How to Replace Audi A3 Wiper Blades (Easy!)

Intro

Quick post on how to replace the wipers in your Audi A3. The A3 owner’s manual states that you should replace your windshield wiper blades once or twice every year. It’s very easy to do and only takes a few minutes. I didn’t see a great tutorial on YouTube so I decided to make my own!

While I wrote this specifically for a 2015 Audi A3 8V, these wipers (affiliate link) will also fit on:

• Audi A3 Limousine (8V) 2013+
  • RS3 Limousine (8V) 2017+
  • S3 Limousine (8V) 2013+
• Porsche Panamera (970) 2013-2016
• Tesla Model 3 2016+
• Volkswagen Arteon (3H7) 2017+
  • Passat (3G2) 2014+
  • Passat (CB2) 2019+
  • Passat Alltrack (3G5) 2015+
  • Passat Variant (3G5) 2014+
  • Passat Variant (CB5) 2019+
  • T-Roc 2017+
• Ssangyong Musso (Q200) 2018+

TL;DR

1. Buy replacement wipers (Bosch Aerotwin A102S’s):
   • FCP Euro ($24 + shipping)
   • Amazon $38 (affiliate link)
2. Put the wipers into “service position”
   • Push the wiper stalk (right of steering wheel) down and hold. Might have to turn the ignition on and then off to “wake up” the car for this to work
3. Take the old wipers off
   • Pull the wipers up, off of the windshield, push button, lift up
4. Put the new wipers on
   • Push down until you hear a click
5. Push down on the wiper stalk to take them out of “service position”

Buy replacement wipers

I used the Bosch Aerotwin A102S’s. I got mine from FCP Euro for $24 + shipping. I ordered a few other things (cabin and engine air filters - additional post on those coming soon!) as they have free shipping for orders >$49. You can also find these wipers on Amazon for $38 (affiliate link). You might even be able to use something else that has the same size: 19”/475mm passenger wipers and 26”/650mm driver side wipers.

Put the wipers into “service position”

If you’ll notice, you can’t get to the wipers very easily. You can’t lift them up without hitting the hood (or, bonnet, for those British folk) of the car. We can solve that by putting the wipers into “service position”.

To put the wipers into service position, you’ll need to pull the wiper stalk (right of the steering wheel) down (to position 4) and hold it there for a few seconds. Your wipers will then move halfway up the windshield and stay there. If this does not work, you’ll need to “wake up” the vehicle by turning the ignition on and then off, then pull the wiper stalk down to position 4 and hold it there for a few seconds.

Once the wipers are up into service position, you can lift them up off of the windshield to get them into a position to work on. Just note that once you take the old wipers off, be careful to not let the wipers go back onto the windshield as they will scratch the windshield up if the wipers are not on.

Take the old wipers off

To take the old wipers off, you’ll need to push the button on the wipers, then lift the wiper up out of its harness. I found it helpful to angle the bottom of the wiper away from its harness when lifting the wiper out.

Screenshot from my Tutorial Video	Screenshot from Owner’s Manual

Put the new wipers on

To put the wipers back on, just do the opposite as when you took them off: Set the new wiper blade in the harness, angle the bottom of the wiper blade away from the harness, push down until you hear it click.

Always a smart idea to make sure you can’t pull it back out of the harness to ensure that it’s set and “locked” in the harness correctly.

Taking the wipers out of “service position”

Again, basically the opposite of when we put them into the service position: turn the ignition of the vehicle on then pull the wiper stalk down to position 4 and hold it there for a bit until the wipers retreat to their normal position.

And just like that, you’re done! Good to go 👍

Bonus: How to find this information yourself

All of this information (and more) can be found in the instruction booklet to your car: your handy-dandy owner’s manual!

1. Go to the back of the manual to find the appendix, and look for “Windshield wipers”
2. Under “Windshield wipers” you will find “Replacing windshield wiper blades” which directs you to page 50
3. Page 50 will have all the necessary instructions and diagrams to guide you along in the process.
   • Notice that I have included all the relevant parts from the owner’s manual in the above images to this post!

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Matt Popovich is not a mechanic. Please do your own research and consult with a professional before attempting any DIY repairs. Matt Popovich assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Matt Popovich does not provide a warranty for any of the listed information and does not guarantee any expressed or implied result. Use this information at your own risk. Matt Popovich recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Matt Popovich.