Common Windscreen Wiper Blade Problems: Replace or Repair?

We all know that car parts undergo wear and tear but the one part that many car owners tend to ignore, or in some cases don't even know need a replacement or repair job, are windscreen wiper blades. The end result is that windscreen wipers can often end up being one of the most neglected parts of your car. 

In contrast, windscreen wiper blades are crucial for maintaining a clear vision of the road ahead. A dirty windscreen can make for uneven visibility which is an unsafe driving practice at best, and can also lead to an accident. So, when should you be replacing your windscreen wipers or will a simple repair job suffice? To make things easier, we have put together this guide to solve your wiper issues.

Common Windscreen Wiper Problems and Their Solutions

Before we can decide if your windscreen wiper blades need to be replaced or repaired, we must discover the problem at hand. Diagnosing the problem is half the battle won, as it becomes easier to chalk out the solution. Once you know what the problem is, you can easily decide if your wiper blades need to be replaced or if you should look to repair them. Some of the common problems related to windscreen wiper blades are:

1. The wipers are leaving streak marks on the windscreen

It is the most common wiper blade issue faced by car drivers, not just in India, but across the globe. The streak marks left behind on the windscreen after using the wipers might consist of clear water that has been left behind, or might be a mix of water and dirt which can considerably hinder outside visibility. It can be highly confusing, as such a problem can crop up even just a couple of months after you have changed your wiper blades.

Diagnosing the Problem: Streaks on the windscreen, in most cases, are the result of dirty wiper blades. In their regular operation, windscreen wiper blades pick up minuscule pieces of debris and grime off your windscreen, and often, the grime and the debris stick to the wiper blades. This creates a small gap between the windscreen and the wiper blades, and it leads to the formation of streaks when using the windscreen wipers.

A rarer occurrence might be a damaged windscreen wiper blade, especially if it was changed not too long ago. Damage can occur for many reasons, such as using wipers on a cracked windscreen, or quite simply, it could be your neighbourhood monkeys wanting to exercise the might of their teeth.

Finding The Solution: If your windscreen wiper blades are dirty and are hence not able to create a proper seal between it and the windscreen, you can simply repair them by giving them a good scrubbing with a mix of water and car shampoo. This should ideally be done at the time of your weekly car wash. Windscreen wiper fluid can also be used for this purpose. Let the lather sit on the blades for a few minutes, and then use the same cloth to wipe off the lather. Rinse your windscreen wiper blades, and if the problem persists, redo the process.

Alternatively, if your wiper blades are damaged, you need to find the source of the damage. If you suspect that animals near your parking spot (or even a person) is causing the damage, the best way to avoid this problem is to use a car cover, or to find an alternative parking spot. Once you have done that, you will also need to replace your wiper blades.

2. The wipers are causing a squeaking noise

The wiper squeak has been known to cause great frustration among drivers as it can sometimes even leave experienced drivers baffled. Many drivers don’t use their windscreen wipers for months on end, and then when the monsoon comes around, they find that their windscreen wipers have developed a squeak. What leaves most people baffled is that they don’t even use the wipers all that much, and still the squeaking noise just sneaks up on them.

Diagnosing The Problem: A squeaking noise from the windscreen wiper blades is most definitely a rubber issue. You see, rubber doesn’t just wear out, but it can age as well. Over time, depending upon environmental conditions, rubber can dry out and lose its flexibility. Once this happens, the rubber starts to drag on the surface of the glass instead of smoothly gliding on it, which leads to the ear-piercing squeaking noise.

Finding The Solution: In such a situation, your only option is to replace your windscreen wiper blades to replace the dried-out rubber. In ideal scenarios, a wiper blade lasts anywhere between 12 to 18 months, depending upon usage, and in that time, either the rubber will wear out or it will age. However, if you find your wipers squeaking a few months after they have been replaced, or even a few weeks after, there is an underlying problem that needs to be solved. 

If your wipers start squeaking in a few months, then, the rubber is going through the aging process faster than it should. Parking the car in extremely hot and dry weather can dry out the rubber, and in such instances, you need to start parking your car in a cooler spot. While extreme heat is the enemy of wiper blades, extreme cold can also be harsh on your windscreen wiper blades, as it can make them brittle. However, this problem is only limited to areas such as the mountainous region of Ladakh where the temperature remains below zero degrees Celsius for months on end.

Lastly, if your wiper blades start squeaking within weeks of replacement, chances are they are made of low quality rubber and could even be fakes. To avoid such issues, you should only buy wiper blades from a trusted source or authorised spare part shops.

3. The wipers are skipping or bouncing on the glass surface

Windscreen wiper blades are supposed to stay in contact with the glass surface to remove water and debris from the surface. However, in some conditions, the windscreen wiper blade can momentarily lift off from the glass surface before coming back down. This can happen throughout its range of motion, or in certain areas of the windscreen. It is highly important that you have this problem rectified soon, as it can cause major damage to the windscreen.

Diagnosing the Problem:  There are a few common reasons why wiper blades can start bouncing or skipping on your windscreen. Firstly, the wiper arm can get bent. This can happen due to an impact from road debris, or sometimes even small collisions with birds can create such an issue. Alternatively, stray animals that rest on cars can also cause such issues, and furthermore, car cleaners are often careless in how they handle wiper arms and can sometimes cause damage to the wiper arm due to negligence.

The second reason why wiper arms can skip or bounce on the surface of the glass is due to a tension issue. Wiper arms use springs to create tension and keep them in contact with the surface of the windscreen. A worn-out or weak spring can reduce the tension, which in turn can lead to the windscreen wiper blade skipping or bouncing on the surface of the glass.

Lastly, certain aftermarket coatings can also cause friction between the glass surface and the windscreen wiper blades. This can lead to the wiper blades skipping or bouncing on the windscreen.

Finding The Solution: In the event your windscreen wiper blades are skipping or bouncing on the windscreen surface, you can either have them repaired or replaced. If the wiper arm has been slightly bent, it can be straightened to bring it back to its correct orientation. However, it is advised that you let a professional do this, as it is a delicate task, and if done incorrectly, it could further ramp up the problem or even cause the wiper arm to break.

If your wiper arm has a tension issue, you will have to replace the wiper arm spring. Some manufacturers might insist that you change the entire wiper blade and arm assembly. Alternatively, your local mechanic will be able to source just the affected parts and change them for a lesser price. However, a spring tension issue crops up rarely.

If the skipping or bouncing issue is being caused by an aftermarket coating on your windscreen, you will have two options. The easiest one is to upgrade your windscreen wiper blades to ones that work with the coating. You should talk about this with the professional who is coating your windscreen before agreeing to the job. If you find out about this at a later stage, the best solution would be to have the coating removed using specialised chemicals.

Should You Get Professional Help?

Diagnosing a windscreen wiper problem and finding solutions for most of them are easy jobs, compared to other maintenance activities required to keep your car running smoothly. If you are someone who has never worked on a car before, or don’t feel confident attending to the regular maintenance of your vehicle, it is advisable that you engage a professional mechanic to solve your problems.

That said, wiper blades maintenance is a common task, and wiper blade assemblies are engineered in such a way that even a layman can change a wiper blade. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you learn to change your wiper blades and diagnose windscreen wiper blade problems by yourself.