Wiper blades

Are there genuine Honda wiper blade replacements? I've tried a
couple other brands, but they bounce a lot in light rain. If not
Honda, is there another brand that works well. 94 Accord if it
matters.

 

Replace the blade only, not the wiper arm.

 

Yes, there are genuine Honda wiper parts, and they are far superior to any
aftermarket alternative.

You can buy these parts:
1) The "refill".
This is the rubber part only (actually contacts the windshield), which is
part of the "blade". On most Hondas you need to keep the steel strips that
originally came with your factory refills. You transfer the strips to the
new refill, then install the new refill into the existing blade. The
refills are about $5-$7 each.
2) The "blade".
This is the part that clips onto the wiper arm which bolts to the car.
These are on the order of $40-$50 each, and come with a rubber "refill"
already installed.

If you have discarded your $40 factory wiper blades, OEM refills may not
fit properly into whatever aftermarket item is currently installed. You may
be able to find OEM blades at a wrecking yard. If not, bite the bullet and
get new blades at the dealer.

 

Honda doesn't make their own blades (most car makers do not either),
Valeo/SWF, Bosch, Anco, or Trico are the likely OEMs for them. Buying
the OEM blade or refill is just plain expensive and unnecessary.

I have used Trico's Exact Fit line on most foreign cars from Mercedes
to Honda, Toyota, and everything in between. They fit and look like
the originals and you can get them at any auto parts chain for under
$12 each depending on the blade size. They also work excellent. Anco
has a similar line called Contour. I have them on my Pontiac G6 and
they are nearly dead matches for the originals. They've been on there
a year and still clean great.

The trick is to keep the wiper blades clean and wash/clean them when
you wash the car. The ozone and dirt degrade the rubber.

On something that old, most times the blade is bent/weathered and a
new set of blades with the refills already attached does the trick.
The only time I buy refills alone are for my classic cars because I
want the look of the OEM arm (they don't see the rain anyway ).

 

Tegger says...

Believe it or not, I kept the original Honda blades. I
could claim that's because I knew I would need them, but in
truth I just never got around to throwing them away.

The old ones were still working fine, but the rubber was
starting to come apart, and I was afraid I'd end up gouging
the glass.

So I'll see about getting the refills.

Thanks very much.

 

No kidding.

Honda (like most automakers) makes precious few of their own parts, but
replies on outside suppliers for most of them.

The point here is that the parts sold under the Honda brand at Honda (and
Acura) dealers have been manufactured and tested to HONDA SPECS. That's the
ONLY way for the suppliers to get Honda to put Honda's highly-respected
brand-name on them. Honda, like most Japanese automakers, is /exceedingly/
exacting about the standards to which the parts are made that will carry
their brand. Those automaker specs mean EVERYTHING! It's a big part of the
reason OE is more expensive.

Just about all OE suppliers provide for the aftermarket as well, but there
is no way of telling if the aftermarket parts are made to the same quality
standards as parts from the same companies sold under the Honda brand.
Often (but not always!) they are decidely not.

For a fact, suppliers are prohibited from using automaker "blueprints" and
specs in designing their aftermarket parts. OEMs selling to the aftermarket
must design their aftermarket parts as close as they can come to OE without
actually using the official OE specs, tooling and jigs as provided by the
manufacturer. OE specs are copyrighted and "Property of..." appears on all
automaker-supplied tools and fitting-jigs.

I've been working on cars since 1981, using both OE and aftermarket parts.
I can tell you with a high degree of confidence that OE is almost always
best: It fits bets, works best, and lasts best.

You might get lucky with certain aftermarket (and some aftermarket is
indeed of pretty good quality), but the operative term here is "get lucky".
With OE Honda you are certain of top-quality: no "get lucky" needed.

 

You've been very wise!

When you install the refills, make ABSOLUTELY certain that ALL of the
little hooks catch the refill properly! Miss one and the glass may indeed
get scratched.

Also, be aware that:
If the metal strips are FLAT, they can go on any-which-way. If they are
CURVED, point them so the ends point UP (away from the windshield) for the
driver's side, and DOWN (towards the windshield) for the passenger side.

One last point: Refills are supposed to be replaced every year...at LEAST.
Replace them in the fall. And clean the glass before installing the new
refills.

Why people seem to think refills are supposed to last forever is quite
beyond me.

 

---Then why are you telling the poster to spend $40 on blades that are
just reboxed from someone else?

----Some of those same suppliers supply everyone else in the industry
too.

---That is not 100% correct. Delco supplied Honda's batteries for
years. Delco of course being part of GM. Same battery brand you could
buy in the aftermarket. In fact, the replacements were better---they
had higher CCA ratings and reserve capacity ratings over the originals
that came in the car.

