Hi,
Can anybody please advise me regarding replacement wiper blades for my Mondeo?
I reckon that they need replacing because when they wipe there are patches of the windscreen that do not clear immediately (instead it just seems to "smudge" the water across the area).
How would I go about getting new ones? Do I need to pick a particular type of blade, or are they pretty standard? I don't mind spending a few quid if it pays off in quality, but don't want to waste money on something that I don't need.
Any help would be much appreciated.
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But not the "flat" type "aerotwin" Useless things.
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>> But not the "flat" type "aerotwin" Useless things.
>>
??
I've just put some on my car. They're great.
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>> >> But not the "flat" type "aerotwin" Useless things.
>> >>
>>
>> ??
>>
>> I've just put some on my car. They're great.
Not for long. Standby for judder and smearing.
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>> Not for long. Standby for judder and smearing.
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Hmm. The ones they replaced were doing that, but I imagined that they were the originals and were, therefore, justifiably wearing out. How long would you expect my new ones to last before deteriorating? Give me your best guess, and I'll take note and report back.
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>> to last before deteriorating? Give me your best guess, and I'll take note and report
>> back.
4 months on nicoles polo.
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I used to know a bloke who had previously been involved in designing windscreen wipers. He told me how much time and effort goes into ensuring that the things wipe neatly while maintaining good contact throughout their length at all speeds and in all conditions.
He regarded the flat things as the worst bit of pandering to style at the expense of function ever done in the automotive world.
At the time he'd just taken posession of a new Skoda Superb that came with flat ones and was holding forth over a few beers on how terrible they were.
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I'd go for Bosch as well or whatever was OEM on the Mondeo.
May even be worth getting them from parts dept at a Ford franchise. We've had pattern items from Halfords that didn't fit (fouled the screen spoiler Xantia rear) or knocked the screen frame ('lingo front)
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>> May even be worth getting them from parts dept at a Ford franchise.
>>
Only if you have deep pockets. Wiper blades are one of those things where a dealer's parts department will happily sell you what's available at any good automotive parts store, only marked up by some eye-watering factor designed to fleece those daft enough to let the service department change them.
Never had a problem with Bosch, Valeo etc. Whenever I've found that a pattern item fouled it was invariably either a cheapo component or where the book was wrong[1].
If I've not bought before and don't know the size for sure I always measure the old ones first, just as a sanity check that the generic parts catalogue has the sizes right.
[1] One that springs to mind with Bosch is that they (used to?) quote one size for all models of the MGB. The size that fits the GT. Roadster ones are an inch shorter.
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Thanks for the input so far guys.
I had a look at the Bosch wipers. As far as I can tell from their guide, only the AeroTwins are suitable for a Mk4 Mondeo (there is no matching SuperPlus).
Halfords sell the two wiper pack (AM310S) for £45, but I think I found the same thing on WiperBlades.co.uk for £25 + postage.
But, that's just the first Google result I got, so I don't know if they are any good as a supplier. Can anybody recommend a reasonable, trustworthy supplier?
I'd rather steer clear of my Ford franchise if possible, because they seem to charge twice as much for everything (have now switched my service from them to KwikFit, and saved nearly £100).
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>> (have now switched my service from them to KwikFit, and saved nearly £100).
KwikFit???? Urk!
Given what you get there, if you are paying more than peanuts you are being done.
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>> >> (have now switched my service from them to KwikFit, and saved nearly £100).
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>> KwikFit???? Urk!
>>
>> Given what you get there, if you are paying more than peanuts you are being
>> done.
£105 for an interim service, versus £200 at my franchise dealer.
I'd like to know exactly what I'm getting for that extra £95.
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I think the WIPERS25 discount code is still valid on the Eurocarparts website. I bought my recent (Bosch) ones there, getting a set of three blades (the flat ones for the front as dissed by Zero above, and an old fashioned one for the rear) for a Laguna estate for about 30 quid.
Last edited by: Alanović on Tue 14 May 13 at 14:09
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I've bought Bosch aero from Amazon (the one that arrived in a 7.5 tonne truck, delivered by driver and mate as it was a heavy load) and a year or so previously from windscreenwipersdirect.co.uk.
Not much to choose except delivery cost (sometimes free slow delivery with Amazon).
On a recent model Fabia the aero blades work OK, but they suffer a short life due to tree debris and bird muck which SWMBO uses the wiper to clear, even when it's caked on.
But I don't think the life is significantly shorter than conventional blades.
Also the blade rubber takes a bit of putting into its metal carrier/frame when clouted by an errant pheasant.
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>>an errant pheasant.
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Apologies for the drift, but that's just reminded me of an incident with a hen pheasant a few weeks ago on the rural A4 between Calne and Hungerford. She appeared from a hedge on my left, dashed in to the road, saw me coming, stopped, ducked, and ran out from between the front and rear wheels of my car (at 50 mph) and dived in to the bushes on the right, unscathed. Remarkable. More luck than judgement I expect. Second time wildlife has pulled that trick on me - it was a squirrel last time, about 25 years ago.
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Given the comments regarding the AeroTwin blades (and "flat" blades in general) I had a look again on wiperblades.co.uk
They seem to sell a range of blades including Bosch and Valeo, but when I put Mk4 Mondeo in their search, I only get Bosch or Lucas blades and both are "flat".
Does that mean that there are only flat options for my car, or do I need to look elsewhere?
Also, has anybody ever used wiperblades.co.uk before?
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I found LIDL are perfectly fine. Last time I bought some they were sold in twin packs to suit specific vehicles (most seem to have different sizes left and right). They didn't have a suitable pack for my Nissan, so I had to buy a pair of left and right hand ones. That was years ago and I've only just fitted the second pair.
Don't recall if they do the flat blades.
I always put the old pair in the boot. Ever tried to find a wiper blade to fit at silly-o-clock, halfway down the M4 in the pouring rain because some muppet didn't fit it correctly?
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Genuine Ford blades from a distributor seem to last about 4 years on my wife's Focus; a front pair cost £23.34 27 months ago. The rear blade has been on since July 2007.
I bought a pair of blades for my Astra H on e-bay 15 months ago from Highbank-car; they were £9.99 and so far have been OK.
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I bought a few at costco when they were on 2 for 1 last autumn. Just fitted a new set to the Jazz - initial impressions are very good. They're branded Goodyear.
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SS
I've used wiperblades.co.uk for blades over the past few years. Very trustworthy. Arrive couple of days after ordering. I recommend them. Recommended by What Car also.
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>> www.wiperblades.co.uk/
I've used them three times so far and always find them efficient with prompt delivery. I like Trico blades for quiet, judder free running but unfortunately they don't do them for your car. I would go for Bosch.
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I got my last pair of front wiper blades from eBay. About £9, I think, for the flat kind of blade. Lasted about 18 months so far, no judder. The best part was I didn't even need to wait in for the parcel - they fitted through the letter box!
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Got a pair of Bosch wiper blades for the Fiesta from e-bay for less than a tenner. Well worth that.
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>> Frod I expect
Nah, Frodo.
A Baggins of spanners!
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Thanks for all of the advice.
I'm going to go with the Bosch AeroTwin blades, probably from Amazon (thanks to Videodoctor for the link).
I'll let you know if I get any problems with them.
Thanks again.
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Ford Mondeo IV - Replacement wipers - Alanovich
