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Ducato, Boxer, Relay wiper blades.


Brian Kirby

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If you're thinking of replacing your soon, have a look at Euro Car Parts as they have a 45% discount offer at present. You'll have to identify the correct fit for your van, but I get a pair of Valeo Silencio "flat" wipers for ours yesterday, for £20.89 the pair. Don't delay, however, as the offer was only for a few more days.
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Are the Valeo Silencio blades 'bisexusl'?

 

(Bosch "Aerotwin" blades come in two versions - one has a spoiler with a symmetrical cross-section and is intended for retro-fitting to RHD or LHD vehicles, while the other is intended to replace the original blades of specific vehicles and - where a Ducato X250/X290 is concerned - the spoiler has an asymmetrical cross-section that's only appropriate for LHD models.)

 

 

 

 

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Don't know, Derek. They do have "spoilers" and appear of similar profile to those they will replace. However, I haven't yet fitted them, as the existing ones (not the originals) have hardened causing them to judder across the screen, I think caused by lack of use over the past two years and leaving them parked on the screen (corks don't work on "flat" - i.e. banana shaped - blades). So, I shan't be fitting them until January, when the vans goes in for its annual checks. After that, they will be removed, and only replaced when the van goes onto the road.
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Over many years, many vans, many wipers, many wet miles, we found Bosch Aerotwin to be far superior than anything else in their day.

 

They may cost more but they last longer, especially if you either take 'em off or use a couple of corks to release the tension from the arms and raise them clear of the glass when not in use for longer periods.

 

Even when replaced the old 'uns were good enough to carry as spares should a new one fail or fall off - not that they ever did!!

 

The only time we ever used a spare was to give it to a Dutch couple we met in Norway!!

 

Things change and what applied then may not apply now but for us NOT listening to wipers scrape and judder was well worth a few quid extra!

 

 

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Wiper blades for Ducato X290 vehicles were discussed in this 2020 forum thread and images showing the two different sorts of Bosch “Aerotwin” blades were attached to my posting of 3 March 2020 6:14 PM.

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/New-windscreen-wipers-for-a-Ducato-2-3-2016/54581/

 

The 2-blade kit A225S (for LHD Ducatos) seems to be available nowadays for around £28, though the following advert offers a set for about £13

 

https://bargainfox.com/products/b002g3t5ws

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Brian Kirby - 2021-11-05 1:11 PM

have a look at Euro Car Parts as they have a 45% discount offer at present.

They always have something like that - but only on some items which you don't find out till you order (lol)

Order online before you go to fetch them or they'll charge full price 8-)

After the discount the price is still usually more than Tayna batteries - or even their other website site www.carparts4less.co.uk

I've used them both.

They were good apart from once when I ordered something from carparts4less that wasn't in stock

I waited weeks (during which they were very difficult to contact with very long waits for the helpline) before giving up and getting a refund - which they were happy to give me as they seemed as fed up with it as I was.

So I would say preferably pick it up from Euro Car Parts even if it costs a bit more - only order from carparts4less if they have it in stock - as you can't pick it up from branch and you have to wait for them to deliver.

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Derek Uzzell - 2021-11-05 2:07 PM

Are the Valeo Silencio blades 'bisexusl'?

(Bosch "Aerotwin" blades come in two versions - one has a spoiler with a symmetrical cross-section and is intended for retro-fitting to RHD or LHD vehicles, while the other is intended to replace the original blades of specific vehicles and - where a Ducato X250/X290 is concerned - the spoiler has an asymmetrical cross-section that's only appropriate for LHD models.)

I went and compared the Valeo blades with the existing, dealer supplied, ones, this morning, and you are right. The LHD blades have a spoiler oriented the opposite way to the RHD ones - which is, of course, logical. So thank you for the pointer. I phoned Euro Car Parts and explained the problem, and they agreed to refund - which I thought very fair as it was my fault. Euro Car Parts don't/can't do the LHD version. So back went the blades.

