Automotive News by Autobulbs Direct Ltd » Wiper Blade News

New Chevrolet Captiva LTZ with automatic wiper blades launched

Autobulbs Direct — Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Tom Benjamin

Chevrolet has launched a new version of the Captiva – the LTZ, which has automatic wiper blades and car headlight bulbs.

The manual version of the LTZ is available for £27,305 and the automatic can be bought for £28,630, which makes it almost £20,000 cheaper than an entry-level BMW X5 or Range Rover Sport.

Standard features of the vehicle include climate control, cruise control, an electrically-adjustable drivers seat and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The vehicles front car lights turn on automatically when visibility is reduced and its wiper blades switch on when rain is sensed on the windscreen.

It also boasts privacy glass, electrically-folding door mirrors, a reverse-parking camera and a touch-screen satellite navigation unit with seven-inch display.

Both the manual and automatic options are powered by a 150PS 2.0-litre VCDi engine.

Back in February, details of another of Chevrolets vehicles – the all-new Spark, which has clear polycarbonate car light lenses – were announced before it went on sale in the UK.

IAM: Motorists should replace their wiper blades regularly

Autobulbs Direct — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Fiona Birkwood

Motorists giving their vehicles a spring clean should ensure they wash their windscreen wiper blades and replace them if necessary, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

It said that old wiper blades can make a deafening sound but can leave marks on the windscreen too.

Car owners should clean their wiper blades carefully over the coming weeks, as dust from the volcanic ash cloud could damage a vehicles car glass if it is dragged across the surface.

Peter Rodger, chief examiner at the IAM, said: "After a long winter of wear and tear through snow, salt and potholes – and now volcanic dust – your car will be in need of a little TLC."

He went on to suggest that making checks now can save motorists a lot of money in the long run, as they can repair minor problems before they worsen.

Earlier this month, car care firm Autoglym recommended those washing their cars of volcanic ash to soak their bodywork thoroughly with water first so as to loosen surface deposits and avoid scratching.

Clean wiper blades of volcanic dust to avoid car damage

Autobulbs Direct — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Susannah Mayers

Motorists are being warned that if they do not clean their wiper blades of dust that has fallen from the volcanic ash cloud then they could risk causing damage to their car windscreens.

According to car care firm Autoglym, the dust contains jagged shards of rock and glass, which are both highly abrasive.

"We are concerned that … motorists … could unwittingly cause damage to their own vehicles, unless they take extra precautions when cleaning their cars," said Paul Caller, chief executive officer at Autoglym.

The company advised car owners to pay special attention to cleaning wiper blades as they could scratch the windscreen if they sweep ash across the glass surface.

It also recommended soaking car bodywork thoroughly with water to loosen surface deposits and then washing it with a pH-neutral car bodywork shampoo solution.

Motorists may just want to avoid the risk of scratching their car glass by buying new windscreen wiper blades, which the Institute of Advanced Motorists recommends should be replaced every year.

Makers of Bosch wiper blades achieve good returns so far in 2010

Autobulbs Direct — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Fiona Birkwood

The maker of Bosch wiper blades has announced that it has made a good start to the current fiscal year.

The Bosch Group said that this year it plans to make up for a lot of lost sales from 2009.

Franz Fehrenbach, chairman of the Bosch board of management, said that there have been clear signs of recovery in all regions so far but that there has been a particular boost in the Chinese and Indian markets.

In the first quarter of this year, Bosch Group sales were around 25 per cent higher than those in 2009, which could suggest that more motorists are buying Bosch wiper blades.

The company expects sales in the current fiscal year to grow by over ten per cent, to €42 billion (£36.58 billion).

Last month, Bosch was announced as the worlds most admired automotive supplier by the US business magazine, Fortune.

Renault launches limited edition Monaco GP with rain-sensing wiper blades

Autobulbs Direct — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Susannah Mayers

Renault has launched the limited edition Laguna Coupe – the Monaco GP, which has rain-sensing wiper blades and automatic car lights.

The vehicle, which is available to order now for deliveries in July, comes in pearlescent white metallic paint with a contrasting black roof.

It boasts gloss black 18-inch alloy wheels, four-wheel-steering, bespoke Monaco GP leather upholstery and a BOSE sound system.

As well as being powered by a 2.0 dCi 180 FAP engine, the Monaco GP includes many other impressive features as standard, including an electro-chrome rear-view mirror, Bluetooth phone connection, automatic parking brake and cruise control with speed limiter.

Other safety features of the vehicle include rear parking proximity sensors, toughened side windows, an emergency spare wheel, ESP and ASR traction control.

The vehicle is available for £24,995 on-the-road, which is a saving of £5,200 when compared to the price of the Coupe GT plus all of the added extra features.

