Last weekend I had to drive my 96 ES for 300 miles in the rain when I discovered that above 50 mph the wipers hydroplaned rather than wiped off the rain. After about an hour of creeping along I found a gas station that installed a new set of Anco blades. They were better, but they started to give up at 70 mph.

A couple of months ago I had wax applied to the car in a car wash. Could this be part of my problem?

What blades do you like? What is Lexus OEM now?

Would something like Rainex help?

Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

 

I use OEM wiper blades on my ES. I've tried other brands (Bosch, Anco, etc.) but IMO none of them compare to the quality and durability of the OEM ones.

 

I agree 100%.

 

I have tried them all. Here is my take.

Lexus OEM blade inserts are the best by far. They run about $8-$12 for one rubber insert depending on the size. They are teflon in compostion I believe. I do not plan on using any other.

I tried the blades from the Toyota parts counter thinking that they would be the same as the Lexus OEM ones and they are most definately NOT. The inserts from Toyota are your standard black rubber and are adequate but squeaked when the wipers reversed direction from right to left.

The ones from Bosch (micro edge) were ok.

PIAA blades are nice but expensive. They run about $22-$28 depending on size become they come with the arm, too. They also have a silicone wipe that must be applied to the window before use. These were as good as the Lexus OEM ones but the silicone treatment acts like "stickum" for bugs and grit even when applied as per procedure.

I am in New England were my wipers see 4 distinct seasons. They get encrusted with ice and slush and they bake under a 90° sun. They go through many extremes. I usually change out the wiper insert every 6 months just as habit now.

Ranix is great for your side windows and back window but I will never apply it to the front window again. I have found that the life of my wiper blade is drastically reduced (almost in half) whenever RainX is on my windshield.

I have never tried waxing my windshield.

hope this helps.

steviej

 

On my 92 ES I put on the 97-01 ES wiper blades and refills, they work great . The original ones don't have good refills and do a poor job of cleaning the windshield. After I switched them they work excellent and are smooth! Give them a try.

 

es3doubleO, that's an interesting switch-er-oo mod

What are the main differences between the wipers of the '92 ES and the '97-'01 ES?

 

I had Bosch wipers on my 01 Maxima & when it came time to change them, my mechanic said to give Napa Exact fit a try & what a difference!! I have Toyota's on my ES now & put the Napa blade beside the Toyota & the Napa look & feel more 'heavy duty' (slightly thicker blade & a heavier metal frame which is better at highway speeds against the windshield) so I am going to give them another try since I was so happy with them on my Maxima. Almost the same price as the Toyota's.

 

Well I found that the wiper refills for the 97-01 blades are much smoother when they wipe the window and they also last longer, with the original refills I found that the refills tend to streak the windshield and wear out fast.

 

How much different is the size between the 2 generations es3?

 

I'm not too sure about the size difference but the 97-01 blades do not wipe off the windsheld and the passenger blade is a little bit smaller then the original one but no biggie. I haven't had any problems with them and i've had them on for about a year now, I would suggest anybody who has a 92-96 ES to switch to the 97-01 blades. Its worth it!

 

20" driver 18" passenger is usually standard issue for the Camry/ES windshield. It could be larger on the newer models.

 

I agree . I have also had the best experience with Lexus OEM blades. As steviej noted, they have a slicker feel (possibly from teflon) and work better and more silently than any other blades I've seen...even the Toyota equivalents. Of course, as with any blade, you HAVE to keep the windshield clean and film-free....if you let junk and film build up on the glass and the blades, you're going to have problems.

 

correct, 24" and 20" respectively for the 2002+ models.

steviej

 

hello everyone quick q- how often do blades, (wipers) need to be replaced. It is on how much u use them? Doesnt the sun dry them out or something?!

 

97 - 01 ES need 22" driver side & 18" passenger side. The sun will dry the blades out over time Ismet, I change mine once a year (just before the winter) as I park in the underground of my Condo building so the weather does not effect things as much as if the car is parked outside 24 / 7. If that's the case, steviej's advice is wise & change them every 6 months.