Wiper blades

[woody1]

I probably do less than 2000 miles a year but often find I'm having to replace the wiper blades to get through the MOT. Probably my own fault for buying pairs for under a tenner off eBay.

The blades on the car, when I bought it, lasted a few years. Don't know what make they were, could even have been Audi OEM I suppose.

Do brands like Bosch, Valeo last much longer?

Any recs?
Thanks

[WTFH]

Go with Bosch blades, and then make sure you turn the wipers off when it's not raining.

[northernladuk]

Problem is the lack of use so the blades end up sticking to the windshield and drying up. As soon as you use them it ruins the edge that connects with the windshield.

You could extend the life by lifting them off the window when you aren't using the car but if it's on a drive that's probably not going to look too good.

Other option is just to use a set for the MOT and take them back off again.

I use the Bosch ones as well

[woody1]

Problem is the lack of use...

Most of what goes wrong with the car (stuff corroding, perishing, sticking, seizing) is due to this. It's 18 years old but has only done 37,000 miles.

I have to keep it permanently on a trickle charger, to counteract parasitic drain, otherwise I'd be forever having to replace the battery.

[WTFH]

I have to keep it permanently on a trickle charger, to counteract the parasitic drain, otherwise I'd be forever having to replace the battery.

For the parasitic drain, have you gone round the fuse box to find out what is causing it?
Get an electric meter and measure which fuse is drawing current when he key is out of the ignition. If you're really not using the car much and don't want to spend the money fixing it, then just pull the fuse.

In Italian cars, the drain is normally caused by the radio or bluetooth module.

[woody1]

For the parasitic drain, have you gone round the fuse box to find out what is causing it?

It's been like this since I got the car, so I just assumed it was inherent. I could try and isolate it but I have more peace of mind knowing the battery is being constantly topped up. I've never had to replace it in 12 years, so it seems to be working.

[woody1]

BTW, even what is considered normal (50-85mA) could deplete a battery in a few weeks.

https://no.co/support/parasitic-battery-drain

I mostly do short journeys which also doesn't help.

[DoctorStrangelove]

One of my Corollas had a continuous drain of about half an amp, much to my delight.

The battery charger thing I built kept the battery alive for years until it finally died.

I never did find out what the problem was despite having a fuse replacement thingie that went on the multimeter probes to make the measurement easy.

[woody1]

One of my Corollas had a continuous drain of about half an amp, much to my delight.

The battery charger thing I built kept the battery alive for years until it finally died.

I never did find out what the problem was despite having a fuse replacement thingie that went on the multimeter probes to make the measurement easy.

An infrared thermometer might have found it.

[ladymuck]

I've got Bosch wipers too. The rubber does perish, especially if not used much. I was lazy and got Halfords to come out and fit mine the last time I needed them done.