Re: A4 windshield wiper oddities

[Chris Newbold <cnewbold@transarc.com>]

Steve Manning wrote:

> I guess this is Audi ingenuity at work (?!).  It means replacing the blades
> are a dealer-only item, which I find irritating for such an often changed,
> mass-market part.

Audi's standard procedure is to replace wiper inserts, not blades. If,
for example, you complain about worn-out wipers under the Audi Advantage,
you'll get new inserts...

This seems, mostly, like a reasonable practice. I ran the same blades
on my '93 90 for five years, and replaced inserts about 2-3 times a year.
When I finnaly put new blades on this year, it didn't really seem to
improve wiping any more than inserts alone. (The springs all still felt
about as springy as those on the new blades.)

Now, price is another matter. You'll find that Audi charges as much for
replacement inserts as, say, Pep Boys does for complete, new Bosch OEM
blades...

-Chris
1993 90CS 70k miles