When Should You Change Your Windshield Wiper Blades?

A key part of every car is making sure all the necessary maintenance is complete. But it’s not talking just about involved tasks like oil changes and timing belt replacement.

There are a number of small and seemingly minor maintenance tasks that, if not completed, can cause potential accidents. And one of those is making your windshield wiper blades are in good condition.

Windshield Wipers are not just made of Rubbers or Plastics

As with your car’s tires, its windshield wipers and blades have evolved over the years. True, the ‘traditional’ or ‘conventional’ rubber blade attached to a metal frame, is still around. But that’s not the only kind of windshield wiper blade available nowadays.

Firstly, some brands incorporate rain-repellant chemicals into their blades. And secondly, the traditional blade is now joined by ‘flat/beam’ and ‘hybrid’ blades. According to Consumer Reports, they all function in the same way. Namely, a motor moves an arm that presses the rubber blade into the windshield to remove obstructions, dirt, liquid, etc. However, they differ in how the wiper blades stay in contact with the windshield.

Beam blades lack a frame. Instead, steel springs or a single solid shape are built into the rubber itself. This makes them adhere better to the windshield, which has both aerodynamic and cleaning benefits. However, they’re more expensive, and their one-piece designs clog more easily with sand and dirt.

Hybrid wiper blades combine the traditional blade’s metal frame with a beam blade’s one-piece design. They’re not quite as light or as quiet at high speeds as beam blades. However, they perform better than traditional ones and don’t clog as easily as beam ones.

Windshield blades for harsh weather like heavy rainy seasons can fit into any one of the previously mentioned categories. They’re designed with the harshest weather conditions in mind. They have thicker blades made of specially conditioned rubber compounds to remain flexible even in the cold. Some have Teflon-coated edges to improve windshield clearing. Their frames and hinges are also stronger.

When Should I Change My Windshield?

Are your windshield wipers truly terrible? It might just be time for new wiper blades. Even if you don’t drive often, windshield wiper blades do require periodic replacement. Typically, the recommended schedule is 6-12 months, Autoblog reports. However, depending on how often and where you use your wipers, that may be too long of a period.

There are several signs that your windshield wiper blades need changes. Worn blades squeak as they move across the glass, as well as vibrate excessively. They also leave streaks behind or don’t wipe fluid away at all.

How to Change a Windshield Blade Wiper

However, the blade itself isn’t the only part of the windshield wiper. The entire arm is attached to a multi-part mechanism. There’s the electric motor, the linkage, and gears connecting it to the arm, and wires and electrical components controlling the motor, The Drive reports. And just like the wiper blade, these parts can also wear down over time.

Should I Change the Blade or the Entire Wiper?

Typically, the windshield wiper blades are the only regularly-replaced part of the whole assembly. And they don’t always need to be swapped out, but cleaned and adjusted to maintain a good glass connection. But if you’re noticing issues even after they’ve been swapped out, the rest of the wiper may need to be inspected.

Two common issues are a bent wiper frame and a loose wiper-transmission nut. The former often causes chattering, rather than squeaking. As for the latter, you know when the wiper stops moving. Luckily, the solution is just to tighten the nut holding the arm to the transmission.

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If the wipers don’t respond to the controls, that points to either an electrical fault or a motor failure. The fault could be a blown fuse, or require new wiring. A simple test is to check other systems wired together with the wipers, such as the turn signals or headlights can help you or your mechanic pinpoint where the fault is.