# Wiper blades in Spain



## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

Does anyone know where I can get a set of wiper blades for our Ducato near Aguilas here in Spain? Like an idiot I never checked um before we left and now the driver's one is breaking up. :crying:


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## powerplus (Oct 6, 2014)

hi try a chinese shop
cheap and will last for a while

barry


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Yep. El Bazar Chino. Most towns have at least one.


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## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

The Chinese shop down the A7 in Campo Hermoso, (go one mile south out of town from centre towards San Isidoro), next to Maxi Dia supermarket has a range of long wipers at €3.50 each. 

Put them on our A Class last year but they were only effective for 6 months before they left unwiped spots. There were plenty in stock when I was in last week.

Norman


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## mgdavid (Nov 27, 2014)

As you have i'net access, have you tried google?

Fiat commercial dealer in Cartagena just down the road.
MOTOR CARTAGENA, S.L.CALLE SANTA FLORENTINA, 1 (LOS BARREROS) - 30310 CARTAGENA
tel.: 968536153
tel.: 968536151


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Motoring department in any supermarket


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## chilly (Apr 20, 2007)

Petrol station :dontknow:


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

Just like in the UK: For decent ones, go to absolutely any large supermarket (just look in the car bits aisle), or any fuel station, or any vehicle spares shop. 
The Chinese shops also do them but they are utter pants usually.

If asked for what you want, it's "limpia parabrisas" in Spanish (roughly:cleaner of the windscreen)


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Not a lot of help to the OP, but may be good advice to pass on to other readers of this thread.

On another thread about wiper blades and the difficulty of obtaining them, especially if for large 'A' Class windscreens, it was suggested that one obtained a spare set somewhere at a reasonable price to avoid having to drive around in the rain without a working wiper to search for a new one.

I took the advice, but because of the size of our screen it was only possible to obtain the spare set from a supplier for commercial(truck) vehicles. Not a bad thing because that can be cheaper for the same quality. The last place I would go would be to a MH Agent of a manufacturer - and wait weeks, instead of off-the-shelf.

Just my take on how to be a 'boy scout' MHomer.

Geoff


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## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

I got caught out with wiper blades failing just as we arrived in France a couple of years ago (Ducato X250). No problem I thought - just call in at a Fiat, Citroen or Peugeot dealer. As it happened Citroen was the first we passed - very helpful and quickly produced a set. I said 'would you be kind enough to fit them for me' - 'sure', was the answer. However, a puzzled mechanic struggled for 5 or 10 minutes and then declared they wouldn't fit!!

It turns out, the fittings are 'handed' left and right, presumably so you can't accidentally fit the wrong size blade on the wrong side of the screen (given the blades are different lengths).

Needless to say - and perhaps understandably - the dealer only carried stock for left-hand drive vehicles - doh!

Anyway, to keep us going in some very wet weather driving to the south of France I wrapped a small piece of duct tap around each end of the wiper, where the rubber had perished and split. Surprisingly, it held out for the whole four-week holiday and I didn't waste any more precious time trying to find a right-hand drive replacement.

When we got home I bought a pair of new wiper blades cheaply on eBay and fitted them without any problem. Surprisingly, they lasted longer than the original ones and did not need changing again.

Needless to say, it was a lesson learnt, however. 

Mike


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

A Chino would most probably only have rubbers, refills as they're referred to not complete blade assemblies. Refills at just a few Euro would get you home and last several months. I've fitted rubber refills bought that way to our A Class Frankia and they were fine.


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi

Like Mikebeaches we recently had a wiper failure and managed a diy fix ....

Over the wet Christmas holiday ( when everywhere around here was closed) the drivers side blade on the car decided to start breaking up...the fine strip of rubber that actually cleans the screen had weakened at the thin connection to the main blade and had come apart in two places....so the screen was not wiping clean.

A squirt of superglue kept it attached until the local motor factors reopened and I could buy new blades. Ok not ideal but it worked for me.:wink2:


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## JIMY (Feb 24, 2011)

Can anyone confirm that blades are "handed"? We had a new screen fitted in France a few weeks ago and a new set of blades were provided free. They said they didn't fit them because ours were so new. Now I wonder!
Jim


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## mgdavid (Nov 27, 2014)

mikebeaches said:


> I got caught out with wiper blades failing just as we arrived in France a couple of years ago (Ducato X250). No problem I thought - just call in at a Fiat, Citroen or Peugeot dealer. As it happened Citroen was the first we passed - very helpful and quickly produced a set. I said 'would you be kind enough to fit them for me' - 'sure', was the answer. However, a puzzled mechanic struggled for 5 or 10 minutes and then declared they wouldn't fit!!
> 
> It turns out, the fittings are 'handed' left and right, presumably so you can't accidentally fit the wrong size blade on the wrong side of the screen (given the blades are different lengths).
> 
> ...


