Frnak

Since it finally started raining here in SoCal I figured it would be a good time to replace the dried up OE blades that hopped across the glass like a tap dancer.
I popped into O'Reilly Auto Parts this morning and picked up a pair of Bosch Icon blades PN 24OE and was pleasantly surprised at the $8.00 off for the pair deal. It's winter everywhere now so if you think you may need blades this may be worth checking out.

xEryx

I was looking into blades recently. How do they look compared to OEM? Specifically the connector?

michail71

I thought they were OEM? But one thing I notice is the connectors appear kind of large from inside the car. I don't remember if they looked like that on the originals.

I also just posted a thread about them streaking after 1 month but it may not be the blades.

Frnak

The connector is pretty prominent so if you're looking for aesthetically unobtrusive this isn't it. When I looked at them at the store I was like "Holy crap could they have made this any bigger?" Oh well, not the biggest problem in the world

michail71

I don't have much experience with the factory or dealer blades but another issue I have is they seem to drag water back on the return swipe. But it may just be the car's airflow characteristics.

The dealer wants $90 for wipers. Which is pure insanity. As far as installation goes it takes more time to open the box than it does to actually install the blades. For $90 they should throw in a complimentary massage.

xEryx

You can get the OEM ones for $55 online and the BOSCH with OEM connector for $37. Only difference is the OEM has the Mercedes symbol at the tip.

michail71

I've read the Bosh Icon blades are the OEM. Is there another Bosch blade that has a smaller connector? The Icons look like small boxes. I got the Icon blades at WalMart for about $30.

centfl-c300spt

I've bought a pair of Bosch wiper blades to replace old MB blades and wasn't happy. The dealer wanted $50 and the Bosch were $35. Had them a week and they streaked horribly during a Florida summer. Took them back and got another set thinking maybe the other set was defective, but the new set still did the same. Took them back and went to the dealer and bought an OEM set for $40 (got sent a coupon) and haven't had any streaks yet.
Just my experience with Bosch, doesn't mean the brand is bad.

louiet3

Always bought Bosch replacements from http://www.autohausaz.com and never had any issue.

JohnnyC300

The forum/internet says these are the OEM replacement blades, I use them. $35 on Amazon.

michail71

Amazon actually lists them as incompatible with the car. Which is why I originally missed them.

JohnnyC300

Well if you look at the customer images on Amazon, you can see the box actually says "C 300" on them. I am not sure if your C250 has a different wiper but on pre-facelift C-class it works.

PolarWhite2014

I went to Autozone and got a pair for about 32.00 (Duralast I think) Blades come with multiple connectors for different cars. They seem to work great so far.

michail71

Wow, they actually touch the windows? There is something unusual on these cars where many blades won't even make full contact.

aowhaus

These newer European styled wipers are simply a rubber blade which looks sleek and minimal but doesn't but lacks the steel spring frame support on traditional wiper designs which I find doesn't stay and follow the curvature of the windshield as well especially in harsh winter weather or in high winds.

I bought a set of Michelin wipers on a recommendation on another member here and I have been very happy. The Michelin wipers has a multi piece steel frame backing the wiper blade but it is housed in a sleek rubber cover so you don't really see it and it looks more like a one-piece design and prevents snow and ice building up between the parts. I find it to be very durable and has great contact to the windshield. It's a little bulkier looking but a good trade off for great wiper performance.