Just as the rest of your car needs regular maintenance, so do your windshield wipers. It is easy to forget about them, we know, but over time, you’ll definitely notice visibility issues as they begin to wear out. After all, they are your front line, regularly being exposed to the elements of rain and snow, as well as dust, dirt, and anything else on the road.
It is generally recommended that you change the wipers every six months, or at the very least annually, so pick a season and stick to a regular timeframe. Set a reminder for yourself. They are one of the most affordable parts of your car to replace (between approximately $12 and $40 for a pair), so don’t risk putting it off longer than you need to.
4 Easy Steps to Replacing Those Wipers:
Windshield wipers are really quite easy to replace, and your vehicle owner’s manual will be your best friend for the task.
1. Select Your New Wiper Blades: First, you’ll need to check the length and type of your wiper blades by either measuring, or that’s right, just checking the manual. Note, the designated blades on the passenger and driver sides could vary in length. The manual will confirm this, and most likely, it will provide a step-by-step guide for you to reference.
2. Remove Your Used Blades: Identify how and where the wiper blades unlatch. Carefully lift the wiper blade away from the glass, and there should be a small tab to press, or a spot to pinch and unhook, right where it meets the wiper arm. As soon as you spot it and proceed by pressing or pinching to unlock, the wiper blade should come off relatively easily, by pulling downward on it.
3. Attach the New Wiper Blades: Double check that the new one you have on hand attaches in the same fashion. Click it into place and lower the arm back down. Be careful here that you’ve removed any plastic protectors that came from the windshield wiper manufacturer.
4. Test Out Your Work: Try the new wipers out then and there! Make sure they properly glide across the windows and are not loose.
Remember, Safety First
You depend upon your windshield wipers to keep you safe. While it can be easy to ignore signs that the wipers are deteriorating, don’t. The rubber surface of the blade naturally wears down over time with small deformations forming. These are what will give you issues. In turn, make sure you check your windshield wipers every couple of months to see how the rubber exterior is holding up.
Your windshield will thank you, as will your eyes and your overall sense of safety, the next time a rain storm pours down.
