Clear vision and visibility are essentials to smooth and safe driving. And as cheap, small, or minor as they are, your car’s wiper blades take such an important role in giving you that visibility you need. We rely on them to clear away the heavy rain, snow, sleet, or sometimes even the dirt on our windshields so we could have perfect vision while driving.
Moreover, since those wiper blades are made of squeegee-like materials (natural, synthetic, and soft rubber compounds), it also goes without saying that like our car body paint, it is much prone to wear and deterioration.
Although most automakers and manufacturers recommend that wiper blades are replaced every 6 months, the truth of the matter is, it all still depends on how often you use it and all the external conditions your car faces.
So the big question is, how often do I really need to replace my car’s wiper blades? Don’t you fret, ‘coz you’re already on the right page.
Let us help you learn about the right way to handle wiper blade maintenance and replacement. By the end of this article, you’ll surely know how frequently you need to change your wiper blades.
Their worst enemies
According to car blog site Your Car Mechanics, the best way to understand how to care for your wiper blades is to know what causes damage and deterioration to them. So once you take note of all these, it’ll be easier for you to gauge whether your wiper blades are in perfect condition or not. Here are the external/environmental factors that promote wiper blade wear and tear:
- Sun: Ultraviolet light and ozone deterioration
- Oil: Car waxes and exhaust hold rubber-deteriorating oil
- Airborne debris: Sand, mud and dust carried in the wind
- Moisture: Acid rain and salt water (in moist air both near the shore and inland)
Since we have totally no control over those things, and they vary depending on your specific location, it is our duty to check on our wiper blades as often as we can. To help you learn that habit, we suggest that you do a wiper blade inspection every 3 months, at the least.
DIY Wiper Blade Inspection
You need not ask a professional to do a thorough check on the condition of your wiper blades. Because the good news is, you can actually do it on your own, while your car is resting in the garage, while you’re filling up your tank, or while you’re on waiting time in the parking lot.
Here’s what you should do. Check every part of your windshield wipers. If you have wipers in the front and back of your car, check all of them - as you might need to replace only one of those considering you use the front wipers more often than those in the back. Then, look for these signs of damage and/or deterioration:
- Broken frame – detachment of frame arms at joints or connection points.
- Metal Corrosion – especially at joints and claws.
- Visible cracks, tears, and missing pieces in the rubber squeegee’s edge.
- Flex rubber squeegee back and forth to see if it is still flexible. Aged squeegees will have difficulty conforming to the shape of your windshield and create streaks.
- Check squeegee wiping edge for rounded edges which can prevent the wiper blade from making strong contact with the windshield and reduces wipe quality.
- Tug to ensure the wiper blade has been securely installed on the wiper arm.
- Check that squeegee is secure in the wiper frame.
The Best Time(s) To Do Wiper Blade Replacement
Again, apart from the 6-month wiper blade replacement schedule recommended by the manufacturers, we suggest that you consider these other 2 if you want to make sure you’re always driving with wipers that are in the best condition:
When one of the replacement signs appear:
- They are frayed at the edges or beginning to fold over.
- The windshield wipers leave streaks on your windshield when you’re using them.
- When in use, the wipers make a scraping noise.
- The rubber on the blade is splitting or separating; or simply when you notice wear and tear.
During SPRING and FALL
If you want to be assured of perfect visibility during all 4 seasons, then we suggest that you replace them at least every spring time and fall. While it is good if you decide to replace them before harsh weather conditions come, we all know that it’s very unlikely that you’ll all do that. Because unfortunately, most of us wait to replace them up until the very time that we need them to perform at their very best. So to make sure that they’re perfectly fine during winter to scrape snow and in the summer when they could dry up and be brittle because of the scorching heat, when fall and spring are about to end, the latest.
So there you have it; the endless debate has now finally ended as we have clearly drawn the line on when you should really have your wiper blades replaced. Now if it’s spring or fall there while you’re reading this article, or if you’re reading now because you’re noticing the signs of wear and tear on your wiper blades, it is indeed the perfect time to let us help you a little further.
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