I've been looking everywhere for a replacement for the rear wiper on my xA. I really need a winter wiper, because I live in AK and it gets too cold for the standard rubber to be effective. I haven't been able to find anything but the stock replacement at the dealer. Can someone help point me in the right direction?

I would be interested in a winter wiper for the rear also.

Have you taken the measurement (over-all length) and just gone into a Wal-Mart to see what they have?

I went to the dealership, because I couldn't find the measurement in either the owner's manual or the books that they provide at auto parts stores (yes, I looked at Wal Mart as well). The dealership told me that the blade is 11 7/8 inches in length, but that a 12 inch blade should do the proverbial trick.

All you really have to do is measure the length of the blade. If it measures 11 7/8 ", it sounds like it is a 12" blade. Doesn't Wal-Mart have any 12" winter blades?

Surprisingly, no. I have been looking at both auto parts stores, Wal-Mart, and every online source that I can think of, and the smallest I have found is 13 inches. Hasn't anyone else run into this yet?

get the 13 and cut it down to size. nothin a tin snip can't fix.

^^^^^^ what he said ^^^^^^^

THey are just wiper inserts made or rubber, not specially enginnered pieces. I wouldn't even bother wasting my time lookin.

get the 13 and cut it down to size. nothin a tin snip can't fix.

doesn't that cut the part that holds the insert in place? haven't replace the rear but i did the fronts and on the ends of the inserts it has a groove so the inserts doesn't go doesn't move out of place during operation. i could be wrong but just curious :?:

Don't cut it if you don't have to. My friend cut his for his hatch and it ruined the mechanism.... try and find a 12", i'm sure someone has it?

We're talkin about wiper INSERTS, right, not the whole blade. . .

yeah i assumed inserts

There are two ways to replace a wiper. You can buy a new arm with the blade preinstalled (that's what I usually do), or you can buy just the rubber blade inserts. What hotbox05 is talking about it is just the rubber insert.

I don't think you can replace the arm on our rear wiper. . . can you? I thought we could replace the insert.

with our cars its just an insert or the whole arm that can be replaced. go check out yer wiper arm i no lie

wow! Crazy. . . I've never bothered with replacing an entire arm. . . just the insert alone is fine enough for me.

When I say, "replace the arm", I'm not talking about the steel arm that's attached to the car. I'm talking about the plastic arm that holds the rubber blade. That entire part just snaps off of the steel arm. It's a much easier way to do it, and I always get better results. Anytime I've tried to replace just the rubber blade, it's a hassle and they don't always stay in place right.

Replace this:
http://www.autopartsworld.com/images/replacement/P7030-20089_bosch_wiper-blade.jpg

Istead of just this:
http://www.autopartsworld.com/images/replacement/P7042-27533_bosch_wiper-blade-insert.jpg