Wiper replacement

OK, I'm no blonde, but I have the same question. How do you replace the wipers on the Prius? The owners' manual doesn't seem to show user replacement as an option.

 

To remove the blade from the arm there is a little plastic clip in the center and you just flip it up using your fingernail. The part in the center lifts and it's hinged on the right side (car's right). Once that's up just push the blade assembly toward the left and it will come right off the arm. Once you get the blade off the car it looks like the insert will come out in one direction only. I didn't try to get the insert out but it looks like it would be no problem.

If you find ice-proof ones for this car let me know where you got them.

 

The "old" kind should fit; the hood on the wiper arm is the same. The new connector is really just for looks, and is part of the blade--and it does look better, I think.

The metric lengths are printed on the wiper, 650[mm] and 475[mm], translating to 26 inches and 19 inches.

Has anyone installed aftermarket blades, who can verify fitment?

 

I was in the same "blonde" position few weeks ago, before I found the new fitting design. The older wiper hinge design fits perfectly. Don't worry.

 

Ooops, I should have said "length," as in 26" & 19". (I had tried another wiper, and know the hook is the same...) Thanks, though.

 

Being in California and having a Gen II Prius may automatically disqualify me from a pertinent input. I am unfamiliar with " Ice proof blades ". But, ( always a but ) have you tried just putting in a new rubber insert? It's amazingly simple, cheap and seemed to work fine during the last trip to Reno in snow and ice conditions. Temps got down to the 20s over the Pass. After finding the right replacement (widthwise) all one has to do is cut to size, which can be customized. It is not necessary to remove blade.

 

Yup, I do it all the time. You can get Toyota refills for less than $4 each, and they're excellent.

It's the winter-weather question, though. Standard blades tend to ice up if you drive in snow, when the temps are just below freezing, especially. The new design seems like it would better handle snow and ice, but then again, I don't want my OEM blades getting broken apart or anything...

 

Hi Andyprius,

Here is what happens. In normal operation the springs in the standard wiper will pull and relax keeping the blade on the windshield as the arm is wiped. As the shape the blade must conform to varies, from the point of view of blade, as the arm is wiped, some kinda pulling action is needed distributed along the length of the blade.

Now imagine you have a freezing rain situation (like we have here right now). The blade, and up underneath the blade arm become loaded with ice. The springs being encased in ice no longer can flex. When the blade is in the at-rest postion, its mostly flat, and the springs are at max stretrch.

As the blade arm moves, the outer ends of the blade/arm cannot pull down onto the window as the springs are frozen in the maximun stretch position. So, you end up with wipping occuring in an arc only about 4 inches wide. This is really not a safe condition.

One solution to this is to leave the car parked with the arms extended away from the car. This way the arm springs drain before the freezing rain freezes. Well, except in the worse conditions like yesterday and today here. I am in the process of clearing 1/4 inch of ice off my car. In heavy snowing conditions, snow gets packed up in the blade arm, and the heat from defroster momentarily melts some of the snow grains, and then they refreeze, eventually freezing the springs in the extended postion. Again, just when you need to see the street conditions the the most, your limited in the area you can see out of the windshield.

On your drive to Reno, did you overnight somewhere where the temps were cold and it was snowing allot? Were you driving into a a heavy snow, or with it? Did you have to drive slow because of traffic, while the snow was coming down on the order of 2 inches / hour without much wind? I have driven home leaving with a perfectly cleared only to arrive 2 hours later with 4 inches of snow on the car, and that without stopping much, just creeping along.

 

Hi Donee,, Thanks much for the detailed Winter conditions. Altho I'm originally from the NE and lived for 5 years in Wisconsin I have never run into these windshield wiper problems. Once in Cleveland I had to exit at 9th. St. from the freeway and the car had collected another ton of snow everywhere ( after a good cleaning initially) Being in the center lane I had to exit blind. With my signal on I proceeded, oops a horn and then another horn,,,,,,finally no more horns and I edged her right just in time. When I parked her I saw the signals were also snowed in. But yes my little drive in Reno was nothing compared to real Winter conditions. Its mostly dry here and that's a big factor. I sympathize with all that must endure "Real Winter" Here going up the Mountain Pass, with snow, we must put on chains! I think that's basically because most CA's don't know how to drive in the snow.

 

For anyone looking, I installed Michelin Radius wiper blades on my 2010 Prius, for winter, to preserve my OEM wipers. The driver-side blade is 26" and the passenger-side is 19."