10 steps for wiper maintenance
Although often considered to be a secondary element, windscreen wipers are indispensable for the perfect control of a car. That is why it is important to define the correct maintenance of the windscreen wipers over time.
Since we cannot do without this control, let us see how it goes. Starting from an initial awareness (good visibility is decisive) you can check the condition of your wipers and remedy if there are any things that are not working.
This way, taking care of the wipers, the control will be complete. You can take your car to your trusted mechanic with the knowledge that you have carried out, on your own, all the necessary checks to see what needs to be changed.
Index of topics covered
What are wipers and why are they useful?
Why do windscreen wipers not clean well?
- How to soften the wiper blades
- Adjusting the noisy wipers
- How to regenerate your windscreen wipers
- Re-invigorating the wiper blades
- How to remove ice from the windscreen
- How to Clean the Windscreen Wiper Nozzles
- The wiper water does not flow out: use antifreeze
- New brushes that do not clean?
- How to choose new wipers
- The wipers leave lines, how to solve
Have you already serviced your wipers?
What are wipers and why are they useful?
Before going into the discussion and seeing how to maintain the wiper system, let's try to deepen: what are windscreen wipers?
In this case we can answer in a simple way, giving a basic definition. Windscreen wipers are devices that are fitted to the car to remove rain, ice and snow marks from the front and rear windscreens (rear window). Some cars also have a wiper to prevent the light from falling off due to mud.
These elements are made up of rubber brushes mounted on iron structures outside the passenger compartment. Powered by a lever near the steering, the wipers allow us to always have a good view to drive safely. This way we can eliminate any visual obstruction caused by rain or snow.
If we want to drive in perfect safety, we must maintain the windscreen wipers properly. This way we will have a good view of the driving. And we'll avoid all the potential dangers of poor or no visibility.
Why do windscreen wipers not clean well?
To ensure that your car's windscreen wipers are properly maintained, you must know as much about them as possible. Above all, it is important to understand why the wipers should be changed after a certain period of time. They are not eternal, they have a duration.
Why do wipers not clean as well and function as before? Simple, because the elements that make up the glass-washing brushes have worn out and no longer work as well as they should, which means that the windscreen is less clean.
There are two elements that make up a windscreen wiper system, each of which is essential: the blade and the rubber, both of which must be replaced after a certain period of time. This is the time to indicate the 10 steps required for car wiper maintenance.
1. How to soften the wiper blades
For proper maintenance of your car wiper blades you must first understand that it is your responsibility to take care of these elements and to check their condition. As for the wipers, you can check all the time to find out when and what to change.
Among the many causes that can lead to a worsening of the wipers, which will therefore make driving more difficult, there may be hardening of the brushes.
The wiper blade brushes are subject to weathering, which can lead to excessive hardening of the rubber. This will make the work of the windscreen wiper system worse. To avoid this problem, you can soften the wiper blades of the wiper blade.
To soften the brushes, simply lift the wiper (by removing it from the windscreen) and wipe the blades with a cloth soaked in vinegar. Once this is done, wipe it with a cloth soaked in water and the brushes will return as soft as new.
2. Adjusting the noisy wipers
When you drive in bad weather, do you get nervous exhaustion just at the thought of noisy wipers? Then there is something wrong with it and you have to take action as soon as possible, not only for the safety of your driving but also for your stress level.
In reality, the solution is simple. If the wiper blade makes noises, the rubber has hardened due to the weather. All you have to do is get some product to lubricate the rubber and make it come back as new.
Annoying noises can be caused by a high level of glass dirt. You can use specific products to avoid the danger of scale or dirt accumulating on the windscreen (also in this case there are specific products).
To deepen: when to change the car tires
3. How to regenerate your windscreen wipers
When you notice that your car's windscreen wipers are no longer able to do their job optimally, the first thing you think about is buying new ones.
You may also be right. But you may not know that before you change your apparently useless wipers, you can try to regenerate them, thus avoiding an extra expense. With DIY you can get on with it in no time, just a little patience.
All you have to do is disassemble the wipers and put them in a tray full of ethyl alcohol. After leaving them to soak for about 1 hour, take the wipers and dry them. Once you've done this, wipe them with a cloth on which you'll spray some unlocking spray.
With this simple operation, your wipers will be as new as ever. The risk of having to incur a replacement expense is therefore averted.
