Wiper Blade choices?

Hey guys, it seems like my wiper blades need replacement. Should I stick with OEM wipers from Suncoast or are there better replacements? I've heard good things about silicon blades from PIAA. What size are our wipers?

I hate OEMs, i hate them I hate them i hate them! But also I am yet to find anything that fits. I have Valeo wipers on my other car and I love them, but I can't find them on tirerack .com for the Porsche . OEMs especially are bad in heavy rain. Add some salt to it and you will be spraying every 2nd wipe.

PIAA are certainly a good choice, but the OEM Bosch are way cheaper if you buy the refills from outside retailers.

No free refills? I guess I'm spoiled. Every other time I took my Audi in for service they told me my wiper blades were worn and put a new set on. ......I am getting the impression that the same scenario isn't going to take place at Porsche??

That's because Audi's new car warranty includes normal wear items (except tires), as well as all scheduled maintenance during the warranty period. Porsche's does not.

I've had no such problems w/the oem wipers. Worked flawlessly.

Wiper Blades Wiper blades will last longer,depending on the level of chemicals in the air where you live, if you clean them every week with washer solvent.

I saw a commercial for new Rain-X wiper blades. Might be something to check out.

I vote for OEM. Anything else, "may" work better, but IMO will ugly up the car.

My OEM's work well, but those RAIN-X 'S moleculo is talking about did look cool in the commercial, with no pressure points and all. My local vendors are running a buy one get one offer on them, and in the commercial it said you could download a coupon where if you get them they give you the rain-x treatment for free. - Suneet

I've owned 911 's for 30 years which use 13 inch wiper blades. I've tried every possible 13 inch blade (PIAA, Bosch , SWF, Triton, etc.) which, for 28 years, have always left un-wiped areas on the windshield due to curvature issues. Two years ago I tried Rain X blades and for the first time I've gotten clean coverage in the rain. I've since put them on my Cayman S as well, and they work great.

Bosch has a "no pressure point" / no frame design out now also that looks a lot like the Valeo's on my Cayenne

Thanks roadmaster... that sounds like a good endorsement for the Rain-X blades. My OEM blades are streaking badly after only 7 months so I'll give the Rain-X ones a try.

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! What size are our Cayman wipers? Edit: I found the answer to my own question. Our Caymans use a 22" blade along with all other new Porsches.

My passenger side wiper does not sweep at the tip. My dealer said that is the case with all curved windshields hmm...I should have ordered the optional straight flat glass...

When I took mine in for the first service at 2000 miles (1year) they changed them and if I remember correctly it was about $50. (or was that each?) Russ

Yes it was EACH! They changed only one and it cost$50.24.

wow, you got @ss ****ed without lube just get the bosch replacements... i've use'd them for a decade on all types of cars with no issue...

I've only had my Cayman for a week, so I haven't worried about new wipers yet. However, I did notice that they appear to have replaceable inserts (just the rubber part) like the BMW 's have. I would think it would be much less expensive to just buy the floppy rubber inserts and re-use both the frames and the metal "ribs" along each side of the blade. My last pair of BMW replacement wiper inserts cost $18.34 including tax. Has anyone checked this out? I could look to see if I can buy compatible inserts from my BMW dealer - even if they have to be cut to length. L8apx

Exactly. Unless the frame or arm is really old & worn out, buying Bosch (or compatible) inserts from your local auto parts store/Walmart/wherever is much less expensive & just as effective as replacing the entire assembly.

I hate my wipers so much I am willing to try RAIN-X stuff. Maybe I am spoiled, but these are the worst wipers I have owned.

It looks like I've made up my mind on which wipers to buy. Here's the story on my search for the ultimate wiper blade: At first, I was looking into a silcone blade because I've read great things about silcone wiper blades. I then came across the Rain-X Latitude which is a frameless design that touts more consistent performance. Those Latitudes then led me to Bosch Icons, which are Bosch 's flagship frameless wiper. Finally, I was able to find the perfect combination, a silicone frameless wiper. Apparently Silblade came out with their flexblade line of wiper blades. They warranty them for 5 years as well. Their website is ugly but there seem to be some glowing reviews on their wiper blades. All of these blades were found on Amazon although it seems like the Amazon Silblades are of the non flexblade variety. Amazon does have great prices on the Bosch Icon though. I'll let you guys know how the Silblades work.

I went out and bought some Rain-X Weatherbeater blades yesterday, but on further inspection, they don't look all that special. Natural rubber "blade" and the frame has the same design as the OEM one. Also, that OEM one has the "airfoil" or whatever it is (I assume for increasing contact at speed?). Is this the one you all were talking about? At only $10 per, I'm thinking I may have gotten the budget one. John

you gotta try silblade.com they are a 100% silcone wiper that is guaranteed for life. The only downside is that the plastic wind deflector won't fit. just went to the site you need to select 2005 model year and 911 and then you get the 22" blade, for some reason it doesn't work for 2006 or 2007 even though the wipers are exactly the same. I just bought the flex blade. looks really nice. I had these on my last car and I never replaced a wiper after I installed them.

