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Wiper blade refills

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by booke02, Sep 23, 2019.

  1. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

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    I have read through previous posts on rubber inserts/refills for the front wipers of Gen 4, but can't find any information about the profile.

    Some manufacturers offer a profile that is 10.5mm high and 6mm wide and others offer 10.5mm height and 8.5mm wide.
    upload_2019-9-23_22-3-14.png
    Does anyone know which is the correct profile for Gen 4 front wipers?
     
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  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Measure what you've got?

    Do you have Toyota dealerships? Call the part department and see what shakes out?
     
  3. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

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    Our local Toyota dealerships prefer to keep that information to themselves - they don't make any money if the owner replaces the inserts by himself ;)
     
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  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Ah, parts department won't sell the blades?
     
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  5. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    I can check it when I get home today. I think PRIME refill is the same as Gen4. I have OEM refill as spare.
     
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  6. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

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    They will sell (and fit) the complete wiper blade mechanism, but they don't sell refills.

    (I am not sure what they do when you take the car for servicing and ask to have the wipers replaced - do they replace the whole mechanism or do they just insert refills???)
     
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  7. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

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    Thanks. I am quite sure that both models use the same mechanism.
     
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  8. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    OEM wiper blade assembly is easier to replace than refill. The cost difference is about US$10. I think if you let a dealer install it, the labor cost for replacing refill is going to be more than US$10.
     
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  9. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    For similar reasons, it seems that simple refills have mostly disappeared from the local third-party vendors too. Why offer the cheapest choice when they can make more money on forced upsells?
     
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  10. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    #10 Salamander_King, Sep 23, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2019
  11. fusion

    fusion Junior Member

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    Any instructions on how to remove the old blade to put the new ones in? I got the refills from the dealership but can't figure out how to remove the ends to get the blades out.
     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    They typically go “on” by pushing the rubber wiper end past metal tabs on arms: up-and-over a gradual ramp on the rubber, into a pocket with steep walls. You need to back it out of that pocket, and it takes some coercion.
     
  13. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

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    Silicone refills, Amazon
     
  14. Harters

    Harters Active Member

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    I bought these complete wiper blades and they are a perfect fit for the originals. They wipe great and are totally silent, best of all a bargain.

    Fit Prius W50 2015 ->Set of Front Frameless Flat Aero Wiper Blades HQ Automotive - ADC61-821 Twin Box https://amzn.eu/d/1QLK0dM

    Maybe they are available on Amazon US too?
     
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  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Repair Manual info on wiper blade replacement attached. Toyota really should be include this in Owner's Manual.
     

    Attached Files:

  16. Todd Bonzalez

    Todd Bonzalez Active Member

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    I think it must be one of those old world vs new world cultural differences, like rotating tyres. I've seen wiper blade refills in Halfords once or twice, but I don't know anybody who's actually used them. Seems like extra work
     
  17. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    I used to buy the blade refills when they were available here. The lower cost justified the almost negligible extra work. Less waste too.

    I see their disappearance from retail shelves as a form of forced upsell. Instead of asking "do you wants fries with that?", just pre-package the fries with that and don't even stock a no-fries choice.
     
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  18. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Replacing anything more than just the rubber bits that squeegee the glass is nuts. Even the little stainless steel stiffeners get transferred over.
     
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  19. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Yeah, but my experiences with many wipers which I had to replace were that it simply broke off. This inevitably happened during heavy snow or ice storms when I have to have a working wiper to safely drive. If I only had a rubber blade refill, it does no good.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  20. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah guess my California North perspective is a little different. Funny thing is, here dealerships can get the block heater, and Super Long Life Coolant is 55%. Meanwhile...
     
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