Does anyone know where I can get it?

 

I'm looking for the same thing. The dealers have them, but they want $14 for a small rubber strip that will only last less than a year. Screw that.

I don't know why BMW's wiper blades are such s$#%!! Considering that they don't work and they don't last, BMW is mighty proud of them.

If anyone knows a better place, please advertise it.

I have found front refills and replacements at NAPA and elsewhere, but so far, not the rear.

Thanks.

 

Just remove the wiper.
It gives a much cleaner look and only takes about an hour to do.

You don't need to see what is behind you, just go faster.

 

Minia Mania, Minspeed, etc. They have front & rear kits. I don't know the prices, but, if you think you can get $4 blades, forget it.

 

Pelican parts. $5.75

http://www.pelicanparts.com/euro/cat..._pg1.htm#item2

 

If you are still under warranty, tell your SA the wiper is streaking the glass. Works every time.

 

For pre R56

 

THANK YOU, chpsk8!!

 

I bought the cheapest wiper I could find at Kragen (bring the wiper in just to make sure they're the same size). Pull out the rubber blade, cut it to fit, and slide it into the rear wiper arm. You may need a tiny bit of silicone glue on the end so it doesn't slide back out, but it fits perfectly!

 

You're in the 1st gen forum... pre r56.

If you have an 07, then I''m thinking your wipers are free until the maintenance contract runs out.

 

The blades for the front and rear are the same size. MINI just gets a front blade and cuts it to size and replaces the rubber blade on your rear wiper.

Some autoparts dealers sell just the rubber blade so you should be able to fit it yourself.

 

OK, here is what I did.

I bought a 24" Bosch Micro Edge blade and cut it into 2. And each fits pretty well.

 

is there a how to for this anywhere?

 

There are instructions somewhere, but it is easy just by starting in.
Pull the cap, take the nut off the wiper arm, remove inside panel, disconnect wiring, plug washer line, remove wiper motor, glue 1" plug, replace inside panel.
This is a very simple version but it is not much harder. It took me less than an hour without any directions.

 

I just received my order of the blade insert and as soon as I took it out I noticed that it didn't look anything like the stock blade. It was longer than stock and I didn't see how it was going to fit, but I spent 15 minutes trying to jam it into the wiper arm and ended up bending the cheap plastic on the replacement blade insert. I don't see any way to get it to really fit without trimming the replacement blade insert.

Anyway, I would stay away from this part and Pelican Parts. Their Website and shopping cart system are a joke, and I was leery of ordering from them, but the part was cheap, so I went ahead and gave it a try. Now I have to call them and demand a full refund since the part is obviously not anywhere close to "genuine MINI" as described. There was no MINI logo or name anywhere on the part or the packaging.

This could have been a mistake. I will update with status after I talk to them, but wanted to post this first to warn others. This was for a 2006 Cooper base model.

Here's Pelican's part # and description:
61-61-0-034-750-M26
Wiper Blade Insert for Rear Hatch, Cooper thru 06/04, Brand: Genuine MINI

[Update 1]
Geez, why did I even bother reading the forums on this topic? And why did anyone even post this question? I figured people already called the dealers. I just called two local MINI dealers and the price for just the rubber insert is $5 and $6. So people, call your MINI dealer and just get the insert. The price is reasonable and it's easy to replace. I will be more leery of what I read on these forums from now on.

Regarding Pelican Parts. I called them and apparently I got the wrong part. The guy said I should read the details to see if the part fits my car. That's baloney! I used their search feature and that's the part that came up. Why would it be my fault for ordering that part then? They need to fix their search system.

I'm trying to get a full refund for the total amount I spent to include shipping and also return shipping. I damaged one part attempting to install it, so they might not give me a refund for that. No sweat though, I'll file a complaint with my credit card company to get what's due. The guy at Pelican said that they can get the correct part, but they have to get it from the dealer and will charge me $7. Forget it! I'll get it cheaper at the dealer myself.

 

Here's Pelican's part # and description:
61-61-0-034-750-M26
Wiper Blade Insert for Rear Hatch, Cooper thru 06/04, Brand: Genuine MINI

Huh. Didn't you say your car is an '06? It says pretty clearly there that that part is for cars up to 6 of '04. Looks like you might have bought the wrong part?

You people drive $30,000 cars and you're always trying to buy your parts on the cheap, cracks me up......

How much has it cost you in time and aggravation to save less than $10? Just go buy the right blade at MINI - chances are they'll even install it for you if you make nice with the SA.

 

To MINIdave:

Yes, I have a 2006. I don't know what the "06/04" in the part name stands for. That exact part came up when I searched for parts for "Mini Cooper (2002-06)." Either their search system is messed up or they are selling a bogus product. Regardless, the description states "genuine MINI" which is not true from what I can tell. If it was genuine, I'm sure there'd be MINI logos all over the place.

BTW, this is my wife's car, and now that it's out of the free maintenance window, I have to deal with maintaining it. I personally would only lease this type of car for the period that it's covered under free maintenance. Even finding a battery for this car was a pain. The one that the independent shop put in fits, but doesn't have room for the bracket. This is not the type of car where you can just walk into AutoZone and easily find a part for.

As far as cheap parts, why would I want to pay $20 for a whole wiper arm replacement from the dealer? They are basically ripping off consumers by making such proprietary parts that you end up frustrated and buying the part from the dealer at a high markup. Another issue is waste--why do I need a whole new wiper assembly when only the bade insert needs replacement? I'm not a tree hugger, but I do consider the environment and what I can do to generate less waste.

