If your wipers don’t clean the water as well as they used to, you may need new wipers.Here’s how to replace them safely and effectively, along with tips from the experts.
Your windshield wipers are one of the most important consumables on your car.If you have bad wipers and get caught in the rain, your visibility will be greatly reduced, which will greatly increase the risk of an accident.Nobody likes events.That’s why we’ve provided expert instructions and tips on how to safely replace your wipers.
Road & Track spoke with McLaren Philadelphia’s Senior Technician Kevin Hines to learn the right way to replace wiper blades efficiently and safely.Hines is the only factory-certified McLaren F1 technician in North America, meaning his day job is researching $20 million worth of exotics.If anyone knows about replacing wiper blades, it’s him.
Before reading any further, we recommend consulting your car’s owner’s manual for exact instructions on how to replace the wiper blades on your car.The manufacturer’s recommendations may differ from the instructions below.
There are a lot of different wiper blades out there to choose from, but first and foremost, of course, is to make sure you have the right wiper blade for your make and model.When deciding which variant is best for your windshield, keep an eye out for well-known brands and make an informed decision.Choose OEM if you want to take the guesswork out of it.
If you’re driving a regular car from a well-known brand, chances are you’ll find compatible wipers at your local auto parts or department store.If you’re driving something less common, you may need to go online to find a suitable suit.
Most cars don’t require tools to replace windshield wiper blades; all you need is your hands.Find the blade on the car and lift the wiper arm into the air.Usually they hold themselves in place under spring tension, giving you room to switch blades easily.On some cars, you may have to lift the hood to reach the arm.
Now comes the part you have to figure out for yourself: how to remove the wiper blade from the arm.There are dozens of different manufacturer designs for this connection, but most require some fiddling and a little flexing to get the wipers off.We recommend that you refer to your owner’s manual for instructions on how to remove the blade from your car without damaging anything.
Take extra care after turning off the wipers.”Any time I do a set of windshield wipers, whether it’s on my personal truck or a McLaren F1, I always use something to protect the windshield,” Hines told us.
With the wiper blades closed, the metal wiper arms are ready to make contact with the glass.If you accidentally hit it while replacing the blade, it could slap off and break the windshield.”I never like to have my arm dangling without the wiper blades,” Hines said.”I was in tears because the windshield was broken.”
Our tip: Get a towel or two and place it on the windshield as a barrier between the glass and the wiper arm.That way, if the arm swings down suddenly, it’ll hit the towel instead of your delicate windshield.The last thing you want is to turn a quick DIY job into a $300 windshield replacement.
Take the wipers you just removed and place them next to your replacement kit.Make sure both are the same size and length and have the same attachment points.After you’ve confirmed that your new wipers fit, pop them out using the reverse of removing your old wipers.After securing the new wipers to their respective arms, gently place the arms back on the windshield.
Get in the car, turn on the accessories, turn on the wipers, and make sure they work as expected.Make sure they don’t touch any parts of the car that shouldn’t be touching, such as the front hood or windshield frame.If not, then congratulations, you are done.
Post time: Feb-16-2022