If you buy only dealer parts and believe, 'well it's OEM, it's
better', you're very ignorant of the automotive industry and the
market in general. You do realize that when a vehicle ages, the OEM
often changes suppliers. What that means is that you may very well get
an aftermarket part in that OEM box. For instance, the Honda OEM oil
filter may eventually be the same Fram (to the same specs) that you
buy in your local auto parts store. Or, it's the same Purolator (who
whoever the supplier of choice is).

I worked in the auto industry for 10 years, so I know your theory is
flawed .

--Sure there is. Just ask them. I do it all the time. You have to
realize that they're not going to reinvent their oil filter for Honda
or for anyone else, because they normally don't have to. You're not
getting better motor oil from the Honda dealer as you are from your
local auto parts store, because Mobil Clean 5000 that GM put in the
car from the factory is in fact the same stuff you buy on your parts
store shelf. If you want proof, visit your local GM dealer and ask
them what Goodwrench motor oil is.

Honda does the same thing---from one of the major oil companies. And,
the newsflash is that they do it with virtually everything on the car.
So do most automakers.

----That is also incorrect, as tooling is often jointly shared between
the OEM supplier and the automaker. Ford TPS sensors from CTS
Corporation (who also supply vritually everyone else) is a good
example. Ford tells CTS what they need in a TPS, and it's made for
them.

AC Delco is considered an aftermarket, and that same PF61 oil filter
you buy in Walmart is the same as the dealer is selling you for $7.00
over the counter. Oftentimes, the aftermarket part even has the same
stamping and ID #s as the dealer part.

You also do realize that most of the aftermarket guys aren't making
those parts in their own facilities, they are reboxing parts from
suppliers---in most cases, especially on newer technology, the only
source IS the OEM supplier. And yes, they do sell to the aftermarket.

---You've obviously never been on the inside in the manufacturer/
supplier end as I have. Then you'd know that statement is incorrect.

--Until they change their supplier to an aftermarket supplier and put
it in their box. At that point, you're paying double for an
aftermarket part that's no better than the one at your local auto
parts store.

 

So did I.

What "theory"? What I say is based on personal experience.

 

Honda doesn't make their own blades (most car makers do not either),
Valeo/SWF, Bosch, Anco, or Trico are the likely OEMs for them. Buying
the OEM blade or refill is just plain expensive and unnecessary.

I have used Trico's Exact Fit line on most foreign cars from Mercedes
to Honda, Toyota, and everything in between. They fit and look like
the originals and you can get them at any auto parts chain for under
$12 each depending on the blade size. They also work excellent. Anco
has a similar line called Contour. I have them on my Pontiac G6 and
they are nearly dead matches for the originals. They've been on there
a year and still clean great.
-------------------------------------

Why bother with $12 after-market solution when you can get an OEM refill
for about half that price? Frankly, I've been replacing my refills about
twice a year and find the cost of those OEM parts pretty insignificant
compared to other parts.

 

This whole conversation has educated me a lot, for which I thank
everybody. I just joined this group when we bought a 2010 Honda Pilot
Touring, so don't need new wipers soon, but I have a question.

What about using Rain-X?

I've used it on other cars and it seems to work well, following their
lengthy application process. I think that it has extended the life of
blades, but I was told that it builds up, and I should be completely
cleaning the glass and re-applying every so often. I have no
connection to the company, so this is not some hidden spam message,
just curious about it.

 

Because you can't get a new blade for $12 from Honda. I don't know
about you, but here in NY after 15 years on the road, those blades
would be pretty beat up. It's a nice way to clean things up for next
to nothing.

 

----You worked for a supplier/manufacturer or as a technician? As a
parts person?

---The theory that you have to buy dealer parts to get quality parts.
As well as the theory that there's no gamble when you buy OEM parts.
That's completely incorrect.

What happens is that the original tooling eventually wears out. The
original correct style parts inventory is sold out. The manufacturer
(Honda in this case) has a couple of choices:

1) Buy more from that original supplier. Assuming there is a demand
for that 15+ year old part that same way, they may choose to have the
manufacturer (SWF, Bosch, etc) make more the same way.

2) They may change suppliers to someone else, which is often the case.
It may not be exact as the original, but it will work just fine. And
it happens to be the same part sitting at your local auto parts store
for 1/2 the price....

3) Discontinue the part. Oftentimes, this is done on trim parts that
were only used for a year or two. They may not have Eagle Ottowa or
GST make that one year leather seat cover used on something (say like
an Anniversary edition Accord). Or, they may supply yardage leather
and an auto upholsterer has to make it up out of that material.

Either way, your theory is incorrect no matter how you slice it. Based
on what you've stated, it doesn't appear to be from the manufacturer's/
supplier's side either.

You worked for a supplier/manufacturer or as a technician?

 

Here's the bottom line: The poster has many choices to go with. I was
just giving him another alternative.

If you think that Honda OEM parts are something magical, then that's
fine. That's your choice. I just choose to fix things the right way
using that same part for a lot less money.