 

However, I was taken with the comparative slenderness and lightness of the Valeo blades so, after a lot of searching I found that the Valeo part number for the LHD version of the blades is 574392 (or VF429) and found them on Amazon for £26 delivered - which is a small reduction on what other on-line sellers were asking when delivery is taken into account, and quite a bit cheaper than Fiat dealers were charging. This part number is for a pair (one 550mm long and one 650mm long) with the "click" fitting. They should arrive Tuesday, so I'll update further when they arrive.

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AutoExpress regularly reviews vehicle wiper blades with the Bosch Aerotwin blades repeatedly coming top. (2021 article here)

 

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product-group-tests/36172/best-wiper-blades-2021

 

The original Valeo Silencio blades did not score highly (2012 comments here)

 

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/60014/valeo-silencio-xtrm

 

but, in a later AutoEpress review, the Valeo blades came 3rd with the following comments

 

"The last time we tested Valeo’s Silencio blades, their smeary action left us unimpressed, so it’s pleasing to report that these gave an excellent, streak-free finish – no doubt helped by the new tech trumpeted on the box. While they were quiet when wiping dry, when clearing water they were fractionally noisier than some blades on test, and were slightly harder to remove than the Bosch wipers”

 

For Ducato X250/X290 vehicles (and their Boxer/Relay clones) there is an Aerotwin set specifically for LHD vehicles. This set is numbered A225S and comprises a 650mm blade for the driver’s side and a 550mm blade for the passenger side. The blade’s spoiler is asymmetrical and the connector for the wiper-arm is the same as that of the OEM blade.

 

There used to be a ‘retro-fit’ set of blades marketed within Bosch’s “Aerotwin Plus” range. Those blades had a symmetrical spoiler that allowed them to be used with LHD or RHD vehicles and came with a bag of adapters that could be used to connect the blades to different types of wiper-arm. (I can’t recall off-hand what the Bosch reference number was.)

 

Nowadays there is a set of Aerotwin blades specifically for RHD Ducato/Boxer/Relay vehicles. The Bosch number is A224S and there’s an example advert here

 

https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/car-parts/wash-wipe/wiper-arms-blades/bosch-wiper-blade-3397007224-detail

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teccer1234 - 2021-11-07 12:28 PM

 

Mickt - 2021-11-05 4:13 PM

 

I slide a length of pipe insulation over my blades in the winter,stops them freezing to mh

 

this is what I do in the winter when the van is just parked up, just turn the blades over away from the screen

 

Turning the blades over is not practicable with the 'flat' blades used on Ducato X250/X290 models.

 

( I also use the foam pipe insulation ploy to protect the blades when the motorhome is out of use - though the foam will rot over time.)

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When parked up my MH is out in the open so wiper blades are exposed 24/7. Rather than snow & ice ultra violet is the killer of wiper rubber here. The rubber dries and they can in high temps weld to the screen. My solution is to remove the whole wiper blade assy.

One other tip is to regularly clean the windscreen with methylated spirits to remove diesel exhaust fumes that build up over time. Dirty windscreens are the biggest source of judder in operation. Cheers,

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Derek Uzzell - 2021-11-07 8:50 AM

 

 

Nowadays there is a set of Aerotwin blades specifically for RHD Ducato/Boxer/Relay vehicles. The Bosch number is A224S and there’s an example advert here

 

https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/car-parts/wash-wipe/wiper-arms-blades/bosch-wiper-blade-3397007224-detail

 

I've used them and they are good.

Cheaper than Euro Car Parts whose business model seems to blind you with the size of the discount, so you don't realise that even after the discount you are still paying more that at places like partsinmotion or Tayna Batteries (lol)

I just like Euro Car Parts for their website which makes it easy to find the right parts. They give detailed measurements of the parts so you can be 99% sure you have got the right one before you pick it up, where you can compare it with the old one to be sure.

