The Why, When, and How of Windshield Wiper Replacement

Your vehicle's windshield wipers might be low on your auto service and repair priority list. However, properly maintained wipers are essential for the safe operation of your vehicle, especially in times of inclement weather when visibility and handling are of utmost importance.

It's actually fairly simple to determine when your wiper blades need to be replaced, and easy to replace them as well. This guide will walk you through the replacement process and offer you other information about windshield wiper blades.

Why Do You Need to Replace Your Wiper Blades?

You may ask yourself this question if your wiper blades are moving back and forth as usual or if you live in an area with below average rainfall. However, both of these situations can be misleading on the importance of wiper blade maintenance.

Adverse Conditions

You need wiper blades that will perform well under extreme weather conditions. Your wipers may be fully operational in movement but impaired in function. For example, it is possible for the rubber in a worn wiper blade to become completely removed from the blade in heavy use during adverse conditions.

This would be especially devastating if a rubber detachment occurred on the driver's side of the vehicle while driving down a busy highway. However, it would be almost as troubling if it happened on the passenger side of the windshield.

The driver would then be faced with the choice of leaving the wipers on and allowing the bare metal or plastic blade to scrape across the windshield, or turn the wipers off altogether and become blinded by heavy rain.

Bright Sunshine

Windshield wipers are not only useful for in areas with ample rainfall. Dirty windshields can accentuate bright sunshine through light refraction, which can intensify or change the direction of sunlight.

The beams of oncoming headlights from oncoming vehicles at night can also cause blinding glare from dirty windshields.

Situations like these create unsafe driving conditions and are why you need to replace your windshield wipers before they deteriorate.

When Do You Need to Replace Your Wiper Blades?

Your wiper blades will provide numerous signals that they need to be replaced. For example, if your wipers leave opaque gray rainbows across your windshield even after you’ve cleaned them with a wet cloth, then they need to be replaced.

Your wiper blades should glide gracefully across your windshield, not stutter or hesitate in their arc. The blades should hug the windshield when not in operation, not flutter in a breeze. Finally, the end of the rubber strip should be intact, not hanging off the edge of the blade.

How Do You Change Your Wiper Blades?

The task begins by determining the sizes of your blades. Newer vehicles have blades of varying sizes for the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle, as well as the back window. While you don't need to spend an arm and a leg for wiper blades produced by the manufacturer of your vehicle, it is best to buy all of the blades from the same manufacturer simply for uniformity in design and installation.

First, remove the blades from their packaging after you have purchased them to prepare for installation. Remember that the wiper arms of the windshield wipers are spring-loaded to hold them against the windshield, so take care and prevent them from crashing to the windshield. You can then perform the following steps:

• Lift the wiper up and away from the windshield until it stays in place.
• Lift the small locking latch on the old blade and pull the latch down to release it from the hooked end of the blade arm.
• Slide the old rubber blade off of the wiper.
• Compare the direction of the new blade to the old blade and turn the new blade around if needed.
• Holding the blade arm firmly, slide the new blade over the blade until it clicks into place.
• Repeat until all blades are replaced.



It's not too complicated, but you still may not feel comfortable with replacing your own wiper blades. If you live in the greater Pinole area, then Letcher Bros. Auto Repair will take care of any auto services that you need. Give us a call for help.