'nuff said.

[Correction]
The dealers do sell the blade insert itself. Make sure you specify that when asking for the part. It's around $5-$6.

 

Nuff said indeed.......you want your parts cheap and that's that - whether they fit or not is not as important as whether they're cheap - got it!

You'll buy a battery that doesn't fit because it's cheaper.

You'll buy a wiper blade that doesn't fit because the dealer is ripping you off by selling you the right part - because it's more money - but it fits, and works first time..

Like I said before, what is your time and obvious aggravation worth?

My wife is the consumate shopper - she'd go to 6 different stores to buy various and sundry items, because each store had the best deal on that particular product. I pointed out that what she was spending in gasoline - let alone her time - would more than offset the money she's saving.....

She still shops for bargains, but she doesn't drive all over town to get them anymore.

BTW, I don't think you have to buy the entire wiper arm from your dealer, they've changed just the rubber blades on my car before - but if what you meant was the blade holder - not the arm - well those wear out over time too. Replacing the entire blade not only ensures that it will fit, it also ensures that it will wipe correctly, which is all the customer really wants - a clean window!

What the "thru 06/04" means is the part will fit cars built thru June of 2004 production, if you look on the driver's door jamb you'll see a sticker that indicates when your car was born, you should note that information for future reference as it affects the parts and service settings for your car. Just FYI.

 

Wow. I had no idea there was so much to talk about with wipers.

I guess I am naive ...I just went into my local parts shop, bought Bosch blades (with arms) for $18 each and called it a day.

By the way ...best wipers I've ever owned.

Dean.

 

Oh, yeah, the front ones are easy. It's the rear one that's hard to find at the local parts shop.

 

If you're a MINI enthusiast and actually bought the car yourself then I completely agree with your viewpoint. MINI is a niche car and anyone who buys it should be willing to spend extra to maintain it. As I mentioned, this is my wife's car, purchased before I even met her. Maintenance wasn't a concern for the first 3 years, so neither of us had to bother with anything other than dropping the car off at the dealer. Now just about everything has to be custom ordered (unless I go to the dealer).

It's not about being cheap. It's the principle behind it. I don't want to get locked in to going to the dealer for everything. I have the same philosophy regarding Apple products, but that's a whole other discussion.

As for the battery, the shop put it in and only after I got it back and looked over everything did I notice the bracket missing. The shop said I could exchange the battery for an actual OEM one that will fit the bracket, but I didn't want to bother taking the car back again. They probably didn't even know that the bracket wouldn't fit. It's just one of those things where the computer says X part will fit and then you install it and realize the bracket or whatever can't be used now. That's one of the most frustrating things--some authority tells you something will fit and then you get it and it actually doesn't completely fit.

Anyway, about Pelican, after talking their ear off, they are going to give me a complete refund, including shipping costs. And they don't even want me to send the parts back. So I spent a lot of time to get $15.50 back, but I felt that I stood up for the consumers out there who deal with bad info from the merchants.

You are correct about not having to buy the entire wiper holder or whatever it's called. I edited one of my previous comments to note that. I had seen that mentioned in other posts and accepted that as the truth. Again, I cannot trust anything on these forums anymore and will call the dealer first next time.

Thanks for the info on the "06/04" part. I figured it meant something like that, but I went with whatever Pelican listed as fitting my car. No consumer should have to waste time double-checking the part before ordering it. By giving me a full refund, they are agreeing with me to some degree. Or maybe I just pestered them so much they didn't want to bother with me anymore

 

You spent $15.50 on a part that costs $14 from the dealer?

OK......

No consumer should have to waste time double-checking the part before ordering it.

I think I understand what you meant here, but if you're gonna order online, you're gonna hafta check it at least twice, there's so much room for error and confusion when you don't have the two parts right there in your hands to compare.

I also see where you're coming from on ownership, but since it's not your car and you want it to be as good as it can be for reliability and safety for your new bride, seems to me the money spent at the dealer would be worth the peace of mind - that's me speaking as a husband and a father, not just an owner/enthusiast. But, again, different strokes.....

I'm not just standing up for the dealer here, but for all those people who feel they just hafta get a deal no matter what, and that the dealer will rip them off at every turn. I'd like to say two things to that...

First, the cheapest price is not always the best deal.

Second, no they don't. sometimes dealer prices are even cheaper than the aftermarket - also there is a 2 year warranty on all MINI parts bought from the dealer - does any aftermarket source match that - on everything they sell?

So, just temper your thoughts with facts, that's all I ask.

 

I learned my lesson and I'll repeat it: call the dealer first. The person who started this thread should have done that. Anyway, the $15.50 was because I bought two blade inserts @ $5 each plus $5.50 for shipping. Now that I know that the local dealer has the real ones for $5, I can see what a waste of money that was. That's what I get for reading stuff online and not calling the dealer to get the facts! Everyone repeat: call the dealer first.

 

The insert was $4 from my dealer who is notoriously expensive for everything - I was shocked - it must be the cheapest part in the place...

 

It's unwise to pay too much,
But it's worse to pay too little.
When you pay too much
you lose a little - that is all.
But when you pay too little
you sometimes lose everything,
because the thing you bought was incapable
of doing the things it was bought to do.

Dean.