Very good point for most Brits Mike - one that doesn't affect me as my MH is LHD


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## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

JIMY said:


> Can anyone confirm that blades are "handed"? We had a new screen fitted in France a few weeks ago and a new set of blades were provided free. They said they didn't fit them because ours were so new. Now I wonder!
> Jim


They certainly were on my van - I later checked for myself, following the visit to the Citroen dealer.

I was rather smug with myself, after the event, for asking them to fit the new wipers. Otherwise I'd have purchased them and only discovered the problem subsequently. The good folk at the garage were kind enough not to charge me for their trouble, although I insisted on giving the mechanic a modest tip.

Mike


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## JIMY (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks Mike. Anyone got a lefthand drive van for sale with worn out wiper blades? Sorry op I hijack your thread 
Jim


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

mikebeaches said:


> I got caught out with wiper blades failing just as we arrived in France a couple of years ago (Ducato X250). No problem I thought - just call in at a Fiat, Citroen or Peugeot dealer. As it happened Citroen was the first we passed - very helpful and quickly produced a set. I said 'would you be kind enough to fit them for me' - 'sure', was the answer. However, a puzzled mechanic struggled for 5 or 10 minutes and then declared they wouldn't fit!!
> 
> It turns out, the fittings are 'handed' left and right, presumably so you can't accidentally fit the wrong size blade on the wrong side of the screen (given the blades are different lengths).
> 
> ...


I did wonder if the blades were handed as the drivers one is 26" and the passenger one 22", the annoying thing is a dealer on Amazon has them in stock but won't post um out to Spain.
I will take a look in the many Chinese super markets locally and if that fails I may go down the super glue route.

Thanks for the replies all. :smile2:


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## DJP (May 9, 2005)

I needed a drivers side blade so picked one up at Alcampo. Looked in the Spanish application book, found Ducato, found nearside as it would be in Europe and made purchase, only to find nearside in Europe is the same as nearside in UK even though the picture in the application list showed it as a UK offside. So care is needed as well as sizes


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

mikebeaches said:


> However, a puzzled mechanic struggled for 5 or 10 minutes and then declared they wouldn't fit!!
> It turns out, the fittings are 'handed' left and right, presumably so you can't accidentally fit the wrong size blade on the wrong side of the screen (given the blades are different lengths).
> Needless to say - and perhaps understandably - the dealer only carried stock for left-hand drive vehicles - doh!
> Mike


Your fittings must be different to mine then Mike because I bought some in Portugal last year and they just clip in. I have never known any blades to be 'handed' for left or right hand drive vehicles.

Interestingly the wiper blades were made by Trico in Wales.

JohnW


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## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

Wizzo said:


> Your fittings must be different to mine then Mike because I bought some in Portugal last year and they just clip in. I have never known any blades to be 'handed' for left or right hand drive vehicles.
> 
> Interestingly the wiper blades were made by Trico in Wales.
> 
> JohnW


I'd never come across 'handed' wiper blades before either John - which was why it was such a surprise.

Is your van a Sevel X250?

I suspect, but don't know for sure, that the Trico wiper blades would not be an original Fiat/Citroen/Peugeot fit/part?

It could be that the fittings on 'universal' wiper blades are designed so they can overcome the problem?

I traded the van in in October, so don't have it any longer, and it's almost 3 years since the episode. But I can clearly remember that on close scrutiny there was some sort of VERY SMALL design feature that prevented the left and right-hand blades being mixed up.

Mine was a Fiat Ducato 2010 model, if that makes any difference.

Cheers, Mike


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

Success! Got a new blade from a Chinese Supermarket near here yesterday and as an added bonus the rubber part is florescent green!? Actually the cost was only 4.50 Euros so as long as it last as long as our return in March I think I will be on a winner. :grin2:


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

mikebeaches said:


> It could be that the fittings on 'universal' wiper blades are designed so they can overcome the problem?
> Cheers, Mike


Hi Mike,

Mine is a 2009 X250. The blades are not handed, they just have a clip fitting that slots into place when replaced. It would not matter which way around the wipers were, left or right hand drive, they would fit either way. I used to sell wiper blades for a living and have never come across blades or fittings that were different for left or right hand drive cars. There is no difference in the fitment either for the short or long blade.

If they have started to make them 'handed' then it would seem to be a retrograde step.

JohnW


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## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

Wizzo said:


> Hi Mike,
> 
> Mine is a 2009 X250. The blades are not handed, they just have a clip fitting that slots into place when replaced. It would not matter which way around the wipers were, left or right hand drive, they would fit either way. I used to sell wiper blades for a living and have never come across blades or fittings that were different for left or right hand drive cars. There is no difference in the fitment either for the short or long blade.
> 
> ...


As I said, it was a new one on me too. Certainly inconvenient.

I've got a new Ducato X290 PVC on order for delivery in late May, so I'll have to check on that to see if the wipers are interchangeable from a fittings perspective (I know the blades are different lengths).

Cheers, Mike


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