Wiper blade inserts?

Q

quietlyspinach

Active Member
Has anyone replaced their wiper blade inserts? Mine are starting to "chatter" or make stuttering movements when sliding on the glass. I tried cleaning the glass and the blades and that helps a little bit, but it still acts like it's dragging on something on the windshield, so I'm thinking the blades might be the next thing to replace.

I read on a mini F56 forum that MINI actually uses Denso for the wiper blades, and that other car makes like Toyota also use the same blades and inserts; apparently the Toyota part numbers are 85214-30400 (driver side) and 85214-30390 (passenger side). These are apparently cheaper to source in North America vs the MINI-branded parts.

Has anyone tried this?
 
You should get free replacement wiper blades during your service period, but I've also replaced them. They're very easy to pop off and put on. I just get replacement blades from the dealer.
 
No inserts just new blades. OEM is actually Valeo… I’ve tried the Denso units on my F55 and they aren’t great. Switched back to Valeo no issues. New blades aren’t too expensive at the dealer, which in my years experience have always been the best option.
 
I learned a secret from the Mercedes service foreman next-door, he told me to get Honda refills instead of paying three times as much for the Bosch blades at the parts department, and it was like they were coated with quicksilver. But I tried the same trick on the Crapolla, and the Honda refills sucked on it compared to the Denso blades from Toyota so I went back to just getting new blades from the parts department. The Subaru’s wipers are nearly 5 years old now, used year-round, and my wife just started complaining about smearing. I won’t even bother shopping around. With the MINI, we are driving a $40,000 sub-1-Series, why scrimp twenty bucks on something as important as wiper blades?
 
Anyone replace them with aftermarket blades?

I just noticed a piece of plastic missing on one of the blades and was thinking of getting bosch icons or piaa silicones that can be replaced with inserts.
 
Yeah but price it out. I find the original MINI blades work wonderfully well, I don’t really see the point of messing around with aftermarket to save $10 or $20. I picked up the OE Subaru blades yesterday, 26 inch and 16 inch aero-style blades, for less than $40 US tax-in.
 
Try Rain-X glass water repellent. I found it can greatly reduce wiper blade chatter even with older blades. No problem with my SE though.
 
SameGuy said:
Yeah but price it out. I find the original MINI blades work wonderfully well, I don’t really see the point of messing around with aftermarket to save $10 or $20. I picked up the OE Subaru blades yesterday, 26 inch and 16 inch aero-style blades, for less than $40 US tax-in.
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This is me. How I've done it on all my Minis. Call me lazy, but I find they do work best after trying aftermarket blades once
 
The Michelin blades at Costco are a decent winter alternative for old-school pantograph blades that freeze up at the slightest hint of humidity in the Snow Belt, but the new aero blades don’t have that problem, so as long as you take the time to clear any ice and frost off your windshield before running the wipers, they should last at least three or four years.
 
I just replaced the wiper blade inserts on my Mini Cooper 2022 SE. As others have noted above, the Toyota Prius OEM inserts work great and are of the same high quality as the factory ones. I bought them through Amazon in the USA (actually sold by and shipped from Amazon, not a third party, just to be sure it wasn't a knock-off).

The Toyota parts number are 85214-30400 (450mm) for the driver side and 85214-30390 (475mm) for the passenger side.

$12.67 - driver side
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003FA9OU4
$12.67 - passenger side
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003FAF2W8

Super easy to replace - just grasp the insert by the fat end using long nose pliers and pull. The metal stiffening blades will pop out; just push them into the new blade and re-insert the same way you pulled them out.
 
quietlyspinach said:
I just replaced the wiper blade inserts on my Mini Cooper 2022 SE. As others have noted above, the Toyota Prius OEM inserts work great and are of the same high quality as the factory ones. I bought them through Amazon in the USA (actually sold by and shipped from Amazon, not a third party, just to be sure it wasn't a knock-off).

The Toyota parts number are 85214-30400 (450mm) for the driver side and 85214-30390 (475mm) for the passenger side.

$12.67 - driver side
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003FA9OU4
$12.67 - passenger side
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003FAF2W8

Super easy to replace - just grasp the insert by the fat end using long nose pliers and pull. The metal stiffening blades will pop out; just push them into the new blade and re-insert the same way you pulled them out.
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This is great info! I didn't know Amazon doesn't sell knock-offs. Have you found an insert for the short rear wiper blade, too?
 
