Resurrecting an old thread, because even a dead horse needs a little love once in a while.

I just replaced the wipers on my new-to-me X-Type, and sought long and hard for Bosch wipers that would be a direct replacement for the OEM parts. If you never noticed it before, the spoiler on the driver's side wiper is removable. In the process of removing mine, I noticed "Bosch" stamped on the side of the metal frame.

So I went down to my friendly neighborhood parts store, and looked at the two lines of Bosch wipers that they sold. They only had the Icon and the Micro-Edge. The Icon, due to the frameless design, will not accommodate the spoiler, but it looked like the Micro-Edge might, so I bought it.

No luck. The crossmembers on the top of the frame won't allow the spoiler to bolt on, but this set me off to looking at what else Bosch might be shipping to Jaguar for resale as OEM.

Take a look at Bosch's web pages for the Micro-Edge and the next model up in their product line, the Excel-Plus:

http://www.boschautoparts.com/WiperB...MicroEdge.aspx

http://www.boschautoparts.com/WiperB...ExcelPlus.aspx

For that matter, the bottom of the line might be worth a look, too:

http://www.boschautoparts.com/WiperB...ctConnect.aspx


I can't get the Excel Plus or the Direct Connect at local stores, but I'm wondering if anyone else has them available and can compare them to the OEM ones. If all it takes to duplicate the Jaguar part is transferring the spoiler from one blade frame to another, then there's not much sense in spending the extra money on the OEM part anymore.

 

do the oem wipers make that much of a diffence ?

i use the rainx lattitude and they seem to work pretty well, if it can get better im curious.

 

I have found that if you use the metal frame type wipers, then the spoiler does really help keep the wiper down at speed for better performance. However the frameless wipers seem to stay down just fine without the spoiler. That's just my anectdotal observation on my own X.

 

I don't think there's much of a performance difference from one *new* wiper to another. Much more important is that the rubber is clean, pliable and not damaged, and that the frame and mounting point is not worn, bent or otherwise damaged.

But the real reasons that I'm looking for an "aftermarket" wiper that is absolutely identical to the OEM one relate to cost and ease of installation. Some of the aftermarket wipers are as expensive as the Jaguar-packaged parts, and some of those same aftermarket wipers have mounting mechanisms that are so absurdly complicated that it makes a 20 minute project out of something that should take 30 seconds.

The Bosch MicroEdge was downright cheap compared to the cost of Jaguar-packaged parts, and I expect that the two lower-tier lines from Bosch - one of which I suspect is what Bosch sells to Jaguar as OEM - should be even cheaper.

Being able to transfer the OEM spoiler to a new blade is just a bonus.

 

I've had good results with Michelin wipers, and they are very simple/strightforward to install, just a minute or two.

What irritates me is I have a small nick in the windshield right in front of the driver's view, and it has a little bump that the wiper stumbles over. I'm going to try to buff it off this weekend and hopefully that will be that.