ARE YOUR WIPERS READY FOR WINTER?
Let's see. Are you really ready for winter? You've bought new boots and gloves. You've arranged for a plowing service, your storm windows are in place and you have a brand new scraper for your car. You're ready, right? No. What about new wiper blades? A wise policy is to change your wiper blades every time you change the time at the beginning and end of daylight savings time. Keeping the windshield clean and using a quality wiper fluid will prolong the life of the blades, but not forever.
The wiping elements on premium blades are made from natural rubber, which is the most resilient and flexible product for wiping across glass. But, just like tires, the rubber on wiper blades has a natural tendency to break down over time. Extreme temperature variations, ozone, ultraviolet light, pollutants and road chemicals speed the deterioration process. In addition, ice scrapers and car washes frequently cause damage. Bending the wiper frame could result in a loss of arm tension, which interferes with the wiper's contact against the glass.
One of the most significant causes of winter damage occurs when wiper blades are frozen to the windshield with a thin sheet of ice or frost. If the windshield isn't carefully cleared or defrosted before use, the precision wiping edge of the wiper blade element will actually tear. This will result in poor wiping quality. Snow and ice tend to build up within the superstructure of an ordinary windshield wiper, clogging the blade and causing a lack of' flexibility. Winter blades are constructed of extra strength steel and use a specially designed rubber "boot" to cover the superstructure.
No one can predict when most automotive components will fail. In fact, regular maintenance will dramatically improve the life span of most parts. But damaged blades and related wiper components will be noticed only in the worst of driving conditions when immediately replacing the blade might not be an option. Although the windshield wipers on any car should be changed every 6,000 miles to ensure safety and reliability, most vehicle owners change their blades far less frequently. In fact, the average motorist changes his or her blades just once every two to three years! That's proof that too few drivers understand the dangers of driving with deteriorated or damaged wiper blades.
Winter driving is tough enough in much of the country, without motorists having to contend with reduced vision.
[Reprinted with permission from the Car Care Council, Port Clinton Ohio]