E85 Windshield Wiper Replacement

E

Ezbrezi

New member
 So Cal
Hi everyone! I’m enjoying some nice top down weather here in my parts, hope the same for you. I ordered 2 different sets of wiper replacement blades on Amazon, and returned both pair of 21”/20” as recommended for my 03 E85 3.0. On both pair, the passenger side, the shorter of the two, did not make contact with the curvature of my windshield on the outer edge. The curvature is rather drastic on the outer edges. 1-2 inches (sorry, US here) of the passenger side blade sits above the glass, and snags my car cover. I paid the extra, and ordered OEM Bosch from Bimmerworld, thinking that the OEM would lay flat and curve with the windshield. It does not. The OEM fits exactly the same as the 2 cheaper pair. Is it me? I don’t recall how the pair I originally took off fit, not knowing I’d encounter this issue, but I never noticed a funky looking fit? Sorry for the long wind everyone! Any feedback appreciated.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7109.jpeg
    IMG_7109.jpeg
    981.6 KB · Views: 6
  • IMG_7110.jpeg
    IMG_7110.jpeg
    846.2 KB · Views: 6
I just started buying a shorter passenger side wiper so that I could fit the slimline Bosch Aerotwin (AP21U and AP19U IIRC) or SuperPlus without any dangly bits.
 
I've been using 20 inch and 18 inch blades for a few years now as they are a better fit than what is recommended by BMW.
 
I've fitted several different brands to my Z4s and they are all like that. :(

Next time I'll be buying a shorter blade for the passenger side as others have.
 
Thank you all for your responses! Chris at Bimmerworld has kindly offered to send me a 18” blade for the passenger side, instead of initiating a return. So when the E85 was sold new, the passenger side wiper blade jetted off the glass presenting a possible hang-up point for towels, covers, etc.? I can’t wrap my head around this, any better than my wiper wraps around the windshield! 21”/18” should be the recommended size combo for E85, even if the effective water removal rate is slightly less IMO.
 
The genuine wiper did sometimes leave a small gap between the wiper and the windscreen...but it was a lot smaller than the aftermarket ones. The difference was maybe 0.5cm vs 3cm of the blade not touching the glass.

Wiper lift.jpg
 
Last edited:
wipers like sensors etc are a false economy when not buying genuine BMW despite the fact that pattern parts made by same manu
 
I've just finished a 117 mile trip tonight, half of which was in heavy rain. The Halfords Flat Wiper Blades R51 & R45 (20" & 18") which I fitted in December of 2023 performed flawlessly. I had bought a replacement set for this year's MoT test in early March but the existing ones were deemed to be in good enough condition to keep using them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom