How to change wiper blades?

[MerchantOfVenice]

Dear friends,

 

I bought some original wiper arms for my LS400.

How do you change these? Doesnt seem straight forward at all...

Any help appreciated!

 

[Las Palmas]

Changed mine last week and on the box to the wiper blade there was instruction. Do not know if LS , IS , CT are the same, but suppose so. On CT it is the old fashioned and used on most cars U type.

 

https://www.ezwipers.com/wipers/Lexus/LS460/2008/change

 

[Howplum]

Move the wiper switch down one click. Turn on the ignition and when the blades are vertical turn the ignition off. Lift the arms away from the windscreen as far as the bonnet will allow. The blade assemblies should slide downwards, although might need persuading if they have been on a long time. The driver's side needs tipping towards the windscreen slightly to clear the hook on the arm.

[steve2006]

Also put a folded towel or thick piece of cardboard under the blades once in the vertical position and lower arms gently onto once removed.

Driver’s side is the worst having the additional side arm, many fleabay  “Fits LS400” blades don’t without modification.

[Howplum]

I bought my wiper blades from here:

https://www.wiperblades.co.uk/

Be aware that they are different sizes, one being 22" and the other 16". They fitted and work well, all for £15 in March 2020. 

[hockeyedwards]

On 6/15/2021 at 9:23 AM, MerchantOfVenice said:

wiper arms

The replies all refer to the wiper blades themselves, thought it might be worth a check, do you mean wiper blades (things that clear your windscreen) or the metal arms that come from scuttle and the blades attach to? 🙂

[Howplum]

Good point! I removed my wiper arms last year to repaint them and I don't remember it being too difficult, just a bit unusual because of the pantograph arrangement on the driver's side. 

I await clarification before jumping in again!

[hockeyedwards]

5 hours ago, Howplum said:

Good point! I removed my wiper arms last year to repaint them and I don't remember it being too difficult, just a bit unusual because of the pantograph arrangement on the driver's side. 

I await clarification before jumping in again!

Mine are on the never-ending to-do list, but they function despite looking tatty so not of concern... yet! 😆

[rich1068]

12 hours ago, hockeyedwards said:

Mine are on the never-ending to-do list, but they function despite looking tatty so not of concern... yet! 😆

Same. I've wondered if there's some tricky way of getting the LS400 wiper arms to stand up on there own and meant to ask here but there really isn't is there?

[rodathome]

Need to change wiper blades for MOT on my LS600h. (Right Hand Drive)

The instructions on the box and online all have pictures that are nothing like my wiper arms (they have a hole in the side), mine don't. The drivers' side is so long that I can't raise the wiper arm to get at it without raising the bonnet (hood). Nowhere does it say I should need to open the bonnet to change wiper blades.

Put simply, everything I've found on line says to pull up a little clip, but neither side of mine seem to have such a clip, so I can't get the old ones off.

Anyone able to point me to a video that shows how to do it ? Two hours so far !!

[steve2006]

The picture should help, the wiper arms have a U shaped fitting at the ends so if you push the blade in the direction of the arrow this will disengage the arm from the blade. Then lift the arm up slightly to fully disengage.

As I have already mentioned put a towel between the blade and windscreen, if you let go of the spring loaded arm it could break the screen. Once detached lower the arm slowly onto the towel.

[BigBoomer]

Some blades have a clip down cover that covers the U shaped tip of the arm and you do need to lift the cover before you can slide the blade off the arm.
It does require a fair bit of force to get the blade out of the U which is why Steve suggested to put a towel under the blade to protect the windscreen BEFORE you remove the blade.
The 460/600 and the 430 have wipers that hide behind the bonnet when not in use for better aerodynamics, and that does make them harder to change due to not being able to raise them fully.

[BMCWP]

When changing blades, I generally play a bit of a game with the ignition, switch the car on use a bit of screenwash and run the wipers, when they are about 1/4 to half way up the screen switch the ignition off and they should stay there (unless the 460 has autopark!) makes it a lot easier to change them 🙂 I have to order another drivers one (that will make 4 in as many years) as for some reason every single one manages to get a bit of damage right in my line of sight 😕 first one was of all things an acorn, 2nd was something a bird dropped, 3rd was a tiny defect I did not spot that just got worse so 4th time lucky? Lucky enough it was just the wiper rubber that was damaged and not the screen. 

[steve2006]

Yep good point there regarding positioning of the blades, thinking back I did the same.