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Brian Kirby - 2021-11-06 6:45 PM

Derek Uzzell - 2021-11-05 2:07 PM

Are the Valeo Silencio blades 'bisexusl'?

(Bosch "Aerotwin" blades come in two versions - one has a spoiler with a symmetrical cross-section and is intended for retro-fitting to RHD or LHD vehicles, while the other is intended to replace the original blades of specific vehicles and - where a Ducato X250/X290 is concerned - the spoiler has an asymmetrical cross-section that's only appropriate for LHD models.)

.....................................................

 

However, I was taken with the comparative slenderness and lightness of the Valeo blades so, after a lot of searching I found that the Valeo part number for the LHD version of the blades is 574392 (or VF429) and found them on Amazon for £26 delivered - ..................................This part number is for a pair (one 550mm long and one 650mm long) with the "click" fitting. They should arrive Tuesday, so I'll update further when they arrive.

Blades arrived as scheduled, and the spoilers are correctly oriented. Haven't fitted them yet, but see no reason why they won't (I'm pretty sure Valeo, being a French firm, will be an OEM for at least the Peugeot Citroen badged vans).

 

I won't know how good they are until I've driven the van in rain, which is unlikely, as above, to be until January when it is due its annual inspection with Southdowns. But I'm hoping that will a dry day, as the 110 mile hack along the south coast to Portsmouth and back is a pain, even in the dry. Rain, just adds to the pain!!

 

I'll try to remember to give an appraisal once I've used them in anger. But, don't hold your breaths!

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Hans - 2021-11-12 11:42 AM

 

Has the ducato a service position in which the drive axle pulls out from the window. Some 1cm? If the full down position is too low how to correct this.? Must be some teeths in the wiper Motor adjustable.

 

No

There is no adjustment - I have the complete motor and mechanism out of the van in front of me so I'm sure about that.

I'm not sure what you want to adjust?

You could bend the wiper arms between two pairs of pliers, or move the arms on the drive shaft splines. Just be sure the arms are properly seated on the splines and the nut fully tightened before you switch them on. Or it will smooth out the splines and necessitate complete new mechanism and wiper arms.

 

Incidentally I have got the Bosch aerotwin blades from Derek's link below

and I think they are the best wiper blades I have ever had

 

Derek Uzzell - 2021-11-07 8:50 AM

Nowadays there is a set of Aerotwin blades specifically for RHD Ducato/Boxer/Relay vehicles. The Bosch number is A224S and there’s an example advert here

 

https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/car-parts/wash-wipe/wiper-arms-blades/bosch-wiper-blade-3397007224-detail

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Hans - 2021-11-12 1:55 PM

 

Fully Agree. Thank you. But i hate the wiper rubbr strip HAs a touch down ON rubber of window. So the drive shaft splines are keyword for adjustng this.

 

Being long, the arm needs to be bolted down tight on the splines to stop it turning, chewing up the splines, ruining both driveshaft and arms. So tight you will probably need a 2 legged puller to get the arm off the splines

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Brian Kirby - 2021-11-12 2:32 PM

 

You'll need to remove the wiper arm and rotate it by one spline, Hans. That seems the only practical adjustment. Then see if the resulting blade position is acceptable.

 

I just wonder how its got like that?

As far as I can see, either the wiper arm has been taken off and refitted incorrectly.

Or there is serious wear and slack in the linkage and it needs replacing.

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The attached photo shows the ‘at rest’ position of the wipers of my left-hand-drive 2015 X290 Ducato.

 

The standard lengths of the blades are 550mm (passenger side) and 650mm (driver’s side). There is the possibility that fitting a slightly longer blade on the passenger side - say 600mm instead of 550mm - might cause that blade to overlap the left edge (on the photo) of the wimdscreen glass (and fitting the same 650mm length blade as on the driver’s side would definitely cause problems). But, with the standard length blades, each blade should only be in contact with the windscreen glass when wiping or when at rest.

wipers.jpg.96a1b234ef824b421c19d447f3481ad1.jpg

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