Turbo2

For a long time, the single wiper has been a trademark for Mercedes (I believe they refered to it as Eccentric Clean Sweep). I know that it was not on the W140 S Class, but it was available on the previous E-Class and C-Class as well. So why did MB trade for the "standard" two wiper system? Ive always like the one wiper, and personally I think it has a better reach on the windsheild then the two wiper system.

BenzE

I too mourn the loss of the monoblade.

A zone rep from MBUSA told me it had to do with many complaints they received that when sitting at traffic lights and at a standstill, the single blade rocked the car too much for comfort.

I believe it debuted on the 300 series in 1987, but I would have to look that one up...

I've always been a bit worried what would happen if in a bad storm it suddenly ceased to function; if you have 2 blades and something happens to one, you can still see. I guess that's what lifetime roadside assistance is for!

Turbo2

Wow...the single blade "rocked" the car too much, sounds like a bogus complaint to me. I really dont see how a single wiper blade/arm can rock a 2 ton car, thats not the point though. I do see the concern of the wiper malfunctioning and therefore not having a wiper at all. The single wiper disappearing probably has something to do with the Chrysler merger...damn them!

DL_AMG

It's all about COST cutting so they don't have to maintain 2 different systems at the factory or R&D. Just like they cut the Inline-6 to V6 so they can share parts and running on same assably line with the V8s.
That's my take.
I do like the single wiper action too. It does cover more area and I so, didn't feel the rocking at all on my 300E. But if you look at the current 2 blades system, the driverside wiper is also moving further at the left upper (US model) corner and retract at the center just like the single wipe system. so you don't loose much incompare to single wiper system.

karl k

One step forward -- two steps backward!!

If there were defects with the one wiper system, MB should have fixed it! This regression back to two, -- why not three or four wipers?

Progress and innovation would dictate:

A WIPERLESS car. Yes, NO wipers.

New E

Turbo2,

I really like the looks and functionality of the mono wiper on my 02' E430, but it really does rock the car! At the fastest speed the car rocks quite a bit, and the "whoosh" it makes as it cuts through the air sounds somewhat threatening! I would have liked to have seen it continued on the newer models though...!

Turbo2

New E-
I have noticed that too on my E, that on the fastest setting while sitting at a light it would somewhat shake the car, but it really didnt bother me, I guess some other MB owners are a little more picky then I may be. I like the exclusvity of the single wiper, my XJ8 has it as well, although it is not as well functioning due to a more rectangular windshield. There is something about being different from everyone else, like Chrysler is.

I agree, it did not bother me enough for MB to get rid of it.

J Lucas

It definitely shakes my 208clk 430. on its fastest setting you could feel the vibration from the back seat.

Chappy

(For the U.S. Market), it was the W201-series (190E, 190D), starting with the 1984 model year.

Hope this helps

KILLERHERTZ

I was talking to my dealer, and he was explaining to me that the 'mono-blade' was plagued with faults, and due to the number of customers who have had trouble with theirs - returning etc that they ended up returning to the 2

pcviewer

Doesn't the monoblade slow itself down when at a stand still? I have noticed that with the '91 SL500 and '95 SL600. When I am driving with the blade speed at 2+ (1 being the slowest) and slow down to a stop, the blade speed slows to 2 (from 3) or 1 (from 2). The car would have to go at least 15 mph, I think, to resume the blade speed you set. I would think this is available for the w210 E-Classes as well...

tifosiv122

Real quick story, I need to run...

About a year ago I was driving my 300E when it started to rain...nothing hard, just a little bit.
I had my wipers on. (One to be exact).
Some kid in a riced out Civic pulled up next to me with a dumb look on his face...
He honked the horn and asked me to roll down my window...I did.
He said "Dude, how did you get that really cool Euro wiper conversion, it actually wipes the whole glass"
I responded {after thinking for a second, he caught me off gaurd} "I know your not asking me how I did the Euro wiper on my EUROPEAN car!?!"
Rolled up the window and drove away...I miss the single wiper on my newer Benz's.

Erik

brembo

Tifo...

I had the same incident happen to me. But the guy who talk to me was much smarter. He said, "I always like the single wipers on the MBZ. Have you ever considered repositioning your mono wiper like the DTM C class where the single wiper is visible to the eye (5 inches higher from the windshield) just to emphasize on the bada$$ single wiper look. Like my Corrado VW, I had to remove the 2nd wiper and replace with mono wiper." -

-Brembo

HiDefDave

Love the monowiper on my C-Class, too...because it covers more glass but mainly because it's just so cool!

One caveat, though. Without Rain-X it just can't keep up in a Florida downpour.

Great with Rain-X, though. I wouldn't want to be without it on any windshield.

GJR

Yes, and that, more than anything else, is the reason it's gone. Simply because it can't keep up with a 2-blade system in heavy downpours. I remember reading more than a couple of negative reviews on the monowiper's performance in major automotive magazines.

I have to admit though- it really was distinctive and one of those unique little things that separated Mercedes from the rest, along with the unmistakable horn sound and the polished aluminum fuel filler cap, both missing on newer models, replaced by a domestic sounding horn and a plastic fuel cap

sorlo

Monoblade is something too cool not to have. Lucky that my clk has it.

Hakk403

I LOVE THE MONOWIPER!!!!!

It's great, mine doesn't rock the car on highest setting, but maybe because my car is lowered. It seemed to wipe pretty fast to me, it was raining pretty heavy yesterday and my wiper would go faster than the guys with two behind me, it would wipe the whole windshield once in the same time it took for the two wipers to wipe his. I guess two wipers wouldn't have to work as hard though. It just looks so damn good, almost hypnotizing sometimes though, maybe that's another reason they got rid of it...

Haha, the horn is great, I thought it was wimpy and sounded girly from the inside, but the other day my girlfriend honked it to scare me and it sounded so loud and deeper than I thought.

tifosiv122

BTW, some modern Jaguars have one wiper.

Erik

KILLERHERTZ

Yeah, but they dont have the dipping feature

tifosiv122

Thats true, maybe thats the part of the wiper that was causing the vibrations or whatever.

Erik

karl k

Vibrations...dipping features...massages...

all of these should be optional extras.

Charge MB, charge!!

RJC

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$

More of the above for MBZ or less for them to spend while charging us the same.

I had 4 MBZ's with the mono design and loved it, never a chatter or problem in any rain enviorment. The mono system was designed to cover more glass area than two conventional blades, it did and did it well and I miss mine.

Chamorro

I always thought it had to do with cost cutting - and maybe from people trying to change the monoblade by themselves (it's not as easy as normal wipers)

As far as rocking the car - if it does that at the highest setting, I would think that there might be other forces rocking the car

voudou58

Dual wipers are used because they are more aerodynamically efficient. Therefore they have an effect on gas mileage. Manufacturers have to meet stricter government CAFE (Corporate average fuel economy), regulations and these minor things add up. Secondly, take a look at the shape of the dual wipers they have built in spoilers that keep them against the windshield at high speeds, helping to keep the windshield clear. Remember Germans and Europeans are blessed with autobahns where you are ticketed for driving LESS THAN 100mph in the left lane. Clear windshields help!

karl k

Good points Voudou.

PS:
...those spoilers I had on my 1950/60 BMWs models 200CS, 1600 and 2002.

How visionary those BMW Bavarians! There is a lot of wind at the higher elevations in those Bavarian Alpine regions with everestian (if there is such an adjective) elevations around the Zugspitze.