Windshield wipers are a small part of your vehicle, but they have a big impact on your driving and overall safely. They remove rain, snow, dirt, pollen, ash, frost and other debris quickly and smoothly with a push of a button. Wiper blades are critical to our vision when we drive around the Eureka area.
Wipers are part of an important safety system and should be maintained for our safety – not just responding when our wiper blades fail. How many times have you been caught off-guard by the first storm of the season with a streaky windshield you can barely see out of or with no washer fluid?
Wiper blades live outside the vehicle and are exposed to heat and sun in the summer and cold and ice in the winter. It's no wonder that they get dry, brittle, torn and lose their flexibility. Even if you rarely use them, wiper blades still need to be replaced at regular intervals.
A few tips to care for your windshield wipers:
- Defrost and scrape before using wipers. Wipers can stick and snap off when used on snow or ice.
- Replace the blades at least twice a year. We recommend replacing them at the same time as one of your Spring and Fall oil changes.
- Keep the windshield clean. Wipers blades wear more quickly if they are wiping across dirty glass. Clean your windshield every time you stop to fill up at the gas station.
- Never run wipers on a dry windshield. Wipers are designed to use when the windshield is wet and using them on a dry surface can cause them to wear much more quickly. Be sure to keep your wiper fluid topped off!
- Reposition blades during winter months. Pull the wiper blades away from the windshield the night before a freeze to keep blades from freezing to glass.
If you live in an area with extreme weather and temperature conditions consider a premium grade wiper. There are special wiper material compounds, blade designs and wiper arms that really improve your vision in adverse conditions. There are even special winter blades that don't get all clogged up with ice and snow.
When it comes to wiper blades, it's important to think of it as maintaining this safety component by replacing your blades before they fail. That'll keep you seeing clearly in all conditions.
Eureka Brake & Automotive
707.443.2122
Revised from content contributed by NAPA Service Assistant