If that one doesn't work out, I'm using the Valeo 24", it works well for me.
Bosch Icon 24" Wiper Blade doesn't touch glass in center
The Bosch Icon 24" Wiper Blade is highly recommended on other threads.
Just bought one and installed it, but it is naturally very curved. It doesn't touch the glass in the center.
Anyone else had this issue with this particular Bosch blade?
Just bought one and installed it, but it is naturally very curved. It doesn't touch the glass in the center.
Anyone else had this issue with this particular Bosch blade?
1 - 20 of 29 Posts
Just went out with a spray bottle filled with water... the Bosch Icon 24" blade only scrapes on the edges of the wiper on my 05 Elise. In the center, it is so curved, that it doesn't even make contact with the glass.
Am I supposed to "unbend" it or something?
Am I supposed to "unbend" it or something?
Wasn't an issue for me, same wiper, 05 Elise. The outboard end flies a bit (1.5") in resting position, but makes contact w/ the glass w/in two inches of sweeping. No issues at all in the middle. Those blades do seem to have a remarkable amount of built-in deflection, though.
I had the same problem with the Bosch Icon blade and the Valeo blade as well. The only thing that seems to work is the stock Lotus blade on my '06 Elise. The others leave a football sized patch of water in the center of the windshield.
Dave
Dave
Yeah, that's exactly what I am getting... good description there... a football size patch in the center of the windshield.
Anyone know where to get a stock blade at a reasonable cost?
Anyone know where to get a stock blade at a reasonable cost?
I have an 05 Elise and I use the 24" Rain-x Latitude wiperblade. It's similar to the Bosch and it's cheaper. $18 at Orchard Hardware. Oh! the only missed spot is on the very bottom right on the passenger side. Which I don't care about.
I think I paid $17.00 at the Lotus dealer for the replacement blade that fixed the problem. I asked them to let me put it on the Elise and prove it worked before I paid for it. I had originally put the Icon blade on because the original Lotus blade was dried out from sitting on the lot before I bought the car and it also had started to produce the same football sized spot.
Dave
Dave
I just finally d/l'ed my pictures.
This is the bosch icon 24" blade mounted. the outboard end flies in resting position ~1.5" (compare to blaupunkt badge on speaker). Has not been an issue at all in the rain. In fact, I suspect the usable area the 26" might provide is pretty marginal, since the top of the sweep radius would be up in the visor area.
This is the bosch icon 24" blade mounted. the outboard end flies in resting position ~1.5" (compare to blaupunkt badge on speaker). Has not been an issue at all in the rain. In fact, I suspect the usable area the 26" might provide is pretty marginal, since the top of the sweep radius would be up in the visor area.
Attachments
-
249.7 KB Views: 8,848
You got the "a" right? Mine is the
Bosch 424A ICON Wiper Blade - 24"
It's a great wiper on the 06. I only have an inch or so at the tip that doesn't contact the windscreen just as Implosion posted a pic of. Compared to the stock wiper, which to be fair was probably sitting out in the sun on the lot, it's 99% better. When this one wears out I'm definitely getting another Bosch.
Bosch 424A ICON Wiper Blade - 24"
It's a great wiper on the 06. I only have an inch or so at the tip that doesn't contact the windscreen just as Implosion posted a pic of. Compared to the stock wiper, which to be fair was probably sitting out in the sun on the lot, it's 99% better. When this one wears out I'm definitely getting another Bosch.
Correct, I have the same model you reference (424A).
Rain-X @ +70mph is better than any wiper.
Besides, you shouldn't drive the Elise in the rain. It is not waterproof...
Besides, you shouldn't drive the Elise in the rain. It is not waterproof...
100% agree with that statement. It has yet to see anything more dense than SF fog, and won't, if I can help it.
I just don't understand...
You pay $15-20 for an "improved" wiper blade that doesn't work instead of just spending $3 for a Trico rubber refill insert and have one that works just fine. :shrug:
It's the Trico 45-260 refill that fits - sometimes you have to take the original metal rails from the OEM blade and use them with the new rubber but it's simple. Here's one post about it.
Just make sure that you insert the new rubber insert into the blade holder from the inside such that the "clip" that holds the rubber in place is toward the "inside" (center of the windshield) and not the "outside" (far end/outside/etc) of the blade holder - it lets the blade stretch out from the "centrifugal" forces and forces it to lie flat on the glass as it moves.
For the record my stock OEM type of blade removes 100% of the water from the windshield, so there is no way to "improve" on it.
You pay $15-20 for an "improved" wiper blade that doesn't work instead of just spending $3 for a Trico rubber refill insert and have one that works just fine. :shrug:
It's the Trico 45-260 refill that fits - sometimes you have to take the original metal rails from the OEM blade and use them with the new rubber but it's simple. Here's one post about it.
Just make sure that you insert the new rubber insert into the blade holder from the inside such that the "clip" that holds the rubber in place is toward the "inside" (center of the windshield) and not the "outside" (far end/outside/etc) of the blade holder - it lets the blade stretch out from the "centrifugal" forces and forces it to lie flat on the glass as it moves.
For the record my stock OEM type of blade removes 100% of the water from the windshield, so there is no way to "improve" on it.