I remember back in the 1980's when the power steering accumulator
balls for BMW were $300 from the dealer. You could buy those and
charge the customer, or buy the $60 German OEM supplier "aftermarket"
made item (complete with the BMW part #s on it) and charge the
customer less on his bill, AND give him/her the same part as the
dealership would give them. The shop made money, the customer saved
and got a quality repair.

Made for some happy customers!

Again, your choice....just providing another angle.

 

I did work for the vendors themselves, the companies that supplied
automakers with the parts that ended up on the cars. I was on the floor
with the engineers and project managers, so I got to see (and get told)
a lot.

There are certain parts that are indeed often off-the-shelf. Bearings,
spark plugs, alternators, that sort of thing. Even the components used on
printed circuit boards are normally off-the-shelf. In those cases, you can
definitely find the exact same part at jobbers.

There are indeed aftermarket parts that are easily of equal quality as OEM
at a fraction of the cost of OEM. Radiators and windshields are good
examples. My Integra sports a Visteon rad right now.

Sometimes even items like clutches may be off-the-shelf, and the only
difference between aftermarket and OEM is the name on the box. The trick?
That you need to guess which one is which. Unless you're in the trade,
you're unlikely to know for sure which parts are the same between OEM and
aftermarket.

It does not matter who made the part, or if the automaker gave a contract
to one supplier or another at different times. In the end, all suppliers
are the same: they MUST produce according to the automaker's precise specs.
That, as I said, makes ALL the difference. Sometimes the supplier will have
an off-the-shelf part that will work for the intended use, but is designed
slightly differently. In those cases, Honda will approve the variance if
the finished product meets their specs and is compatible with the rest of
the assembly. You'll then find two different part numbers for what appears
to be the same part, and the parts catalog will list the maker of the part
as well as the part number.

For most parts, especially important stuff like brakes, ignition, exhaust,
wipers, cooling system, suspension, charging, and, in the case of some of
Honda's fluids, OEM is superior to aftermarket by a large margin.

In the end, for most parts, automaker-branded parts are the best and the
safest.

 

s many choices to go with. I was

Not "magical", just the best and the safest.

 

I agree 100% with Trico and Anco. Been using them for YEARS on all of
my cars.

As a matter of fact I just bought a pair.

http://i56.tinypic.com/2vu0h91.jpg

 

Completely cleaning the glass makes sense if the new wiper gets used
right away after installation. But what if you install it on a dry day
and get to use it first time perhaps a week later? The glass gets dirty
by then, won't it?

 

All glass except the windshield. If you have Rain X on your WS in a
light rain, at slow speeds or sitting still, the wipers wipe the WS so
dry that there is no lubrication for the wipers on their return path.
Which can cause them to make that horrible noise (in some cases even
jumping off of the WS) that you hear when using wipers on a dry WS Not
good for the glass or the blades.

 

---Well, I was a product manager, so while you "got told" the
information, I was the guy that would have been telling it to you if
we worked for the same people. In other words, I was the missing piece
for your information.

---Which is what I was getting to .

---And some are better quality.

----Incorrect. With the advent of the internet, you can find out
things like that in a snap. Case in point. My grandfather's older
Kenmore washing machine. The timer went bad. I could try to find an
OEM WLP part and pay through the nose (because it's NLA), try to buy
it from Sears (who is just reboxing it, getting it from WLP anyway and
overcharging you), or buy the MTS part.

Of course, since MTS (Midwest Timer Services) makes the OEM Whirlpool
part, it's the same exact thing. Within five minutes, I found an MTS
replacement on Ebay for $23 brand new. The part was $100+ when
available from WLP. Anyone could have figured this out by looking at
the part they were replacing.

---You bet it matters who made the part. Some companies parts aren't
good, even if they are in an OEM's box. Some are great aftermarkets.
All depends. I'm very much aware of what you're talking about, as I
introduced new products as a product manager for 10 years, including
finding the sources for the parts.

I don't think anyone would argue that if you buy a Bosch part for a
German car, that you're buying the OEM part without the markup. If you
buy an NTK oxygen sensor, and it's the "OEM" (not universal version),
you're buying the same part as the dealer has for 1/2 the price.
These parts are just as good as dealer parts---because they ARE dealer
parts. In fact, sometimes the parts departments reference the Bosch #
as well as the OEM #.

Now, if Honda switches and now buys that same O2 sensor from a
different vendor and changes the numbers (or even keeps the number the
same), and slips you an aftermarket part that "meets spec" but isn't
from the same vendor, you might be pleasantly surprised at its
quality.

Most OEM's figure that they are not going to see an 15 year old car in
their service bay, so to keep parts from that original supplier (which
is expensive if you have to make a short run of them) for the 20
you're going to sell a year doesn't make economic sense.

---This is also incorrect. A stainless steel exhaust is better than
its OEM aluminized counterpart,. Delco's Durastop line is Raybestos PG
Plus reboxed for example. Honda's fluids were Mobil in some cases. .

---Again, if that's what you believe, your perogative. It's far from
the truth. It's OK to differ on opinions.