As part of your 2 year Annual Service for a DB9 you are supposed to inspect and/or replace the Windshield Wiper Blades.   I wrote about how to swap them and how ridiculous it is to automatically replace them on a 2 year interval in my other article here (check it out).   But, when it comes time to replace them you have more options than just ordering up a set from the Dealer.  Those options is what this article is all about.

In my previous article I included that I was worried that aftermarket blades may be problematic since they may not have the ‘winglet’ that the drivers side OEM blade has.  The original blade has a wing that forces the blade down to the windscreen as your speed increases, and I suspect that’s necessary to counter act the air flow that’s trying to lift the blade and carry it away.  For the record – the passenger side does NOT have the winglet.

But, the original OEM blades are ugly.  They are the old school truss framework design that sticks up and has forks and spokes.   Because the drivers side blade is a full two feet long, this creates a large, tall blade structure.   The blades are so large they a prominently visible for the passengers inside the car, and an ugly view it is.

I suspect these are also a source of wind noise.  The open framework of the blades stick up into the airflow off the hood, and probably create more than their share of wind whistle and flutter.

Choices

Other than the winglet on the Drivers side blade, there is nothing bespoke about them.  Standard wiper blades that fit over a J hook arm.   If you wanted, you could snap on any brand of blades with the same universal connectors, just get a 24″ blade for the drivers side, and a 20″ blade for the passenger side.  But, I have some suggestions.

Original OEM Blades

For reference, lets revisit the original blades.  You know they will work, and the dealers aren’t killing you too badly on them.  They are still massively overpriced compared to other options.

• Drivers Side – 24” in length with winglet
  • Aston Martin part number 9G43-17B437-AA
  • Available online for about $37.96 USD here
  • If you are in the UK or EU, HWM England can sell them to you a little cheaper at about $33.76 USD each (£25.43+vat ).   Contact their Parts Team and let them know you read about it here and they will hopefully hook you up with a good price.
• Passenger Side – 20” in length (there is no wing on this side)
  • Aston Martin part number 4G43-17528-CA
  • Available online for about $37.05 USD here
  • If you are in the UK or EU, HWM England can sell them to you a little cheaper at about $31.86 USD each (£24.00+vat).   Contact their Parts Team and let them know you read about it here and they will hopefully hook you up with a good price.

Trico Exact Fit

While I was changing mine last time I took the old ones apart and discovered they were actually made by Trico, a massive OEM blade manufacturer.    I found that the winglet was removable from the blade, and underneath was what looked like a conventional 24″ Trico blade.

I went online and looked up Trico’s products, and found that their ‘Exact Fit’ line of blades are supposed to be OEM equivalents.   I couldn’t tell if they would have the small little screw flanges to reattach the Winglet from the old blade.  I even reached out to their customer service department, who half-heartedly said “Yes, it will work”.   Not knowing any different, I ordered a 24″ blade to find out.

• Drivers Side – 24″.
  • Trico Exact Fit part number 24-1
  • Available online for about $12 USD here.   Cheap as chips.

The Trico Exact Fit 24″ blade will fit, but does NOT have the special tabs for attaching the winglet.  Bummer, but not surprising.  Trico must be making a slightly bespoke version of this blade for Aston.   Fair enough.

While they fit fine and are very inexpensive, I didn’t want to forgo the winglet feature, so I boxed it back up and returned it.   There are better options …..

Bosch ICON

While noodling through YouTube videos on Wiper Blade comparisons, I discovered the Bosch Icon line of premium blades.  These are the new ‘Beam’ design of blade.   They are very low profile AND include an aerodynamic winged lip.

• Drivers Side – 24” in length with winged lip
  • Bosch ICON part number 24A
  • Available online for about $24 USD here
• Passenger Side – 20” in length with winged lip
  • Bosch ICON part number 20B
  • Available online for about $23 USD here

Bosch is knocking it out of the park here on all my concerns:

• It looks good in a low profile aerodynamic look.  It minimizes the view of them from inside the car.
• They include a winglet to improve performance at high speeds
• They have a much more advanced rubber wiper
• The low profile will only help to reduce wind noise
• It costs 35% less than the OEM blades
• I can just source them from Amazon or my local auto parts store

Installing a set goes on just like the OEM blades (check out my article and video on how to do this).  This is a simple 5 minute process anyone can do.

I had a small problem getting the J hook to slide all the way into the mount.  I found that the thickness of the metal bar end on the J hook inserting was wider than the plastic socket in the Bosch blade.  I inserted a medium sized flat blade screwdriver (about the side of the metal end) and gave it a twist to open up the plastic socket a bit, and that did the trick.  The Aston Martin wiper blade arms are made from some beefy steel, thick that most cars I think.  Maybe it won’t be an issue on later model cars.  Regardless, mine fit on well afterwards.

I think the look is much improved.   The Bosch Icon blades are a full 3/4″ lower profile than the Original OEM Blades!   Gone is the unsightly truss system.

Here are photos of the OEM blades from inside and out, and the Bosch Icon blades from inside and out.

Another Option – Trico Force

[Updated June 8, 2020] Reader Phil Semmler posted that he’s also found another option to consider.  The Trico Force blade is similar to the Bosch Icon and includes the aerofoil lip.   You can use their online lookup tool for your model of Aston.  He also experimented by getting a 21″ blade for the passenger side (vs. the stock 20″) and reports that it has no clearance issues.  So, for about $13 each on Amazon you have this option to consider.

• Drivers Side 24″ Blade – Trico Force p/n 25-240 available for about $14 USD on Amazon
• Passengers Side 20″ Blade (stock size) – Trico Force p/n 25-200 available for about $13 USD on Amazon
• Passengers Side 21″ Blade (larger than stock) – Trico Force p/n 25-210 available for about $12 USD on Amazon

I’ve not tried these personally, so I can’t attest to their fit or function first hand.  If Trico wants to send me a set, I’ll give it a go!

Conclusion

This is an easy one.  No question – 15 year newer wiper blade technology is the way to go.  I bought the Bosch Icon.   Swap in a set at your next service, you’ll be glad you spent the $47.

Survey

Its always neat to learn what other people are doing.   Are you using some other brand and model and loving it?  Please leave a comment down below sharing your experiences – good or bad ones.   Take a moment to answer this poll.

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Video

Here is a short video where I show you the differences between the three blades so you can see for yourself.