Here's another tip on wiper blades. Buy a can of silicone spray, soak a paper towel with it, and wipe it liberally on the blades. It will transform what many think are worn out blades into ones that perform as new. If you use it routinely even on new ones, you can extend their life dramatically.
Tim -- reason I replaced my stock wiper blade is because of the extreme chatter. After doing a search here on Lotustalk to see I wasn't the only one with that experience, the Bosch seemed the way to go. Not sure why it's not working for for Implosion... perhaps the one he purchased was faulty.
Yeah, I know this thread is almost 3 months old...
... but it's time I replaced my wiper. And, vain as it may seem, I do like the "look" and low profile of the Bosch Icon (and other similar products from Valeo, Anco, among others). And in case Tim wants to chime in, I've already searched and read a bunch of posts about this being a waste of money as well as the simple mod of reversing the stock blade inserts. Yes, I understand all this in advance. For me, this is all about increasing visibility. I'd remove the wiper altogether if I wasn't near the coast where we get fog/mist pretty regularly and the wiper does, in fact, have a role in this part of Southern California.
So, onto the question:
How in the world are all you getting the Bosch to fit on the wiper arm?
I took a quick trip to Autozone this afternoon, and the salesperson was kind enough to open the package and we went outside to see if the Bosch Icon would fit. It wouldn't. The fitting on the blade wouldn't fit inside the "u-bend" portion of the metal wiper arm attached to the car. We tried pretty hard, and didn't want to break the blade in the process. It certainly didn't fit in the arm like the stock part. This seemed strange, as I didn't think there would be anything "special" about this wiper arm.
So we tried a more generic blade, and though we could get it to fit inside the u-bend, it didn't have the little catch tab that holds it in place on the metal arm. Interesting.
0 for 2.
Any advice is appreciated. Not sure if there is any difference in the wiper arms on these cars based on the model year. Mine's an '07 Exige S.
... but it's time I replaced my wiper. And, vain as it may seem, I do like the "look" and low profile of the Bosch Icon (and other similar products from Valeo, Anco, among others). And in case Tim wants to chime in, I've already searched and read a bunch of posts about this being a waste of money as well as the simple mod of reversing the stock blade inserts. Yes, I understand all this in advance. For me, this is all about increasing visibility. I'd remove the wiper altogether if I wasn't near the coast where we get fog/mist pretty regularly and the wiper does, in fact, have a role in this part of Southern California.
So, onto the question:
How in the world are all you getting the Bosch to fit on the wiper arm?
I took a quick trip to Autozone this afternoon, and the salesperson was kind enough to open the package and we went outside to see if the Bosch Icon would fit. It wouldn't. The fitting on the blade wouldn't fit inside the "u-bend" portion of the metal wiper arm attached to the car. We tried pretty hard, and didn't want to break the blade in the process. It certainly didn't fit in the arm like the stock part. This seemed strange, as I didn't think there would be anything "special" about this wiper arm.
So we tried a more generic blade, and though we could get it to fit inside the u-bend, it didn't have the little catch tab that holds it in place on the metal arm. Interesting.
0 for 2.
Any advice is appreciated. Not sure if there is any difference in the wiper arms on these cars based on the model year. Mine's an '07 Exige S.
Trico 45-260
Tim,
Just got a Trico 45-260 as you suggested and it doesn't fit with the rails supplied. It MIGHT with the original rails but it does not have any pocket in the rubber to retain it in the blade holder and I fear it will come off the holder at some inappropriate time, heavy downpour for instance, and then I'll be stuck. Could you elaborate how you are holding the refill in place? Thx
Tim,
Just got a Trico 45-260 as you suggested and it doesn't fit with the rails supplied. It MIGHT with the original rails but it does not have any pocket in the rubber to retain it in the blade holder and I fear it will come off the holder at some inappropriate time, heavy downpour for instance, and then I'll be stuck. Could you elaborate how you are holding the refill in place? Thx
It's the Trico 45-260 refill that fits - sometimes you have to take the original metal rails from the OEM blade and use them with the new rubber but it's simple.
so whats the secret to remove the blade?
i tried to pinch the nubs under the U-hook but how do i remove the old blade?
i tried to pinch the nubs under the U-hook but how do i remove the old blade?
I have to go exchange the Bosch Icon 26 for the 24A but the 26 which is larger only weighs 4.6 oz vs the stock wiper that is 8.2 oz so with the 24A I would expect to save 1/4 lb. Every bit helps, espcially since I have never used the wipers!I just don't understand...
You pay $15-20 for an "improved" wiper blade that doesn't work instead of just spending $3 for a Trico rubber refill insert and have one that works just fine. :shrug:
It's the Trico 45-260 refill that fits - sometimes you have to take the original metal rails from the OEM blade and use them with the new rubber but it's simple. Here's one post about it.
Just make sure that you insert the new rubber insert into the blade holder from the inside such that the "clip" that holds the rubber in place is toward the "inside" (center of the windshield) and not the "outside" (far end/outside/etc) of the blade holder - it lets the blade stretch out from the "centrifugal" forces and forces it to lie flat on the glass as it moves.
For the record my stock OEM type of blade removes 100% of the water from the windshield, so there is no way to "improve" on it.
1 - 20 of 29 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
The Lotus Cars Community
A forum community dedicated to all Lotus owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Recommended Communities
