Poor wiper blade design: Broke my windshield!!!

[Jen_Kenne]

The Internet is one of the most misused products, containing a great deal of misinformation, perhaps the greatest offender being the infamous wiki sites. However, some source material is available, such as: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/standards/

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[Chaz00Blue]

Originally Posted by RLE

You mean to say you can't change your own wiperblades? And why don't you buy them from one of the many online MB parts suppliers?

You mean you can't read? I said in my post that I was going to change my own wipers, but only the dealer has them. I haven't found any online stores that have the new blades for the C. That includes the usual generic auto parts stores that I drive by. If you know of one that has them, let me know. The manufacturer doesn't even sell them.

[JimPap]

I really hesitate to post this story but here goes.

I was driving back home from visiting my brother and was coming up on a spot on the road where a couple of huge birds (think teradacktals) were lunching out on some road kill. I figured they hear me coming and leave. Well they both started to fly away and the dumber of the two must have had a snack attack and flew back around and landed where he started to eat some more. The next thing you know he starts to fly up again as my C300 smacks him going about 65 mph. Feathers flew everywhere. His dead lifeless body after coliding with the front of the car bounced up and hit the windshield at the upper edge just below the roof. I knew I had done some serious damage and was more pissed off at myself for not slowing down than anything else. When I got out of the car and red faced walked around to the front of the car, all I found was a few feathers and some smear marks. Nothing was broken. I got off lucky this time.

I can relate with the original poster as I see this as something I would likely have done as well.

[RedG]

Originally Posted by Jen_Kenne

Tempered, laminated glass is usually very strong on side impacts. Rocks, golf balls, wiper arms, etc. It's the edge impacts that generally break it into crumbs. Glass is a super-cooled liquid, but it does not like to bend, but I doubt there was much pressure on your windshield. Seems like you just were lucky enough to hit a sweet-spot - or the glass was defective.

I've seen wiper arms smack the windshield so hard it cracks the glass. It really isn't all that hard to consider that something designed to STAY ON the windshield in speeds in excess of 70mph would have the strength to crack or damage a vehicle's windshield. Wiper arms have a quite strong spring, and can spring back VERY hard.

Originally Posted by Chaz00Blue

As far as the wipers go, I love the design. My only frustration is that these wipers are only available from the dealer, and they charge $70 to replace them. I still haven't changed them, but I guess I will buy them from the parts department. It seems rediculous to charge $30 to put wiperblades on.

You can buy them online, through either ANCO and their line of Contour blades or from Rain-X in their similar lineup.

Originally Posted by Chaz00Blue

You mean you can't read? I said in my post that I was going to change my own wipers, but only the dealer has them. I haven't found any online stores that have the new blades for the C. That includes the usual generic auto parts stores that I drive by. If you know of one that has them, let me know. The manufacturer doesn't even sell them.

See above.

[Chaz00Blue]

RedG,

Have you actually bought them from Anco or Rainex? According to what I have been able to find, Anco doesn't make contour blades for the W204, and although RainEx says they do the sizes they report for the W204 appear to actually be for the W203.

[RLE]

Originally Posted by Chaz00Blue

RedG,

Have you actually bought them from Anco or Rainex? According to what I have been able to find, Anco doesn't make contour blades for the W204, and although RainEx says they do the sizes they report for the W204 appear to actually be for the W203.

I just looked at buymbparts.com and they sell the blades, left or right, for $15.65 each. But, their length measurements are not correct.

Call them.

I've purchased MB and Porsche parts from them for a few years and have been happy with the service.

[RedG]

Originally Posted by Chaz00Blue

RedG,

Have you actually bought them from Anco or Rainex? According to what I have been able to find, Anco doesn't make contour blades for the W204, and although RainEx says they do the sizes they report for the W204 appear to actually be for the W203.

Anco Contour blades are made in a wide range of sizes that should cover almost all mercedes, and should come with the proper attachments to fit the w204. But no, I've not actually bought them for the w204.

[GMW]

Originally Posted by i_am_amused

is your last name "Massa"? Felipe, it's good to see that you are ok.

Not "Massa" otherwise I would be in hospital right now.

It was a bit scary but I tried to stay cool instead of wildly swerving to avoid impact. It was one of those sh*t...brace for impact moments! I was glad to be okay and even happier that the windscreen was still in one piece.