Following simple rules for using your windshield wiper blades will help extend the life of your wiper blades and keep you safer.
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General wiper blade guide:
- Do not force the wiper blades to work “dry”, especially if the glass is heavily contaminated or covered with a layer of ice. This is very detrimental to the life of the rubber edge;
- Wash the wiper blades regularly in water. Sand that accumulates in the grooves of the rubber band prevents the wiper blade from pressing down evenly and can even scratch the glass.
- When the windshield wiper operates, the wiper blades must not extend beyond the edge of the windshield as they move. This leads to a breakdown of the wiper motor, poor fit and increased wear on the wiper blades. To eliminate this malfunction, it is usually sufficient to adjust the wiper blades.
- Sometimes the reason for reduced transparency of the glass is not bad wiper blades, but difficult to see contamination of its inner surface (e.g. contamination from tobacco smoke). You can remove it with special glass cleaners.
- If the glass or wiper blades are greasy, you should degrease them with 10-20% baking soda solution and rinse thoroughly with warm water. You can also use a car shampoo that does not contain protective components (such as wax). Using gasoline or solvents to clean the tapes will cause them to corrode and fail quickly.
- You can lubricate the hinges of framed models with compounds such as WD-40, which displaces moisture and eliminates squeaks. But be careful not to get grease on the rubber parts of the wiper blades.
Windshield Wipers in Winter
General wiper blade guide for the winter:
- Do not dilute concentrated windshield washer fluid with too much water. The windshield wipers are much more permanently cooled by the air flow than the windshield. The water in the solution can freeze on them and the joints will lose mobility;
- Sweep away snow and ice from the glass with a wiper without waiting for the heater to melt it. Melted snow can freeze on the wiper blades later;
- Do not operate the windshield wiper until the windshield has warmed up. This avoids wear and tear on the rubber wiper blades.
Windshield Washer
To increase the effectiveness of the windshield washer system, it is recommended:
If your vehicle has single-jet windshield washer nozzles, it is advisable to replace them with dual-jet nozzles. This will improve the uniformity of windshield wetting;
Adjust the direction of washer nozzles so that the entire area of the windshield to be wetted by the wipers is wetted. Check the direction of the nozzles should be at a speed of 50-70 km/h, because the air flow deflects the water jet as you drive;
in advance, before cold weather, pour non-freezing liquid into the washer tank and remove water from the system by turning on the window washer for 10 seconds.