Having your windshield wipers replaced is one of those things that the quick oil change places will often tell you it’s time to do every time you go there. It also can be difficult to tell just by looking at your windshield wipers if they need replacement or are still in good shape. When it starts to rain and you first switch on your windshield wipers they often don’t work as well as you want. For the first couple of passes your windshield may end up streaky or blurry. This also isn’t necessarily an indication that your windshield wiper blades need to be replaced, but may just be an indication that your windshield was dirty to start with and there was not quite enough rainwater to completely wash it off.
So how do you know when it is time to replace your windshield wipers? Most vehicle manufacturers have a recommended mileage interval that you should replace your windshield wipers at to make sure they are in good shape. For the penny pincher, this isn’t the most cost-effective way of maintaining your vehicle because more miles on your car doesn’t necessarily mean your windshield wipers are worn out. Your windshield wipers wear out for 2 reasons. First is obviously due to physical wear. Even though the windshield of your car appears to be a smooth glass surface there are microscopic pits and scratches that can cause wear to your wiper blade. Also, bugs road dirt, sand and sharp ice all get scrapped aside by your windshield wiper blade which can also cause it to wear out. The other force wearing down your wiper blade is actually UV rays from the sun. Since the wiper blades are outside your car they are exposed every day to the radiation from the sun which can do a number on rubber or silicone surfaces causing them to become more brittle, crack or crumble. Due to the nature of use for your windshield wipers, there isn’t anything you can do to stop these two forces wearing down your wipers which is why car manufacturers make them easy to replace and we recommend they be replaced often.
Following your vehicle’s manufacturer’s guidelines for replacing parts is always a good plan, but in this case it really is up to your discretion. Your windshield wipers ability to clear debris, bugs and water from your windshield really is a safety issue so if they are not clearing your windshield as you would like, it is probably time to replace your wipers.
What Size Windshield Wipers Do I Need?
When it comes to size, your local auto parts store is the best source for which size you should get. Any reputable store should have a book listing the make, model and year of your car and which windshield wiper size you need. Many of these book listings have gone digital so try asking one of the store employees. You can always drive your vehicle to the auto parts store, remove the wiper blades in the parking lot and then have them to compare to the new set to make sure you get the right size. Most windshield wiper blades can be removed without any tools. If you want to find the right size on your own, check out this website and choose the correct make and model of your car to find the proper size: http://www.ezwipers.com/wipers
Before you do decide to replace your windshield wipers, first try making sure you have the proper windshield washer fluid in your vehicle. The proper windshield washer fluid can help keep your windshield clean of debris increasing the efficiency of your wipers, but also can help act as a lubricant between the wiper blade and windshield allowing the wipers to work better. BlueDevil Windshield Washer Concentrate is a concentrated formula that you can mix with water to create your own washer fluid. BlueDevil Windshield Washer Concentrate is not only easy to store and easy to use with its built in measuring system, it has a special formula that is designed to clean away build up, road grime, dirt and bugs. It also is safe for the finishes on the exterior of your car and will not freeze! You may find out your windshield wipers are actually in good shape, you just needed the right washer fluid.
Pick up BlueDevil Windshield Washer Concentrate today at any of our partnering local auto parts stores:
- Advance Auto Parts
- AutoZone
- Bennett Auto Supply
- CarQuest Auto parts
- NAPA Auto Parts
- O’Reilly Auto Parts
- Pep Boys
- Fast Track
- Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts Specialists
- S&E Quick Lube Distributer
- DYK Automotive
You can also purchase BlueDevil Windshield Washer Concentrate here.
Pictures provided by: www.aa1car.com and www.autofocus.ca
BlueDevil Products can be found on Amazon.com or at AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, O’Reilly Auto Parts, NAPA, and other major auto parts retailers.
4 responses to "How to Pick the Right Windshield Wiper Size"
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Is there a problem increasing your wiper blade sizes? I recently changed my truck wipers and bought larger ones. The my don’t touch each other or the sides but I didn’t know if they may cause to much strain on the wiper motors? I have a ’13 ram 1500 super cab I am using 1 – 26″ and 1 – 24″
Johnathan-
Slightly increasing the wiper blade size will not do any harm to the wiper motors. Normally, the factory recommended size will already come very close to the edge of your windshield so increasing it would only be a very slight difference in size.
Thank You!
-BDP
Windshield wipers are just as important as having a windshield with no cracks in it. If you have any cracks I recommend doing your research to find a reputable company. In Tulsa, OK, I recommend GlassWorks Auto Glass. They did a tremendous job for me as I was passing through and had a rock leave a huge crack in my windshield.
One of the important things we have to make sure of before and while driving is our visibility. Exactly the main reason why people with color blindness and poor eyesight have a hard time or don’t really get a chance to have a driver’s license. So when talking about driving visibility, we’re not just pertaining to our eye health; certain auto parts also function in order to ensure the clearness of our vision while driving – our car headlights and even our windshield wipers.