Looking for that plastic thingie...

[need2speed]

Da*m Stealership! Broke the plastic retaining clip that attached the wiper blade to the arm on my W163 ML350. Oh well, its obviously a disposable item as the darn thing was virtually welded in place. Off to the stealer...I mean dealership with parts in hand. Gosh, not available says the twelve-year old behind the parts counter...you must buy the entire wiper blade assembly. OK, I'm getting steamed and my voice is rising. You mean to say that a plastic virtually-guaranteed-to-break item required to attach a disposable/replaceable part cannot be had by itself? Low and behold but doesn't he just have the wiper assembly right under the counter, so easy to find when any other part takes 20 minutes of searching... Not sure he got my reference to MB becoming the iPod of the auto industry but I left without the part :-(

Now please, does anyone know where I can find that plastic thingie?

 

[Jelmer]

At the dealer

*/me ducks*

This is quite akin to Dave's story and his child-safety switch, no? Less small parts means it's easier and cheaper to produce/ship/store. And you're the one paying.

Can't you head to a junkyard and pry one off?

Oh, also: if they broke it, they need to replace it. Or did you break it?

 

[need2speed]

No, I broke it while removing the wiper to install a new blade. The part doesn't even have an MB p/n to search online. Somewhere at the factory they must have a huge bin full...