Model S windshield wiper upgrade!

[Bill Price]

Appologies, I bought the PIAA, not the Bosch. (Model numbers in the attached)

After doing MUCH research, I found that the one recommended by Bosch for the driver's side model S is the 28AOE. An earlier post claimed the only difference between the AOE and OE is extra parts. Not so. Besides having the spoiler that is specifically designed for the air flow on the left side location. The "AOE" is Bosch's "ClearMax 365" rubber compound which combines a soft rubber core with a powder coated shell which:

Protects the wiping edge from ozone deterioration, snow, sleet, rain and road debris for longer life.
Reduces wiper friction for quieter performance.
Resists contaminants such as fluid, salts, insects and other road debris for streak free visibility.
ClearMax 365 boasts superior performance at all speeds due to the asymmetrical spoiler which maintains consistent blade contact with the windshield.

The ClearMax 365 (28AOE) comes in a black box as opposed to the regular ICON series (28OE) which comes in a blue box.

The correct wiper for the right side (passenger) is 18OE.

If you try this combination, I guarantee you will never use another combination on your model S.

 

[headcase]

Great third party review of best blades here. After reading, I can see why its often a toss up between the Bosch ICON and the PIAA. I like the fact that the PIAA is silicone rubber, and willing to pay the premium price. In terms of maximizing value, here's a useful tip I came across to double the useful lifespan of the PIAA blades:

"Pro tip for those that have the piaa blades. Had these on the lexus 2 Years now, and they started getting just a little streaky. Took the original blades out of the tracks and reinserted them backwards... essentially swapping which side of the blade refill swipes the windshield first. Works like brand new as the leading edge had worn down a bit from road grime, dirt, etc. I just doubled the life of these blades. You’re welcome and I highly suggest you try it, just be careful removing the insert from the blade holder track."

 

[Oldschool496]

The autowipers are too aggressive for me.

Agreed, they get real aggressive almost for no reason, forgetting though there is a setting for autowipers perhaps Mr Robinson above does not know that?

 

[Mike Robinson]

Agreed, they get real aggressive almost for no reason, forgetting though there is a setting for autowipers perhaps Mr Robinson above does not know that?

I do know that. I thought that was related to "rain sensing". My complaint is that when I turn the wipers on to the"intermittent" setting, the wipers go full speed, not intermittently.

 

[Raechris]

I do know that. I thought that was related to "rain sensing". My complaint is that when I turn the wipers on to the"intermittent" setting, the wipers go full speed, not intermittently.

Yes annoying but if you let them do their thing for two minutes they slow down to intermittent or have them on before the rain starts

 

[Mike Robinson]

Yes annoying but if you let them do their thing for two minutes they slow down to intermittent or have them on before the rain starts

OK, I'll try that

 

[jerry33]

I do know that. I thought that was related to "rain sensing". My complaint is that when I turn the wipers on to the"intermittent" setting, the wipers go full speed, not intermittently.

That is weird. Mine never do that (I only use the first intermittent setting). They do go full speed when it's raining very hard, but not otherwise.

 

[Mike Robinson]

That is weird. Mine never do that (I only use the first intermittent setting). They do go full speed when it's raining very hard, but not otherwise.

Hmmmm, perhaps I need to experiment more . . . .

 

[David29]

That is weird. Mine never do that (I only use the first intermittent setting). They do go full speed when it's raining very hard, but not otherwise.

Mine, too. Overall, I am fairly happy with the wiper operation on my 2015 car. I know they are imperfect but most of the time i find them satisfactory.
Or, maybe I am just used to their quirks!

One side comment -- I am pleased that the Tesla automatic wipers work as they do, in one specific way: If you get out of the car with the wipers set to one of the Auto positions, getting back into the car later does not cause the wiper to make an initial sweep. Which is good if you have been driving in light rain (or snow), and it then stops but you forget to turn off the wipers. This avoids wipers making a sweep across dry glass.
In my previous car with auto wipers, a Mercedes, the wipers would make an initial sweep when the ignition was turned on, if you left the switch in the Auto position. So the Tesla approach is a definite improvement.

 

[jerry33]

One side comment -- I am pleased that the Tesla automatic wipers work as they do, in one specific way: If you get out of the car with the wipers set to one of the Auto positions, getting back into the car later does not cause the wiper to make an initial sweep. Which is good if you have been driving in light rain (or snow), and it then stops but you forget to turn off the wipers. This avoids wipers making a sweep across dry glass.
In my previous car with auto wipers, a Mercedes, the wipers would make an initial sweep when the ignition was turned on, if you left the switch in the Auto position. So the Tesla approach is a definite improvement.

This was not always the case. Originally, if they were on and the door was opened, the wiper would do an initial sweep. This dumped rain and snow on a bunch of people. It was fixed in a later upgrade.

 

[Mike Robinson]

OK, so I'm gathering from these comments that I should leave the wiper setting on the stalk to the first setting all the time. On that setting the wipers should only operate when there is water on the windshield, and they should run fast or slow according to the amount of rain.

Is that correct?

