Having done an unreasonable amount of research into replacement wipers for my Volt I thought I would share the conclusions in case it helps anyone lacking the inclination to do the same.
To cut a long story (slightly) short(er) some wipers on eBay I ordered claiming to be true flat wipers for the Ampera turned out to be generic retrofit blades which thanks the bulky adapters (supplied to make them fit almost every wiper arm clip) the wiper arm sat a good cm or two higher than the stock wipers did. I expect this would lead to imperfect wiping action and increased wind resistance (noise) so I promptly sent them back.
I eventually came to the conclusion that even non-retrofit flat Bosch wipers (that is 'flat blades' for cars already fitted with flat blades from factory - or the Bosch AP range) are similarly not ideal as they too include adapters designed to fit the different typed of flat blade arm clips (of which there are a few types).
Turns out Bosch do make an OEM wiper pack that comes pre-fitted with the correct clip and no bulky adapter clips are included as they are not necessary. Why no retailer makes this clear is anyone's guess (too much effort I guess), but suffice it to say the Bosch twin sets suggested by many websites 'enter your reg tool' simply suggests the Bosch generic AP26U set which is NOT the OEM set.
Finally the correct Bosch set (2x wipers) is the Bosch A636S - and the good news is it's rather inexpensive - in fact about the same as a single Halford's blade! There may be other brands offering the same direct OEM clip but good luck finding out which one you need.
In the photo the wiper closest to the camera is the one with a 'generic' adapter, compare with OEM type below.
![Wipers.jpg]()
To cut a long story (slightly) short(er) some wipers on eBay I ordered claiming to be true flat wipers for the Ampera turned out to be generic retrofit blades which thanks the bulky adapters (supplied to make them fit almost every wiper arm clip) the wiper arm sat a good cm or two higher than the stock wipers did. I expect this would lead to imperfect wiping action and increased wind resistance (noise) so I promptly sent them back.
I eventually came to the conclusion that even non-retrofit flat Bosch wipers (that is 'flat blades' for cars already fitted with flat blades from factory - or the Bosch AP range) are similarly not ideal as they too include adapters designed to fit the different typed of flat blade arm clips (of which there are a few types).
Turns out Bosch do make an OEM wiper pack that comes pre-fitted with the correct clip and no bulky adapter clips are included as they are not necessary. Why no retailer makes this clear is anyone's guess (too much effort I guess), but suffice it to say the Bosch twin sets suggested by many websites 'enter your reg tool' simply suggests the Bosch generic AP26U set which is NOT the OEM set.
Finally the correct Bosch set (2x wipers) is the Bosch A636S - and the good news is it's rather inexpensive - in fact about the same as a single Halford's blade! There may be other brands offering the same direct OEM clip but good luck finding out which one you need.
In the photo the wiper closest to the camera is the one with a 'generic' adapter, compare with OEM type below.
its got to be worth having the (probable) best.
