OK - I realize I'm driving a highly-engineered and quality-crafted automobile with the Roundel on the trunk and hood. I understand that driving this type of motorized transportation called BMW means I'm going to have to part with a good chunk of my hard-earned dough once in a while to keep 'er running at tip-top shape. But... I went to the local stealer to pick up a couple of wiper blades (you know...those cheap rubber items that squeegee your windshield clean during a rain/snow event..those things you should be able to pick up at your local Pep Boys for no more than 20 bucks). The really nice tech at the express service window even offered to put them on my car for me, "just go buy them at the parts dept. and come back - and I'll hook you up" was his reply. I thought "cool, these guys are OK!"... And then... I go to the parts window and ask the man for a set of wiper blades for an '06 330i. He comes back and tells me $75 bucks. 75 BUCKS?? For WIPER BLADES???? It's MADNESS I tell you...MADNESS!!!! There was no way on this earth I was paying $75 bucks for wiper blades. None. I'll hang my hand out the window and clean the windshield manually before I'd do that. $75 for wiper blades??? Seriously?? What kind of world are we living in?
http://www.bmwcca.org/forum/index.php?threads/e92-wiper-blade-inserts-335is.9220/ An update to the method of disassembly - perhaps the easiest and least danger-of-stabbing-yourself way is simply use some slip-joint or channel-lock pliers to compress the edge strips enough to then free the center and 1 end clip. Don't cut the insert too short. So far so good for me, but I haven't had the car in a rainstorm or anything needing to run the wipers for any length of time - but, if I thought it won't work, I wouldn't have tried it. I expect virtually everything for recent-vintage bimmers (say about '05-'06 on) to be substantially more expensive than earlier models, unfortunately - parts, maintenance, etc.
The factory replacement blades are also avalible on Amazon. They list for $65 but are on sale for $45. If you are a Prime member they ship for free. http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-3397007...TF8&colid=22TBD02ZCYMDZ&coliid=I14YEXK60DSGRO
