 wiper blade was a warning that he should anticipate replace these Wiper blades within 6 months to a year.
Alas, manufacturers of Silicone wiper blades have not yet found ways to get around the patents on the connection systems for these original equipment Flat Wiper Blades, but you can buy Silicone Retrofit Flat Wiper Blades, which bring together the looks & aerodynamic efficiency of Flat Wiper Blades with the performance, life and guarantee of Silicone wiper blades.
So, when you’re shopping for your next car, take a look at the wiper blade arms. If they have the well known hook type fittings, you can get either classic or Flat Silicone wiper blades to fit. If they’ve got the fancy new patented connections, remember you may have to replace them twice a year, and look into the cost. It could well be as much as you spend on servicing!