Monday, May 5, 2014

New Wiper Arms and PIAA Aero Vogue Silicone Windscreen Wipers

Decided on new replacements for my windscreen wiper arms as the current ones were beginning to look a bit jaded aesthetically thought function wise still perfect. Why not repaint or powder coat some might ask? Well, a brand new set from TCEAS cost less than RM 88 so I don't see the point of repainting unless you want to save a couple tens of ringgit. Picture below of the old arm on passenger side.I have already touched up the faded section with a paint pen once but it doesn't last. Wiper and arms are always exposed to the elements and lead a hard life.

Wiper is a Bosch Aerotwin which is the best wiper I've used to-date. Best to me means less noise and still wipes the windscreen clean after a year or more of use. The Aerotwin I used lasted me more than 2 years. Picture below of the new wiper arms.

The part numbers. The reason the labels stated "Tan Chong" instead of "Nissan" is probably because the arms are made in Bolehland.

For this round I've decided to try some PIAA silicone wipers which Bro Mugil highly recommends after using on the SP. I was initially looking for the Forza Hybrid  or Vera which is PIAA's top range wiper but could not find any available anywhere in Penang. Only managed to find the next best wiper in PIAA's range which is the Aero Vogue in Neuton so bought a pair for RM190. Pix below of the Aero Vogue.

Close up of the aero cover.

Part numbers below. Remember, N16s use 16" (driver) and 12" (passenger) wipers.

PIAA claims the Aero Vogue is a hybrid type wiper. To me it just looks like a conventional wiper with an aerodynamic fairing/cover. The aero cover per PIAA reduces chatter and lift at high speed. If you have ever used wipers long term @ speeds in excess of 120km/h you'll know what lift means. The lift reduces the wiping efficiency of your wipers rendering some wipers practically ineffective at high speeds. The new aero cover features "Pass Through" technology (some holes/slots on the cover. Sounds simple but the trick is the position, size and shape of the slots) which greatly reduces blade chatter and lift at high speeds. PIAA also claims it's silicone technology reduces surface tension causing water to repel from the windscreen for streak free and quiet operation.

Installation of the arms including testing took bout 15-20 min. Removal of the old arms took longer than the install. PIAA provides clear diagrams on the wiper packaging for an idiot proof installation.

Like many other JDM parts nowadays the PIAAs are fully or partly made in you know where..

Picture of the new arms and PIAA wipers installed.

The aero "Pass Through" tech slots.

The PIAA have quietly gone about doing an excellent job so far but I've yet to test it's high speed effectiveness. Whether or not they last as long as the Bosch Aero Twins also remains to be seen. I'll report in due time.

4 comments:

Alex Zheng said...

Hi Andrew, any additional thoughts on the Aero Vogue wipers? I imagine you've had an opportunity to test them at speed?

llsaw said...

Alex,

It works as well as any decent windscreen wiper.

Unknown said...

hi andrew,
is it better than your previous Bosch Aerotwin?..do you think this PIAA aero vogue worth its price?

Unknown said...

hi andrew,

does it perform better than your previous Bosch Aerotwin?..do you think this aero vogue worth its price?