Test wiper blades to check for flood damage, car buyers advised

Autobulbs Direct — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Susannah Mayers

Those seeking to buy a used car should conduct a series of checks, such as examining the vehicles wiper blades, to test whether it is flood damaged, according to one commentator.

Vehicles submerged in flood water should be taken to salvage yards to be sold for parts, but some end up on the forecourts of used car dealers, Susan Hogan wrote in a piece for WPRI.com.

She advises motorists to check the floor of vehicles – if they have new carpets or muddy seat tracks this could be an indication that they have been flood damaged.

Car buyers should also test all of a cars components, including the wiper blades, windows and door locks.

"Sometimes the fraud has nothing to do with the look, but more to do with the price. If the price is so low it may be too good to be true," she added.

In February, research from Marks & Spencer Car Insurance revealed that motorists find it difficult to figure out how to operate the windscreen wiper blades of their new cars, whether they are brand-new or used, when they first get behind the wheel.

Renaults Wind Coupe-Roadster with auto-wiper blades priced from Â£15,500

Autobulbs Direct — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Tom Benjamin

Renaults open-top Wind Coupe-Roadster, which has rain-sensing windscreen wiper blades, can be ordered from the end of this month, priced between £15,500 and £18,200.

Standard equipment of the vehicle includes 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, electronic stability control, front fog car lights, an electric retractable hard top and sport seats.

The Dynamique S version of the model also boasts a 2x35W radio CD MP3 reader with fingertip remote control, 17-inch alloy wheels, auto car lights and wiper blades.

Additionally, this model has a Thatcham category one alarm, Bluetooth connectivity and multi-functional TunePoint (USB connection).

Customers can also choose from a range of exterior accessories, including chrome-effect door mirrors and double chrome front fog car light surrounds.

The vehicle range can be pre-ordered later in April and customers hoping to order the standard range can do so from May for delivery in July.

Last month, Renault announced that its GT range was available from £21,910 on-the-road and that customers could choose from many added extras including Bi-Xenon car light bulbs.

Need for new wiper blades? Citroen C4 vehicles to race in desert this weekend

Autobulbs Direct — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Fiona Birkwood

Citroens C4 World Rally Championship (WRC) vehicles are racing in the desert this weekend, which could prove a challenge for their windscreen wiper blades.

The Citroen Total World Rally Team were victorious in Mexico recently, but this weekend (April 1st to 3rd) Sebastien Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena will attempt to gain pole position in the Jordan Rally.

This rallys unique environment forms a very different challenge for the drivers.

Mr Loeb explained that it is not going to be an easy race: "The stages take place right in the middle of the desert; there are no markers and were often running blind, so its easy to hit one of the big rocks that line the route."

Earlier this month, another of Citroens vehicles – the new version of the C3, which has tapered front car lights – was labelled as more "exciting" than its "bulbous" predecessor, by motor expert Deon Schoeman, writing in the Daily Maverick.

Honda launches Jazz Si with rear windscreen wiper blade

Autobulbs Direct — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Richard Sinclair

Honda has launched the new Jazz Si, a sporty version of its popular British-built supermini.

The Jazz Si boasts 16-inch Chronos alloy wheels, a chrome sports front grille and rear spoiler.

For driving in bad weather, the vehicle is equipped with a rear windscreen wiper blade and an intermittent front windscreen wiper.

It also has front fog car lights, embroidered carpet mats and Si branding on the boot lid and glove box.

Honda said that the Si was designed to appeal to younger motorists who prefer a vehicle with a sporty appearance but low running costs and emissions.

The car company said that the Jazz is one of the UKs most celebrated models and had won around 30 industry awards.

"Now built in Britain, Honda Associates will be ensuring that the Jazz maintains this level and continues to delight customers," it added.

Last month, Honda announced that the Jazz was available with zero per cent APR finance for two years.

Broken windscreen wiper blade hinders racing drivers chances

Autobulbs Direct — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Tom Benjamin

Benoit Treluyers chances of winning the Japanese-based Super GT championship season at Suzuka were scuppered by a broke windscreen wiper blade.

Treluyer started the race, which took place last weekend, in the second row of the grid but a drastic change in the weather conditions acted as a bad omen for the driver from the start, motorsport.com reported.

He explained to the website that a rain shower mixed with a sand storm from China, dramatically reducing visibility.

Low temperatures reduced friction, giving Treluyers Motul-Autotech Nissan GT-R little grip and caused its tyres to deteriorate quickly.

"Bad luck always seems to come in patches, so it was no surprise when the motor which powers the windscreen wiper broke down on the warm-up lap and left me with zero visibility," he added.

Regardless of these many setbacks, Treluyer managed to finish 8th.

Last month, motorists in the UK were advised by North Yorkshire Police to clear their windscreen wiper blades of snow and ice before setting off on journeys.

This advice came after the force had to deal with at least 50 minor collisions in just one day, the York Press reported.