What wiper blades?

[epipete]

In the absence of the Wiki, my wiper blade sheared off today and as we're approaching the rainy season they ought to be replaced.

I'm assuming my Wipers are bog standard, what is the replacement blade, and are they still available?

Thanks

[GeoffSmith]

http://wikilec.com/view/Wiper_Blades

[Giniw]

FYI, I ordered a pair of Renault compatible wipers (Valeo if I remember well) and although they do fit, I had to prise out the wipers arms to get sufficient clearance to install them.
Not that it is difficult, but you will need a little more time than a few seconds.

[John_W]

I've just fitted a pair of those modern flat one-piece type wipers which I find to be a lot better than standard. They look a bit funny, but they clear the screen well and bend to the very curved shape of the screen. I used 22 inch Goodyear ones from Costco. The fitting is bog-standard "hook" type.
To fit them (or any blade) it's best to remove the wiper arm (I use a puller to avoid damage and swearing).

John

[epipete]

Thanks for that, I'm assuming that both wipers are the same length and interchangeable - in which case I'll swop them over until I can, in the absence of suitable auto factors, order some in.

[John_W]

Both are 22". Not even a Scotsman from Aberdeen thought of swapping them over to get more life out of them.

[GeoffSmith]

Both are 22". Not even a Scotsman from Aberdeen thought of swapping them over to get more life out of them.

And when the ends start breaking away, cut them down and fit the rubbers to the diddy rear wiper of your hatchback.

[Giniw]

Strange, I am almost sure they are different lengths?!

[John_W]

I've just checked the copy of the parts manual that I have and it shows three different part numbers for wipers in the UK, USA and Rest Of World. Although it doesn't quote the length of the blades, it shows that, in all markets, both right and left blades are the same part number.
John

[Giniw]

(Oops, sorry — I said almost )
Maybe it was the other way round, with the Renault having two different blades and we are using the two lefts or two rights.
Or maybe I am just totally wrong on this one

[epipete]

Both are 22". Not even a Scotsman from Aberdeen thought of swapping them over to get more life out of them.

Tight I may be, but in truth I'll have to go to a garage somewhere to order these in and wait in all probability , but if I put the passenger one on the drivers side then I can still see should rain or dust descend in the interim.

[HJ2]

Both are 22". Not even a Scotsman from Aberdeen thought of swapping them over to get more life out of them.

Tight I may be, but in truth I'll have to go to a garage somewhere to order these in and wait in all probability , but if I put the passenger one on the drivers side then I can still see should rain or dust descend in the interim.

Hey... I'm DUTCH! ... And I don't even do THIS:
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/5-WIZARD-WIPER-C ... SwPCVX93Ua

[lotusflasherman]

Strange, I am almost sure they are different lengths?!

You are correct. In the UK the original fitment is 22" on drivers side and 21" on passenger. A 22" can be put on the passenger side but the last inch won't touch the screen in the parked position as the screen curves too much and it can get a set that lifts the important part off the screen.

I treated mine to a Bosch AR22U & AR21U from Euro Car Parts a couple of years ago and they still work great - at the moment you can buy them with a 30% off voucher code 'Weeekend30" shown on their header but you can usually find other codes via google.

www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Lotus_Elan_1.6_1992/p/car-accessories/car-maintenance-accessories/universal-wiper-blades/universal-flat-blades/?485778220&&cc5_167

www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Lotus_Elan_1.6_1992/p/car-accessories/car-maintenance-accessories/universal-wiper-blades/universal-flat-blades/?485778210&&cc5_167

I bought them cheap and then 'Peter D' gave me a pair at Brands Hatch Lotus Weekend 2015 as he's developed them - his profile says "R&D wiperblade application engineer with BOSCH". Those will be going on the other SE.

Buy Bosch and support a fellow member ...

[1kenobitoby]

Original was 585mm (23") wasn't it? See attached. Repeated elsewhere in the workshop manual. I agree though that the passenger side does park off the screen at that length.

TDH_p5.JPG

[lotusflasherman]

Original was 585mm (23") wasn't it? See attached. Repeated elsewhere in the workshop manual. I agree though that the passenger side does park off the screen at that length.

Interesting, never looked in my manual or did the metric to imperial conversion. Was going by comment from Daytune in Cambridge, who were the only Lotus dealer anywhere near me in 1995 when I got my first M100, who supplied new wiper blades, plus a few other parts, with the comment '"22" goes on drivers side, 21" on passenger". Whether Lotus issued a Technical Bulletin or something I don't know but the computer based parts programs for Halfords and Eurocarparts both come up with 22" drivers, 21" passenger side so wonder where they got that info from... probably Lotus were trying to 'save a few bob' after the initial spec' was published. The passenger side 21" still wipes across the black panel at the top of the screen that you can't see through so the extra inch each end seems to be pointless.

www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/VehicleProductGuidedSalesCmd?action=getProducts&storeId=10001&catalogId=10151&categoryId=165620&langId=-1&findPartsMMYS=Find&engineInd=&makeName=29&modelName=29002&dvlaYear=34&subsetEngine=29002140&subsetBodyShape=29002060

www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Lotus_Elan_1.6_1995/p/car-parts/wipers/car-body-parts-and-car-exhaust/wiper-blades/?485777219&1&b892067a00cf029b2ebcf64d4ef0f8e74774abfc&000604
http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Lotus ... d25&000604