Summary
– Wiper blade life span
– Symptoms of wear and tear
– How to choose your wipers?
– Changing the wiper blade
– Wiper blade prices
– Tips to preserve your brooms
Together with the windshield washer fluid, the wiper blade contributes to the cleanliness of the vehicle’s windows and, therefore, to its occupants’ safety.
A windshield wiper blade in perfect condition guarantees good visibility, which is why its maintenance is essential. In summer and winter, wiper blades are subject to severe wear and tear, so they wear out quite quickly, especially if you don’t take good care of them.
Wiper Blade Service Life
The parts of your windshield cleaning system don’t have a very long life, especially the rubber scrapers, which are damaged by freezing in winter and heat in summer, in addition to friction wear.
– Scrapers wear out (depending on how you use them) after a minimum of 6 months, but you can avoid this deterioration by maintaining them.
– Brushes are usually changed after 6 months to 1 year.
Symptoms of Wear and Tear
Many signs may indicate the need for a partial or complete wiper change:
– Drag appears on the windshield on the way to and from the blades, reducing your visibility and putting you at risk, especially from possible glare.
– The movements of the blades are not smooth; they slip in jerks.
– Parts of the windshield are not cleaned.
– Brooms squeak.
– The squeegee blade is crushed by the arm against the windshield.
– You see the ends deteriorate, and the sweeping is no longer done over the entire surface of the windscreen, which can scratch the windshield.
How to Choose Your Wipers?
You can find the wiper blade part number that is right for your vehicle on your service log. There are different types of wipers:
– Classic wipers:
◦ equipped with a metal squeegee holder adapted to the size of the windshield, on which the rubber squeegee is hung;
◦ sold either separately or in pairs.
– Flate-blade” type wipers:
◦ whose squeegee is integrated with a flexible blade, which includes a rib that perfectly follows the curvature of the windshield;
◦ installed on the most recent cars;
◦ more efficient and less noisy.
Changing the Wiper Blades
For the maintenance of your vehicle, some cases require you to call upon professionals such as auto centers or auto repairers. When it comes to the wiper blade, it is possible to do without a professional.
You will find on all the packaging the instructions for their installation, but here are the different steps to follow:
– Lift the wiper blade mounting arm;
– unclip the wiper blade;
– Pull out the worn broom;
– Install the new broom just as quickly.
Wiper Blade Prices
You can reduce the price of car maintenance thanks to your simple interventions.
When the aerodynamic brushes cost at least $45, the classics’ price can go from $6 to $20.
Tips for Preserving Your Brooms
There are ways to slow down the wear of wiper blades:
– Regular maintenance of the squeegee with a damp cloth will remove any dirt that sticks to it, thus preserving its effectiveness.
– In the same vein, it’s a good idea to clean your windshield yourself to remove any dirt or grease that will settle on the squeegee and slow it down.
– Never operate your windshield wipers on snow: they could get bent and will be weakened by the cold anyway.
– Don’t forget to fill your windshield washer tank to keep a reserve, and don’t use your wipers when dry.
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