I haven't bothered to replace the short rear wiper blade yet. I hardly ever use it. This is actually the first time I've replaced the front wiper blades in 3 years, and only because the passenger side one started chattering. The few times I've turned on the rear one it still works perfectly.

It hardly ever rains where I live - most often wiper blades dry out and crack from disuse first.

Oh, and I find it's far less likely Amazon would sell a knock-off, but the nice thing is I live close enough to an Amazon Fresh store so if it is a counterfeit I can return it easily without dealing with return shipping.
 
I have received knock offs for some products sold and shipped by Amazon. It is no guarantee. You usually don't get knockoff from OEM parts dealers selling via an Amazon store.
 
ColdCase said:
I have received knock offs for some products sold and shipped by Amazon. It is no guarantee. You usually don't get knockoff from OEM parts dealers selling via an Amazon store.
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True, but if you get a knock-off part sold directly from Amazon there is no issue with returns. Dealers selling through Amazon will not necessarily give you the same return policy, and almost never will allow you to use Amazon's services to return the product. If the dealer selling through amazon is doing their own shipping, they almost certainly will NOT allow free return shipping.

So to me, having the free return policy is a guarantee that I will not be stuck with a counterfeit part and have to pay money and use an unknown process to resolve the issue.
 
Dealers selling through Amazon have the same return policy, or Amazon will refund. The spouse had that happen once recently.

The rub is how can you tell it is not a knock off or OEM. Amazon doesn't police it. You don't know until it fails early. Amazon forced water-pick to replace toothbrushes sold by another reseller that were failing early when someone finally discovered they were knock offs, even though it wasn't water-pick's fault. It is a nasty business.

If I stop by the dealer or local brick and mortar parts outlet I will have some assurance that it is as advertised, OEM or aftermarket.

Not saying to not buy from Amazon, but between fake reviews and undetected knock offs, the buyer needs to be aware. On the other hand, its not a big deal and there are useful stuff sold there.
 
ColdCase said:
Dealers selling through Amazon have the same return policy, or Amazon will refund. The spouse had that happen once recently.
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Well that is definitely false according to my most recent experience purchasing my air filter from a BMW Dealer selling parts through Amazon. I received my air filter and it was clearly used, jammed back into the box. It even had leaves on it. I started a return process and Amazon told me that I had to message the seller; only after they responded (or not respond) would they intervene. The seller denied the return, saying it what happened was impossible, so I had to escalate to Amazon's service agents, who eventually, 2 months later, convinced the seller to accept a return, but I had to pay return UPS shipping ($14), and then the seller would be allowed to decide later if they deemed my return "acceptable". It was a huge hassle.

I've had other issues with resellers of specialized kitchen gear as well. I've now learned; if you go through a reseller, some of them may give you hard time.

ColdCase said:
The rub is how can you tell it is not a knock off or OEM. Amazon doesn't police it. You don't know until it fails early. Amazon forced water-pick to replace toothbrushes sold by another reseller that were failing early when someone finally discovered they were knock offs, even though it wasn't water-pick's fault. It is a nasty business.

If I stop by the dealer or local brick and mortar parts outlet I will have some assurance that it is as advertised, OEM or aftermarket.
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Fair enough - I thought I was sharing useful information, but it is always useful to have people like you give the other perspective. I'm not saying Amazon is all gumdrops and rainbows, but I have found a process that works for me, and probably will other people as well. I don't live near enough to a MINI dealer to be able to drop by for wiper blades.

ColdCase said:
Not saying to not buy from Amazon, but between fake reviews and undetected knock offs, the buyer needs to be aware. On the other hand, its not a big deal and there are useful stuff sold there.
Click to expand...

Uh, it sure sounds like you are saying don't buy from Amazon!
 
ColdCase said:
If I stop by the dealer or local brick and mortar parts outlet I will have some assurance that it is as advertised, OEM or aftermarket.
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It doesn't seem to me the prices of the Toyota wipers were significantly cheaper than the OEM MINI wipers, especially for something replaced only every 1-2 years. But others can choose to shop around, of course.
 
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