dug01

The factory blades started chattering after 7 months of little use--remembered I got a spare set still packaged that I found in trunk--put them on last night--all is quiet again.

Potomac-Greg

I've never been able to get a clean, streak-free wipe.

In my old Audi, my wipers used to pass within a couple of millimeters of each other at the lower ends. I always marveled at the German engineering that allowed two devices to pass so close, thousands of times, without incident. Of course, one rainy day, the wiper arms locked together and destroyed each other! From that day on, I used an undersized passenger-size wiper.

HPH

...instead of supplying us with the quasi-proprietary ones that only work sort of.

I don't know what you A6-ers have, but my '01 allroad came with pretty cool wiper blades -- they are covered; not sealed up like true winter blades, but covered with a plastic fairing, and the driver's side one also has that aerodynamic metal piece on the arm that sticks it down at speed. They're nice, and I want to keep them.

But the damned things have 21 1/2 " inserts (actually, it's probably some nice even number of millimeters, like 550). Bosch 21 1/2 " inserts, to say the least, aren't exactly available around here, and few people even know what a millimeter is.

So whenever I need new ones, which is pretty often in the dry air out here, I've taken to buying 22" Anco (narrow) inserts and snipping off a half inch. The latest set, about 2 months old now, is making a strange clicking noise (I assume it's the inserts) once per cycle, so maybe I already need new ones.

Of course, I could just demand new 550 mm ones from the dealer, but the gas to get there costs more than the Anco refills. HPH

no.radar

Maybe the ones you had on were the "plastic shipping blades." Those WOULD chatter!!!

dug01

Nope--spares were exactly same--full size.

SloopJohnB

The OEM blades worked tolerably, they just made noise. Dealer replaced under free maintenance.

Silver 2.7tt

I notice they only work nicely for about a week in the rain.

But never seen any spare set of wiper blades anywhere in either the A4 or the A6

pikewine 2.7T

I've had terrible experiences with the blades on my '01 2.7T. In a year they've been replaced three times, the windshield cleaned and steel wooled twice and today just had them replaced again. For a car with the engineering of an Audi the blades blow. I told my dealer today that the blades made me want to drive my wife's Saab when it rains. At least her blades are quiet (and they clear the windshield better).

9502 Essex's

No on the blades but Crown has replaced them at least 4 times on my 99 A6 Avant and will do it later today on my 02 S6. Never a question. They have also replaced both headlights on the A6 due to shorts in the turn signals. They have been very responsive despite occaisional slips.