Wiper blades
Please can you help identify the correct Bosch flat wiper blade set for my 2012 Corsa D VX 1.3 CDTI? Less than a year ago, I tried to get a set of Bosch front wiper blades for my Corsa and ordered a supposedly correct set of 26in and 16in blades from a factor. They included various fittings for the arm, but nothing matched the vehicle. After a long phone call, we agreed I should return and they eventually came up with the only alternative with the correct fitting, a Valeo set VM 427 – please see the photo and note the pointed-style clip. Unfortunately, the Valeo product has been a big disappointment.
I have used Bosch blades on numerous other cars over the years and believe them to be the best for durability and overall performance. The Valeo blades have never given a good clear screen, tend to be noisy/patchy in light rain and now, after only 10 months and less than 5000 miles, they jump and scrawk noisily across the screen. The wiper arm angles are correctly set, the screen has been thoroughly cleaned and there is no play in the wiper mechanism. The wiper arms are factory-fitted – I’ve checked other Corsas – so this is a perfectly standard car.
Incidentally, the rear wiper was renewed at the same time as the front set, using a Bosch blade. The rear screen catches lots of muck on any hatchback, but the Bosch blade clears it without any trouble.
Also, the old original set of front blades from before the Valeos was still in the garage. I tried these out of curiosity and, although worn, they glided across the screen without any jumping or noise. Sadly, the part number is illegible. Stuart King There is a range of Bosch wiper blades which are listed as fitting your vehicle and, to confuse matters further, there is also a range of Bosch blades which cross-refer with the Valeo part number VM 427. The genuine Vauxhall part numbers are 93194637 and 93194636, and the price of genuine blades is around £50.
From the listings I have, the correct Bosch blades should be AP26U and AP16U for 26in and 16in blades. At this website http://bit.ly/2rizysw they cost £28.36 including postage. These should be used with the adapter 2B. I have not used this website personally, so this is only a suggestion and not a recommendation.
You do not mention the part number that was supplied to you, but if it is the same as the number I have just given, it must be considered that possibly an adapter was missing or faulty with the set you received. This is not unheard of!