303 now has 303 wiper treatment that is supposed to keep your wiper blades in like-new condition without any skipping or streaking. If that is true, then picking a different type of wiper blade wouldn't be an issue ... From their site: Try it for yourself - Get Your FREE Sample - Click Here 303 Wiper Treatment - Keeps Wipers Like New 303 Wiper Treatment Reconditions hardening rubber windshield wiper blades. 303 Wiper Treatment Stops Annoying Chattering, Skipping and Streaking! By reconditioning hardening rubber blades. 303 Wiper Treatment restores lost flexibility and performance. 303 Wiper Treatment Keeps Wiper Blades Working Like New. Each 303 Wiper Treatment packet contains a sponge applicator. Wipe on, wait a minute and wipe dry. Nothing could be easier. Each packet will treat 2-3 wiper blades. Reapply as necessary, usually every 3-5 weeks. ~ See Better - Drive Safer with 303 Wiper Treatment ~ And In Winter ... SNOW AND ICE WILL NOT STICK TO TREATED BLADES! And wiper blades conditioned with 303 Wiper Treatment will not freeze to the windshield overnight. - A winter must.

John, you happened to pick up the budget one. The Rain-X Latitude is their higher end model with an integrated spoiler and no frame.

I have to say, the OEM blades have performed well and I have yet to change them after almost a year. You wanna see crappy wiper blades? Try Honda/ Acura OEM blades. I had to change those every 4-6 months, rain or shine.

VW wiper blade inserts When I had my Audi, I used to buy my wiper blade inserts from the VW dealer. (The Passat used the same blades). Same inserts, less $. Today I took one of my Cayman wiper blades in to the VW dealer and matched up a VW rubber insert that works perfectly. Part # 895-955-429-A, which I believe is from a Golf/ Jetta Mk IV. Canadian price was $9.46 each... I'm sure US pricing is less. Same OEM quality and fit... probably same supplier as Porsche uses. The parts guy said they also get lots of Cayenne owners coming in for Touareg parts due to the pricing difference. Changing over the inserts is a bit fiddly if you haven't done it before. There are two metal spring tensioners that have to be inserted in the sides of the rubber insert, and then carefully thread it into the metal "feet" on the metal blade holder. Dismantle the old ones carefully and put them back together the same way. Use a bit of dish soap to help the bottom "foot" slide into the slot that anchors the insert in place. Ahhh... perfect visibility again!

ICON ftw!!!

Hello fmarshall, I agree with you that the 303 Wiper Treatment is great! I was talking with the manufacturers representative and he informed me that the 303 Wiper Treatment product is the exact same formula as the 303 Aerospace Protectant, just packaged differently (less economically and arguably more convenient). Read more at 303 Products Inc.: 303 Aerospace Protectant . I buy the 303 in the larger quart spray bottle and use it everywhere from tire sidewalls, CV boots, brake hoses to the interior. Unlike all of the other rubber /synthetics "conditioners" that just work cosmetically, this 303 does this and actually restores and preserves the substrates while blocking UV damage which ultimately results in plasticizer losses and oxidation. Regards, Joe

Has anyone tried this for Cayman ? Bosch Aerotwin Multi I already installed this for my AUDI. I feel it moves very smoothly.

I got Bosch Icons for my M3 . They are terrible in heavy rain because at full speed (wiper speed) they start flopping all over the windows. At low speed, they are great, but when you really need them, they are terrible. My suggestion is to stick to framed designs. I wrote Bosch an email about this issue and of course got no response. It's incredible how a company like Bosch would release such a weak product.

I have the Bosch Aerotwin Multi in my Cayman S . It is similar to the RainX and there is another brand that also have them. So far so good, I have not had any problem. The selection in Bosch ends in A and B. A is for the flatter part of the glass, and B for the more curved sections. Right now mine I beleive are both A, but I think the passenger could benefit from the B model. My experience is with both A and the lower part of the passenger side sometimes looks like it could be a little better. The overall experience has been good. We will see how long they last. Comments in other sites question the viability of these types of blades as winter blades. I will not have to worry about that. I also have them in my other cars, and I have been happy. Mercedez has adopted this type of blade as their standard in their new models, and the new Cayenes also have this style of blades. They make the connection different so you can not use the after market blades. We do not have this problem. Good luck and good health.

jaica, thanks for your kind reports about Bosch Aerotwin Multi. Could you tell me the size for Cayman ?

I just replaced mine from dealer at 34.00 Eur for the set and that is complete with frames(OEM).

This sounds good, but WHERE can I get just the inserts? I just don't feel it necessary to replace the entire arm, frame, or holder, every time the rubber gets old or worn! I have been to a couple local auto parts stores and none of them had the size or design of inserts that would allow simple removal of my oem ribs, putting the ribs in the new inserts, and then installing those on the existing arms. My first replacements (at about 8 months) were $39.95 for the pair.

Just curious if anyone knows the part # for Porsche for the wiper blade rubber inserts? Also the part number you got from VW is for one of the inserts, did you get the part number for the other by chance?