It seems
“Mother Nature” is trying to make up for the five-inch rainfall deficit we are
experiencing around here in 2009. It seems to be raining a lot lately,
and wet snow will soon follow.... which makes this a good time to check your
vehicle’s wiper blades.
I had the
wiper blades replaced on my WCCO news car recently, because they were leaving
big streaks on the windshield. Wiper blades deteriorate gradually, so
they usually get pretty bad before you realize it.
This car
(2006 Toyota RAV4) takes two different size wiper blades, which surprised
me. In fact, I had been driving this car for three years and never knew
this little detail.
As you can see in the photo ...
... the blade for the driver’s side is 24 inches long, and the passenger’s side
takes a 17-inch blade.
Car makers
do this so the driver’s side of the windshield gets a bigger “sweep”... but
when you see the wipers working, it appears they are the same length.
If you need
new wiper blades, and you plan to replace them yourself, be sure to bring BOTH
the old wipers into the parts store to get exact replacements.
Do not try
to get the cheapest blades.
As you can see from the photo ...
... of this receipt, a pair of good wiper blades
will cost at least 30 bucks. Beware of stores that will try to sell you
the entire WIPER ARM assembly. This will be really expensive, and usually
a waste of money. After many years, the spring in the wiper arm that
holds the rubber blades snuggly to the windshield can wear out... but this is
really rare.
Our last
photo ...
... is from a blog in 2007, but the
information is still good: before you get new wiper blades, try cleaning
the ones you have with alcohol prep pads from a first aid kit. You could
also use rubbing alcohol on a paper towel. Either way, you may be
surprised how much better the wipers work with the “glaze” of dirt and road
grime removed.
Got a
question about your car? We can probably get you an answer here at The
Garage.
