Maintenance Checks and Tips for Windscreen Wipers

Introduction to windscreen wipers:

Windscreen wipers are the small unsung heroes of vehicles; clearing rain, hail and snow quickly from our view when we need them, allowing us to drive as far as the tyres will allow. These little pieces of rubber and metal are sometimes required to work for long periods of time, but can only do so efficiently if the correct care is taken. The following is some useful information and some hints and tips on how to take proper care of these wipers and how to replace them when necessary.

How to check for wear and tear:

You can check by sight for wear and tear of the blade, symptoms include looking cracked, dry, misshapen or stiff. This means that it is time for new blades, even if it is before your six to twelve month mark.

How to replace the windscreen wipers on your vehicle:

Step 1: Prepare to fit the blade.

Pull the whole wiper arm up and away from the windscreen. It should sit upright without having to be held, but be careful not to let go before it is locked into this position as it may spring back down onto your windscreen and cause damage.

Step 2: Replace wiper blade.

There should be a small plastic catch on the top of the arm; this holds the wiper blade in position. You will need to press this and unhook the blade from its position. Replacing this with the new blade is the exact same process, just do it backwards.

Step 3: Replace the wiper arm to the original position.

Lower the whole arm back to the base of the windscreen and check that it is sitting correctly and flush to the window. Always test out your handy work out before you go out in the rain.

Why it is important to maintain your windscreen wipers: 

The main blade arm can get damaged, just through general use, over time. This means that the whole arm will have to be replaced at some point, but as a rule it is only the blade that has to be replaced every six to twelve months.

The main signs of wear and tear of blades, that you will notice, will be:

• Streaking of water, or even whole parts of the screen that aren’t being cleared.
• Squeaking, or the blades jumping and not smoothly gliding across the screen.

In reference to the second point, this could also be due to there not being enough moisture on the screen for the blades to clear – so make sure that this is discounted. Ignoring these signs can cause the blade to break away from the arm; meaning that the actual arm, with no rubber attached, can scrape across and damage the glass. This would not be such a cheap and easy fix.

The legal and safety implications:

Wipers are a lot more important than they may seem; it is important to ensure that they are maintained in order to keep the best possible visibility and therefore keep you as safe as possible. Failure to do so may result in a fine of up to £1000. Aside from the monetary consequences, an average of 20% of collisions are due to poor visibility; this is something that is so easily avoidable.

So, in order to keep yourself safe, to keep your wallet full and to avoid any unnecessary damage to your vehicle, change your wiper blades once every 6 to 12 months – it’s a small price to pay for a peace of mind.

The Windscreen Company provide windscreen repair and windscreen replacement services across Ipswich and Essex, get in touch with our team today for more information.