How to Replace Wiper Blades
Wiper blades can help keep your vision clear in rain, snow, and other challenging driving conditions, so when your blades break down, it is important to replace them swiftly to maintain your safety on the road. We at Nucar Honda of Norwood in Norwood, Massachusetts, value our customer’s safety. Because of this, we’ve put together a guide to help you navigate how often you should replace your wiper blades and how to do so, along with other tips and advice for windshield wiper maintenance and safety.
How Often To Replace Your Wiper Blades
In general, you should replace your wiper blades every six to 12 months. The blades are made from rubber, which is a degradable substance that breaks down over time. Replacing your wiper blades regularly can help ensure that you have a clean and clear view through your front and back windshields, regardless of the driving conditions.
You can also determine when to replace your wiper blades by looking for telltale signs of disintegration. Noise, for example, is one excellent indicator of an old wiper blade. If you hear a scraping, squeaking, or slapping sound when you operate your windshield wipers, it may be time for a replacement.
How To Replace Your Wiper Blades
The exact strategy for replacing your windshield wiper blades depends on the type of car you own because different brands and models use different apparatuses to connect wiper blades to the windshield. This means that it’s helpful to begin by consulting your car’s owner’s manual or contacting your dealership for advice. Many stores that sell auto parts also have machines you can use that let you enter your car’s make, model, and year to determine which blades you can use.
Once you learn about the basics of your car and the wiper construction, you can follow these steps to remove and replace your wiper blades:
Position Your Old Blades
Get into the driver’s seat of your car, turn it on, squirt the windshield with fluid, then turn on the wipers. When both blades reach their full upwards position so both tips are pointing up toward the sky, turn off the car to freeze the wipers in place. Next, get out of your car and pull each of the wiper arms out, so they are at a 90-degree angle up from the windshield. The wipers should snap into this position when you pull them up from the windshield, so do so gently and without too much force.
Disconnect Your Old Blades
As discussed above, the strategy for disconnecting your wiper blades may depend on the make and model of your car. You can check your user manual or do some research to find the specific blade removal instructions for your car.
One common way to disconnect your blade is to look for a tab in the place where the wipers meet the windshield. If you push that tab either in or out, depending on the car, then pull the blade down, it will disconnect. Another common connector is a pin apparatus. For this connector, use a small flathead screwdriver to lift the pin, then slide the blade free.
Put Down the Arms
Underneath each blade, you’ll find a long metal hook. Although the arms are designed to stay locked upright, the metal hook hitting the glass might cause damage if they snap out of place and back to the windshield. To avoid this, wrap each metal hook in a piece of cloth, then carefully lay the arms down on the windshield while you prepare to install the new blades.
Install the New Blades
If you haven’t yet, unwrap your new blades. Then, raise one wiper arm back into the locked 90-degree position, unwrap the metal hook, and connect it to the arm using the recommended method for your vehicle. Many vehicles use a simple hook-slot apparatus. If this is the case, you can connect your new wiper blade by identifying a tab in a rectangular cut out on the blade, sliding the arm hook over this tab, then pulling the blade upwards until it snaps into place. After completing this task with one wiper blade, repeat it with the other.
Test The New Blades
Finally, test out your new blades by turning the car back on, squirting the windshield again, and operating the wipers. This ensures you have attached your blades properly, which is important to establish in the safety of your driveway rather than the first time you need them on the road. As a bonus, operating the blades cleans your windshield, so you’ll have excellent visibility as you head out into the world.
Maintaining Your Wiper Blades
Understanding when your wiper blades need to be replaced instead of when they might just require a little maintenance is also important for car owners because it can help you make the smartest and most economical decisions possible for your vehicle.
For example, you may have experienced windshield wipers that leave streaks of dirt across the windshield when you operate them. If this sounds familiar, you’re in luck. Windshield wipers that leave streaks don’t necessarily need to be replaced right away. Instead, you can simply clean your wipers by wetting a cloth with rubbing alcohol, then using it to wipe down the blades and windshield. This type of maintenance can help your wiper blades last a few months longer.
Get Your Blades Professionally Replaced
Are you feeling nervous about replacing your wiper blades yourself? Never fear because we at Nucar Honda of Norwood are happy to help. Our knowledgeable technicians can talk you through every step of the process, from finding the right new blades for your vehicle in our parts center and ordering them online, to helping you determine which removal strategy you’ll need to use. You can even schedule a service appointment, and one of our mechanics can take care of the replacement for you, along with any other services your vehicle might require.
Feel free to stop by our dealership at 279 Boston Providence Highway in Norwood. You can also give us a call at 877-658-4575 for service assistance and 877-658-4157 for sales assistance. We look forward to helping you get your car into perfect driving condition.
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