General Heyner blades

[fiat_freak]

Like a lot of people I bought the myth that Bosch windscreen wiper blades are the best and for years paid their exorbitant prices

However of late I realised that they lasted no longer than cheaper makes and did not perform that well, often juddering/squeaking whilst relatively new

So have now purchased Heyner blades (still German made but much cheaper) for both the Grande Punto and the Panda

Initial reaction is they are very smooth and quiet but the real test will be how long they last

Anybody have experience of them?

 

[dac69er]

I've always bought the cheapest blades I can find as they do as well as the more expensive ones.

The panda seems to suffer worse than other cars I've had with the exceptionally long drivers side wiper.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

My factor supplies high quality big name blades at a reasonable cost so I always bought them. I was aware he also sells cheapies but always avoided them thinking they would be a waste of money and maybe damage the screen. Then, about a couple of years ago he didn't have the size I needed in the expensive brand but did have cheapies to match. I needed them in a hurry as one of my old blades had started to fall apart so I tried them. Greenline brand? (very plain packaging with no info as to country of origin etc) never heard of them, stupidly cheap, but worked fine. the only thing I've noticed is that the metal parts are steel and not very well painted (matt black) so start to show some signs of rust after a few months and the riveting looks cheap.

I will continue to buy the more expensive blades for the newer cars in the family both for the cosmetics of it and the certainty of some quality control, (couldn't have it falling apart on the M6 going down to Devon for instance) but for the older cars, that just run around locally, the cheapies will do grand.

 

[jimboy]

For what its worth, I purchase for my vehicles cheap flat blades, last ages with no problems, even so it's pretty wet here most of the time....

 

[portland_bill]

Many years ago, while working for a major aftermarket parts supplier, due to the big mileage I did, I was used to test wipers from several sources. (131 Mirafiori at the time)
Champion had just started a new production process of extrusion rather than moulding. The rubber consistency required for the manufacturing process conflicted with that needed for a good wipe, so they wiped well, but made a considerable amount of noise.
I tried several different grades of Champion, until they got it to a stage where the noise was minimal, and then they were very good. Gone from the market now I think.
Valeo was by far the best, with Bosch a close second.
Tried several from China. Dangerous. Had to change them by the side of the road once it started raining, so as not to be looking through the 'bathroom window' effect.
I guess aftermarket efforts have become better.

Biggest issue I've found over the years is age of the blade. Old stock of a good brand is likely to be hardened and poor. A fresh cheap blade will perform better. Cheap ones are more likely to be fresh stock.
For that reason I now get mine from one of the online specialists. Good brand names, fresh stock.

 

[HP]

I always buy a decent brand (Valeo, Bosch etc.) and find they last 18 months plus. If you take care of them and don't try to wipe an icy window etc. they're great. I shop about and don't pay Halfords prices.


I gave up on cheap wipers due to corrosion and appearance as above, plus noise - a lot of them got loose and were massively clunky on change of direction after acouple of months.

 

[varesecrazy]

Strangely its the GP I find bad for blade noise.

Panda 'average'.. used various brands in 14 years..

What happened to the blades marketed @15 years ago ..
that had '6 blade edges' ?

 

[dac69er]

does anyone find that the panda has a completely pointless second wipe when you flick the stick up to do a quick wipe?

the first wipe clears the screen and then it will run across the screen dry the second time and gain nothing!
sometimes, if your quick enough you only get 1 wipe, but that is only every now and again.

the intermittent wipe also has the wrong timing in my opinion. if only it was adjustable!!!

 

[varesecrazy]

I had adjustsble timing.. yes it does help.

I even moved my FIAT to Wales.. and its still not raining enough

 

[HP]

does anyone find that the panda has a completely pointless second wipe when you flick the stick up to do a quick wipe?

the first wipe clears the screen and then it will run across the screen dry the second time and gain nothing!
sometimes, if your quick enough you only get 1 wipe, but that is only every now and again.

the intermittent wipe also has the wrong timing in my opinion. if only it was adjustable!!!

The drip-wipe often just smears the windows in winter!


What do you mean not adjustable? You've got 'on' and you've got 'off'

 

[varesecrazy]

Agreed.. if its drizzling I just prod the lever upwards periodically.