4. Re-invigorating the wiper blades
As mentioned earlier, it's not until you realize that the wiper doesn't work as before that you have to get caught up in the eagerness to replace it. You can revive your brushes and make them work again to their best advantage, so you can regain visibility.
Of course, if the rubber of the wiper is completely worn, you can only replace the part. If not, you will probably just need to regenerate the wipers to return the wiper as new.
Besides cleaning, you can try another way. Using Vaseline, gently wipe it over the brushes. This will make them slide back onto the glass.
5. How to remove ice from the windscreen
Ice is probably the biggest enemy not only for the windscreen wipers but for the safety of your driving. We often try to remove ice from the windscreen by operating the windscreen wipers. Nothing could be more wrong.
If you try to clean the windscreen using the windscreen wipers immediately without removing the ice from the glass, you will only damage them irreparably. Before passing the wiper on the windscreen, therefore, try to clean the glass thoroughly by removing ice.
How to do it? Get a deghicidal spray to remove any ice from the glass. Only after removing the ice from the windscreen can the wipers be operated without the risk of damaging them.
6. How to Clean the Windscreen Wiper Nozzles
The cold is bringing its devastated action putting in serious difficulty the management of your car. In this sense, the wipers will be among the first to be affected by the action of low temperatures and the arrival of ice.
If you notice that your car's windscreen wipers no longer work as they should, this may be a problem with clogged nozzles.
Nozzles are the spray nozzles from which water comes out on the windscreen, so you can clean the glass with the action of a wiper. The nozzles are likely to be clogged by ice or dust build-up.
You can also use wadding soaked in ethyl alcohol to clean the nozzles. Carefully clean the water outlet holes, using a needle to be carefully inserted into the hole to free it from any obstruction.
7. The wiper water does not flow out: use antifreeze
Following the previous points, you should consider using antifreeze fluid. There is, as we know (or as you should know), a special tray that contains water that will be sprayed for cleaning the windscreen.
To get the best out of the ice and to ensure that you clean well during the winter months so that you can drive safely, you must use the antifreeze.
The antifreeze liquid must be used to prevent the formation of ice inside the tray due to low temperatures. It is advisable to use liquids, to be placed in the tank together with water, which avoid the danger of ice formation both in the tank and in the nozzles.
Read: How to choose winter tyres
8. New brushes that do not clean?
Strange as it may seem, it can happen that the new wipers you have just purchased do not work as you should and do not clean them properly.
What happens? If the wipers are new, how can they leave the annoying lines on the windscreen that disturb your field of vision? Perhaps this is the case with both front and rear wipers, if it is, there is no solution.
Have you assessed the quality of the wipers you have purchased? In all likelihood, perhaps because you wanted to save money, you bought a low-value wiper. This explains why the windscreen was not properly cleaned even if they are brand new.
Now you just have to replace the wiper blades, you can do it very well on your own. The video shows how to replace the brushes in minutes.
9. How to choose new wipers
Although it may seem superfluous, it is clear that the safest way to have perfectly functioning wipers is to buy new ones.
Please note that without reflection you may make a mistake and may be confronted with visual problems in driving. To prevent this, you need to find the right wipers for your car.
And you must also focus decisively on the quality of the instruments. Better spend a few more euros than soon find yourself struggling with the problems mentioned above. In these cases there is only one solution: buy original spare parts.
10. The wipers leave lines, how to solve
You've lost hope, and every time you operate the wipers they leave a line on the windscreen, signs that disturb you a lot when you drive. Well, it is time to take action without wasting time.
One consideration must be made. Over the years, the wiper blades have become increasingly sophisticated, an evolutionary process that makes them very delicate.
If you see lines appearing on the windscreen every time you operate the windscreen wipers, it means that the brushes are probably worn, due to weather and ice or even dirt. Maybe they are low quality wipers.
To prevent this from happening, you must often take care of the wipers and follow all the advice listed above. And if it is the case, you have to buy new ones (but first try to recover them).
Read: What does the used car warranty cover?
Have you already serviced your wipers?
As the correct driver's view depends on the instruments, wipers are essential for safety-conscious driving.
Your task will be to keep an eye on them to be ready to intervene if the situation requires your intervention, trying to quickly identify the problem and act accordingly.