Is It Time To Replace Your Windshield Wipers? Here’s How To Tell

Certain parts in a car undergo wear and tear and car windscreen wipers are one of them. They are made of rubber and as the rubber slides over the glass windscreen, it wears out. Over time, it reaches the end of its life cycle and needs to be changed in order for your wipers to continue working properly. At other times, you also need to replace wiper blades that have been damaged.

Car owners are often unaware when it is time to replace their wipers, and more importantly, most people don’t know when to judge that a wiper has reached the end of its life cycle. To make things easier, we have put together this guide for you, with detailed instructions on how to do just that.

Ideal Replacement Interval

The best people to tell us the ideal replacement interval for a wiper blade are the people who design them. Most car makers recommend a replacement interval of 6 to 12 months. However, we need to keep in mind that car makers give a general estimate and they also love to err on the side of caution.

That said, in our practical experience, wiper blades can last anywhere between 12 to 18 months in Indian conditions. While some people’s rubber blades might not wear out even in 18 months, it is recommended to change them as the rubber blades start losing their lubrication, and can end up scratching the windshield.

The above estimates are ideal replacement intervals, however, ultimately the life of your wipers is dependent upon certain factors.

Key Factors That Affect Wiper Lifespan

The lifespan of a wiper blade is decided by climate conditions, usage and the regular maintenance.  

1. Climate Conditions

• Hot Weather: Hot weather can cause the rubber blades to dry out, and prolonged exposure to high temperatures can develop cracks in the rubber blade, rendering the car windscreen wipers useless.
• Cold Weather: Extreme cold weather can also decrease the lifespan of wiper blades. In such conditions, they become brittle and there is no other option left but to replace your wipers.
• Coastal Regions: The air in coastal regions has salt in the air. This can deposit on the windshield and when the wipers are used, this salt is transferred to the wipers. Salt has the potential to turn rubber brittle, and can also cause discolouration and cracks. 
• Dusty Conditions: Just like salty air, dust too settles on windshields. Wipers and washer fluid is used to remove this dust, most often when cars are parked overnight. The dirt sticks to wiper blades and along with frequent usage, it causes accelerated wear of the rubber blades.

2. Frequency Of Use

The biggest factor behind determining the lifespan of wiper blades is the frequency of their usage. Some people use their wipers to clean the windshield everyday, whereas other people only use them sparingly. 

Furthermore, urban drivers don’t need to use their wipers as often as highway drivers. Higher highway speeds mean that more debris and bugs get collected on the windshield, and drivers have to frequently use their wipers to clean the windshield.

Alternatively, if you live in a place where rainfall occurs frequently, you will end up using your wipers more often. In such a situation, the rubber blades will naturally wear out faster and will need to be replaced more often. 

3. Maintenance Habits

Just like other car parts, wipers also need to undergo maintenance. However, wiper blade maintenance is not as time consuming or labour intensive as some other car maintenance activities. In general, the rubber blades need to be cleaned of any grime or debris. This can be done at the time of washing the car. 

Alternatively, if you are on a road trip and are driving over 500 km in a day, it is recommended that you clean your wipers at the end of the day, or once before starting off the next day. This removes all the debris such as bug splatter that can build up on the wiper blades.

For those who want to go the maximum distance, you can also use silicone wiper blade lubricant after washing your rubber blades. It helps reduce the ageing process by stopping the rubber blades from drying out in hot weather conditions, and also helps curb the squeaking noises by reducing the friction between the wipers and the windscreen.

Signs It Is Time To Replace Your Wipers

Replacing wiper blades shouldn’t be strictly an interval based activity. Sometimes, the blades can start showing signs of wear before the recommended interval and should be changed when the following problems start showing up:

• Streak marks on your windscreen: If your wipers are leaving behind streak marks, it is a sign that the rubber blades have worn out. It is an indicator that it is time to change your wipers.
• Skipping on the windscreen surface: Rubber blades age over time and as mentioned earlier, they can become hard. Such wiper blades tend to skip on the windscreen surface. They not only hamper visibility but can also damage the windshield and should be replaced immediately.
• Split or cracked rubber blades: You should visually inspect your wipers once a month, and if you find any of the blades are cracked or have a cut in them, you should replace them immediately. If a single wiper blade is damaged, it is still recommended to change the set, otherwise they will wear out unevenly.
• Reduced visibility in rainy weather: As wipers blades wear out, their ability to combat rainfall falling on the windscreen decreases. If you feel that your wipers are not clearing water as well as they used to, it could be time to change them.

Types Of Wiper Blades

Now that you know when you should change your wipers, what type of blades should you opt for? These are the three main types of wiper blades available in the market:

• Conventional Wiper Blades: These wiper blades feature a metal bracket with extending arms that press the rubber blade onto the windscreen. These are usually found on older models, and they will cost you the least when it is time to replace your blades.
• Frameless Wiper Blades: They are the most advanced type of wiper blades in the market, and feature a single rubber strip with a pre-tensioned metal strip inside that presses the rubber onto the windscreen. They will cost you the most.
• Hybrid Wiper Blades: Hybrid wipers feature a metal bracket construction like conventional ones, but it is enclosed in a metal or plastic shell, giving it some of the advantages of a frameless wiper blade. They are priced above conventional blades but below frameless wipers.

Tips To Improve Wiper Blade Life

Apart from the usual maintenance, there are also a few tips or hacks you can follow to improve the life of your wiper blades.

• Lift your wipers during hot sunny days or snowfall: This prevents the wiper blades from sticking to your windshield in hot or cold conditions. If the rubber blades stick to the windshield, it can cause them to deform, reducing their effectiveness and reducing their lifespan.
• Avoid running your wipers on a dry windshield: This mostly happens when you activate the wipe and wash feature and your wash bottle doesn’t have any water. A quick hack to never run out of water in your wash bottle is to top up it weekly at the time of washing your car.
• Use windshield washer fluid instead of plain water: Regular water can remove dust but it can’t combat the grime that sticks onto the windshield. Windshield washer fluid is designed to break down this grime, and prevents it from sticking to your wiper blades, thus increasing their lifespan.

Conclusion

Windshield wipers are a small but essential part of your car and keeping them in working order goes a long way in ensuring a safe driving experience. The general guidelines given by manufacturers will give a rough estimate as to when you will need to replace your car windscreen wipers. However, the exact time frame will differ from car to car and driver to driver. Therefore, you will have to keep an eye out on their performance and perform routine maintenance from time to time to extend the life of your wiper blades.