Intermittent.. and timed 'about right'.

 

[dac69er]

Agreed.. if its drizzling I just prod the lever upwards periodically.

Intermittent.. and timed 'about right'.

that works fine for the first wipe, then it does a completely pointless second wipe that smears and drags the wipers partially dry across the screen!

even my trusty 1980s toyota hatchback has adjustable intermittent wiping!!!

 

[DaveMcT]

My (proper) Mini 1000 had an aftermarket adjustable wiper delay timer. I was a small circuit and potentiometer that gave a 1 second pulse via relay into the wiper motor. The pulse moved the wiper motor off park and it would do one turn. The delay to the next pulse was adjustable. Such a device would work on the Panda by splicing into the motor slow speed circuit. It would have to bypass the high speed flick wipe and delay wipe features so would not work off the column stalk switch.

 

[portland_bill]

does anyone find that the panda has a completely pointless second wipe when you flick the stick up to do a quick wipe?

the first wipe clears the screen and then it will run across the screen dry the second time and gain nothing!
sometimes, if your quick enough you only get 1 wipe, but that is only every now and again.

the intermittent wipe also has the wrong timing in my opinion. if only it was adjustable!!!

@weesmurf answered this some time ago.
Apparently one wipe or two depends on how you operate the flick wipe.
A quick prod gives just the one wipe.
A more assertive prod gives the double.
Not mentioned in the handbook.
The difference between the two prod levels is very slight, but some experimentation will bring results, although needs far too much concentration when driving .

I've owned my Panda since early 2010. I think I can remember two occasions where the intermittent fitted the rain.

On all the driving school cars I've had variable intermittent. Seems better, but I spend far too much time adjusting between the settings, so only a small gain.
Many cars now have rain-sensing, so it wipes according to the amount of rain on the screen sensor. Initially these were rubbish, but they're getting better, although can get caught out if you catch a moth, bird poo, or other debris on the sensor.

 

[Sweetsixteen]

I have the choice, on another car, of completely manual wipers with three speeds (including intermittent) or switching to auto. On auto, rain-sensing comes into play, and it's brilliant - from one wipe every few minutes to fast continuous. It's so good that I leave it on auto all the time, and sometimes get surprised when the wipers begin working as soon as the screen gets wet.

 

[Funky Spike]

does anyone find that the panda has a completely pointless second wipe when you flick the stick up to do a quick wipe?

the first wipe clears the screen and then it will run across the screen dry the second time and gain nothing!
sometimes, if your quick enough you only get 1 wipe, but that is only every now and again.

the intermittent wipe also has the wrong timing in my opinion. if only it was adjustable!!!

Oh bloody hell that second wipe annoys me. I thought it might have been a 4x4 thing as my old 1.1 Active didn't do it and neither of my 500's.

Spike

 

[varesecrazy]

Oh bloody hell that second wipe annoys me. I thought it might have been a 4x4 thing as my old 1.1 Active didn't do it and neither of my 500's.

Spike

I was going to say it was faulty.. as I've never seen a 'double wipe' in FOURTEEN YEARS..!? But mine is an active

 

[portland_bill]

Oh bloody hell that second wipe annoys me. I thought it might have been a 4x4 thing as my old 1.1 Active didn't do it and neither of my 500's.

Spike

None of the 500s we used with BSM in 2009/10 gave a doouble-wipe, so it must be a Panda thing.

I was going to say it was faulty.. as I've never seen a 'double wipe' in FOURTEEN YEARS..!? But mine is an active

Perhaps not programmed into the Active. Seems odd they added it to others, but didn't really explain it in the handbook. The handbook does have a strange statement about speed being dependent on the timing of the flick wipe, I guess it lost something in translation.

 

[koalar]

oil on the windscreen causes much of the smearing rather than the blades.

cleaning the glass and wipers edge and you should get years out of them.

mine are over three years old except the rear which came from the pound shop.

Normally only change when they start to split.

 

[dac69er]

i dont really get smearing, its more the juddering that i get issues with. the blades last about a month before starting to judder across the screen. made worse by that infernal second dry wipe!!!!