How To Change Wiper Blades On Your Car: A Step-by-Step Guide

A clean windshield is paramount for a safe driving experience and your wiper blades play an integral role in offering an unobstructed view of the road ahead. Like many other car parts, wipers fall into the wear and tear category, meaning that they need to be changed at periodic intervals. However, this can sound tedious and confuse many car owners.

How exactly does one go about changing wipers blades? Is this something you will have to budget for, like changing the suspension components, brake pads or even changing the oil of your car. And most importantly, will you need to take off time from your schedule to visit the mechanic’s shop just to replace your wiper blades? Read on to find out the answers to all these questions.

Why Do You Need To Change Wiper Blades?

As we mentioned before, wiper blades fall under the wear and tear category and need to be changed at regular intervals to maintain an optimum performance level. To be specific, the rubber blades of your wipers wear out as they slide over the windscreen to remove the water, dirt, grime and any other debris that might have been deposited on the glass surface. Water wears them out the least whereas dirt and other debris causes more wear.

Will You Need To Budget For Changing Your Wipers?

Wear and tear components required can sometimes be expensive, but when it comes to wipers, one can say that all car owners catch a lucky break. They are one of the least expensive wear and tear parts present on a car, and most owners will only end up spending pocket change to change their wipers.

That said, wipers are of different types and if you end up going for high performance models, you could end up spending anywhere between ₹ 1,000 to ₹ 2,000 for them. However, most wiper blades are priced under ₹ 1,000 and furthermore, if you are savvy enough, you can order them online, change them at home and save on any labour cost. 

Moreover, if you frequently visit a workshop and are friends with the staff, they might not even charge you for it, as the job requires minimal effort and is not time consuming.

How To Choose The Right Wiper Blades For Your Car?

Choosing the right type of wipers can seem daunting at first, but once you understand your requirements, it becomes really easy. There are mainly three types of wipers you will have to choose between:

1. Conventional Wipers: They feature a metal bracket construction and are generally found on older cars. There are the cheapest types of wipers available in the market.
2. Frameless Wipers: They feature a single rubber blade with a pre-tensioned metal strip embedded inside and are found on modern cars. They are the most expensive type of wipers available in the market.
3. Hybrid Wipers: They feature a metal bracket with a plastic or metal housing and combine the traits of conventional and frameless wipers. They are priced in between conventional and frameless wipers.

If you have an old car, chances are, conventional wipers are going to be the right fit for it. They are cheaper, and will fit easily without requiring any type of adapter. Older wiper systems are also tuned to work better with conventional wiper blades.

If you are looking to improve the wiping performance, you can look to upgrade to hybrid wipers. These will offer a better performance at higher speeds and the shell around the metal bracket also protects it from damage.

Modern car models, especially premium brands like Skoda and Volkswagen, are offered with frameless wipers. These offer the best wiping performance, however, these rubber blades can require special adapters if you want to retrofit them to older cars.

What Do You Need To Change Wiper Blades?

To change your wipers, you will need three things:

1. New wiper blades of the same size as your existing blades
2. Cleaning solution, preferably car shampoo or some windshield washer fluid

3. A clean cloth

    

Well Known Car Wiper Brands in India

There are many well known car wiper brands available in India. Bosch is one of the most reputable companies in India, but many other companies also offer similar options at a lower price. Here are some of the wiper models available in India:

Step By Step Guide To Changing Wiper Blades

To change the wiper blades, you simply need to follow the below steps

Step 1: Lift the wiper arm away from the windscreen.

Step 2: Clean your windshield using the cleaning solution and use a clean cloth to wipe it dry.

Step 3: Now, it is time to remove your old wiper blades and replace them with new ones. The blades are fixed to wiper arms using different types of adapters, with the most common type being the Hook Mount. Alternatively, Clip On and Pin Mount Wipers are also offered by some car makers.

1. Hook Mount Wiper Blades: This type of mount has a J hook at the end of the wiper arm. Some cars will have a release tab or clip near the J hook. If yes, press the tab or clip and pull the wiper downwards towards the windshield. If there is no tab or clip, simply pull on it in the same direction and it will come off the wiper arm. Now take the new wiper blade and slide it into the same spot, pushing it away from the windshield, until it locks into place. 

2. Clip On Wiper Blades: This type of mount has a locking button close to the end of the wiper arm. Once you have located the button, press on it to release the wiper blade. You can then simply pull the wiper upwards, away from the windshield. Now take the replacement wiper and insert it into the same spot, pushing downwards towards the windshield, until it clicks into place

3. Pin Mount Wiper Blades: This type of mount looks different as it attaches to the wiper arm from the side. To remove the wiper, locate the latch that secures the pin in place, open it, and then simply pull out the wiper blade. After that, insert the new wiper onto the pin and close the latch to secure it in place.

Step 4: Once you have replaced the wiper blade, gently lower the wiper arm onto the windscreen. Replete the same process for the second wiper. Test the wipers by using the wipe and wash function to make sure they have been installed correctly.

Conclusion

Wipers blades are a common wear and tear part. By learning to change them yourself, you eliminate the need to visit a car workshop for a small task which can be carried out without any type of tools. Furthermore, if you undertake long road trips, knowing how to change your own wiper blades in remote parts of the country can go a long way in ensuring a safe driving experience. Therefore, if you frequently travel to remote areas, it is advisable that you carry a spare set with you.