I have a 2002 GS300. I was replacing my windshield wipers and noticed that on the driver's side wiper, there is a metal bar attached to the windshield wiper that I've never seen before. It seems to be riveted in, so I can't just remove it and attach it to the new wiper. Does anyone know what the purpose of this is. I'm thinking that it's there to act like a weight to keep the wiper on the glass when in use, but I'm not sure. Also, do I need to get a replacement wiper from the dealer that has this metal bar, or can I just use the Anco blade that I just put on the car without the metal bar?

 

Are you talking about the whole wiper blade assembly? If so, that curved bar you're talking about is probably the airfoil for the OEM wiper blade (a spoiler of sorts for it). At high speeds, if you didn't have it, your wiper blade can lift and cause chattering upon use, but with that curved OEM piece in place, it keeps the wiper planted on your windsheild for maximum wiping effectiveness.

Here's my take on wiper blades: always use OEM wiper blade replacements (whether it's the inserts or the whole arm assembly). Here's my reasons for using OEM wiper blades as opposed to aftermarket (I've tried most aftermarket ones, and they don't cut it):

1. The OEM ones last longer (about 1-2 years). Aftermarket generally lasts about 3-9 months (assuming heavy usage like in Seattle).
2. The OEM ones have a cleaner, more uniform wipe. Some aftermarket ones streak right from the start.
3. The OEM ones are much quieter. Some aftermarket ones start chattering after 1 week of use.
4. Just replacing only the OEM wiper rubber inserts is relatively cheap ($4 per insert)--which in most cases, that's all that you need to replace (slide out the old rubber inserts, then transplant the metal backbone inserts to the new rubber inserts, then replace it onto the wiper arm).

This is from experience, use the OEM wiper blade inserts (and if need be, the whole OEM wiper assemblies)--whether your car is a Lexus, Acura, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, etc.--you'll be happier in the long run.

 

Yes, it's the whole wiper assembly. I guess it's the airfoil that I am talking about. Is there any reason why they need the airfoil on the wiper arm. I've never seen it on another car.
I looked at the old wiper blades and there isn't just a rubber insert to slide out and replace that most wipers have. The whole rubber piece is held on to wiper by metal tabs and the only way to get it off is to bend all of these tabs, so I'd have to replace the entire wiper blade with the airfoil. I assume that Lexus would charge a lot of money just to get the blade with the airfoil. I've got an Anco blade on there now and it works fine.

 

To get the old Toyota (Lexus) wiper rubber insert out of the OEM Lexus wiper arm assembly, here's how to do it:

1. Remove the wiper arm from the car.

2. If you look at the rubber insert, you'll see that it has a running channel. Now examine the rubber insert on each end, and you'll see that one end has an open channel, while the other end has a channel that ends with a closed rubber tab. The closed end has an indentation (about 0.25" from the end) that acts as a locking insertion point for the wiper arm assembly's holding brackets to fit in there.

3. To get the rubber insert out, you'll need to pull the rubber insert at the closed end (wiggle it a bit), and it will slide out (once the part of the wiper arm bracket is free from the rubber insert's endpoint indentation).

4. Once the rubber insert is out, take out the 2 metal backbone strips (one on each side). Put them into the new Toyota (Lexus) rubber inserts.

5. Slide the new rubber wiper insert through each wiper arm assebly holder bracket in reverse (putting in the open-channeled end first). Once most of the new wiper insert is through the brackets, give it a slow wiggle to get the last bracket to move to the "lock" indentation of the closed-end of the new rubber insert.

6. Put the wiper arm back on the car--you're done.

While your Anco blade might be working fine right now, I think you'll find that it won't last as long as the OEM Toyota/Lexus wiper blade (and might start squeaking, streaking, uneven wipe coverage in a few weeks). From my experience, Anco looks like OEM but it sure doesn't work and last quite as long as the Lexus OEM blades. Trust me on this one--used to be an frequent user of Anco, Trico, and Bosch blades and always wondered about the midling wiping performance of them, but none have worked as good and reliably as the OEM versions (whatever car it was used on--Acura, Nissan, Honda, Lexus).

I'd save your old OEM wiper arm assemblies, as they are pricy ($18 for passenger, $37 for driver's side--assuming a 20% discount)! I think that when you find that the Anco blades wear out in a few months, you can just get new Toyota wiper inserts for $4/ insert and reuse the main OEM blade assemblies--you'll be glad you did.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll look at the wipers and see if it works the way that you say. If so, I'll get the inserts from Lexus.

 

Update:

After doing what you said, I was able to remove the rubber insert. I'll head over to Lexus in the next few days and get the replacement. One thing, does it matter whether I go to Lexus or Toyota for the new insert.

Thanks again for your help Seattle

 

Get the Lexus rubber insert. I tried a Toyota insert, but it was designed slightly differently (it looks ALMOST the same as the Lexus counterparts). The metal backbone holder on the Toyota rubber insert design design isn't a closed design (like it is for the Lexus) and is held via a metal clip at one of the ends. While it only cost me $4 for both wiper inserts (they were having a sale), I ended up returning it as I didn't want to mess w/ the end clips.

FYI, the Lexus inserts runs about $3-5 per insert. They're pretty high quality, and you'll find them to last as long as your previous original blades that came with the car lasted.

Glad I can help out.

 

The oem refills are the best. The only aftermarket wipers or refills I would recommend is PIAA. Right now I'm using oem wiper arms with Piaa inserts. Great combination as well but will switch back to oem inserts next time due to cheaper price.

 

I heard about PIAA wiper blades before, and I personally know a couple CL members who have them on their rides. From what I've been told, they work great and supposedly last a long time, probably longer than the OEMs (similar to the issue of K&N vs OEM air filters). Their web page describes these blades as 'Super Silicone' (new quality and technology I suppose).

The only problem with that is, like you said, the price

 

i agree about the OEM wiper blades being the best i just finished my 120k service...

CEO

 

For those who use Lexus rubber inserts, how much do dealers charge for them? Thanks.

(RX300 - 24", 21", and 16")

 

If I may add to this:

I had trouble pulling the rubber insert because of the "rubber tabs" at one end. I used a nose plier to squeeze the rubber tabs, then the insert slided out quite easily.

 

I replaced my worn-out wiper blades and brackets with Bosch ones. They're expensive but the quality is greatly superior. They clean better, more uniformly, and don't chatter on the windshield. They've also weathered better than any of the less expensive replacements I've used.

Ral