 

[jerry33]

OK, so I'm gathering from these comments that I should leave the wiper setting on the stalk to the first setting all the time. On that setting the wipers should only operate when there is water on the windshield, and they should run fast or slow according to the amount of rain.

Is that correct?

That is how mine work. If yours doesn't work that way, contact service.

 

[Bill Price]

OK, so I'm gathering from these comments that I should leave the wiper setting on the stalk to the first setting all the time. On that setting the wipers should only operate when there is water on the windshield, and they should run fast or slow according to the amount of rain.

Is that correct?

Correctomundo...........with one caveat........turn 'em off when going through the car wash and back on after wiping the car down.

 

[David29]

OK, so I'm gathering from these comments that I should leave the wiper setting on the stalk to the first setting all the time. On that setting the wipers should only operate when there is water on the windshield, and they should run fast or slow according to the amount of rain.

Is that correct?

Well, correct, but I do not see much value in leaving them switched on all the time.

 

[jerry33]

Well, correct, but I do not see much value in leaving them switched on all the time.

Mostly because they're intermittent, I forget to turn them off.

 

[Oldschool496]

OK, so I'm gathering from these comments that I should leave the wiper setting on the stalk to the first setting all the time. On that setting the wipers should only operate when there is water on the windshield, and they should run fast or slow according to the amount of rain.

Is that correct?

Like the headlights auto on at dusk, I leave mine on the first setting. When and if it ever starts raining, they come on automatically. Be ready on occasion if the sensor picks something up, they will do one or more swipes in perfectly dry weather. Everybody learns something new everyday. Perfectly normal.

Being from the south that could be many times in many parts of one drive in 20 minutes or another day altogether. Others from drier parts of the country don't see the point of leaving them on the first setting because they can tell when it will rain in 3 days or 5 weeks from now some much longer.

 

[dgpcolorado]

I prefer to leave mine on the more sensitive of the two intermittent settings. If it doesn't wipe as soon as I'd like in misting conditions I'll use the single wipe button. I'm quite pleased with my Model S wiper settings and am glad I don't have to fuss with the Model 3 screen stuff. However, I have the old style sensor so it might be different with the newer cars that use a camera — I recall reading that Tesla had issues getting the auto wipers to work properly using the camera.

 

[mb300sd]

Great third party review of best blades here. After reading, I can see why its often a toss up between the Bosch ICON and the PIAA. I like the fact that the PIAA is silicone rubber, and willing to pay the premium price. In terms of maximizing value, here's a useful tip I came across to double the useful lifespan of the PIAA blades:

"Pro tip for those that have the piaa blades. Had these on the lexus 2 Years now, and they started getting just a little streaky. Took the original blades out of the tracks and reinserted them backwards... essentially swapping which side of the blade refill swipes the windshield first. Works like brand new as the leading edge had worn down a bit from road grime, dirt, etc. I just doubled the life of these blades. You’re welcome and I highly suggest you try it, just be careful removing the insert from the blade holder track."

PIAA sells the silicone rubber part alone as well. Pretty cheap compared to buying whole wipers.

 

[headcase]

As a follow up to my earlier post, I've been testing both the PIAA and Bosch Icon blades on my Model S for the last month. As already stated, the advantage of the PIAA blades is the silicone rubber lasts at least 2x longer than traditional rubber blades, and the silicone compound promotes water beading.

However, after testing both the PIAA and Bosch Icons, I ended up keeping the Icons on the car. In terms of keeping water off the windshield, they both were excellent for me. So why did I keep the Icons? This was primarily because the PIAA blades were louder when in use. As an EV owner, any noise is noticeable, and the unlike the PIAA blades, the Icons were almost whisper quiet for me. That is one attribute of the PIAA blades that all other reviews I've encountered on the internet have failed to mention. PIAA being the pricier of the two, I'll mention that cost didn't play a factor in my decision.

As for sizes, the 28" for driver side and 18" for passenger side are the proper fit. Some here in the past have said that a 19" blade will fit, so I tested that as well. Unfortunately, 19" won't allow the blade to completely settle in the down position when the wipers are off.

When comparing the Bosch replacement blades already on my car from my most recent Tesla service with the Bosch Icon blades from the auto parts store, I couldn't find or see any difference even after tearing them down into their components. That leads to be believe that either Tesla is now using Bosch Icons for replacement after all the past owner complaints of chattering, or at least my service center here in Raleigh is using them.

One other clarifying point that might help others: based on my research, there is no difference between Bosch Icon "28AOE" and "28OE" blades. All current packaging and coding I've come across currently reflects all Bosch Icon blades use their "ClearMax 365" compound. As long as you are using their Bosch Icon OE blades in 28" and 18" lengths (28AOE / 28OE and 18OE), you should have the latest / greatest that fits your Model S. What you want to avoid purchasing, is the "A" or "B" blades (eg. "28A", "18B"), as those are for the older style hook wipe arms, which aren't what we have on Teslas.

 

[Vinc]

Anybody has any insights regarding heat resistance? Here in SoCal, it is the sun that kills the blades. It looks like the PIAA might get the upper hand there, not being regular rubber?