Do your windshield wipers need replacing?

Worn Out Windshield Wipers on a Dirty Windshield

Now you can see, now you can't - It is time to replace your windshield wipers.

We look past windshield wipers to the road ahead all the time and often don't pay any attention to the wipers until caught in a storm, realizing they are not working properly.

Windshield wiper blades do not last forever. The longevity of the wipers depends on where you park: in a garage, in hot blazing sun etc., how often you use them, temperature, ozone and even dirt on the roads you travel. If you live in a hot climate expect to change your wiper blades more frequently.

It may be a good idea to set a time interval when you check the blades, e.g. every time you get an oil change. The oil change business may check the for you as well. This way you won't get caught in a dangerous situation without properly working windshield wipers.

How do you know when it is time to replace the wiper blades?

The rubbers starts to wear off or crackle, or chatter and the results when using the wipers leave streaks, and don't clear the window uniformly. You can periodically physically check the blades looking for cracked, brittle rubber on the blade. Check if the rubber is starting to tear off or is otherwise damaged.

When you get new windshield wiper blades make sure the get the same size blades you had already on. An easy thing to do is to pop the old blade off - many come off by popping - and take it with you to the store for your replacement blades.

If you are not sure how to take the windshield wipers off, ask the store clerk or employee e.g. at a car supplies store where you are purchasing the new wipers and they can probably help. You could also include replacing the windshield wipers with some other maintenance where the mechanic can pop the new wipers on for you.

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