Car wipers are of great importance for a comfortable ride. Thanks to their work, good visibility is achieved on the road, and the driver will better maintain his suspension, as he will see and go around the pits and other irregularities. The better the wipers work, the better it will be for the car as a whole, and the driver - calmer. When the quality of work falls, the time comes to replace the wipers. However, sometimes you can only change the rubber bands for the wiper blades.
We will consider how to do this, but at the same time and how to extend the life of these details so that their work is of high quality for as long as possible.
Before cleaning
Wipers drivers begin to truly appreciate when they are driving in bad weather. It is thanks to them that a good overview is provided at such a time. In order for the wipers to serve as long as possible, they should be properly operated. For example, before you turn on cleaning mode, you need to moisten the windshield. If there is no liquid in the tank, then you can pour water from the bottle or use snow. It is better not to drive on dry glass, as this may damage the rubber for the wiper blades. Especially a lot of dust and dirt accumulates on the rear window. If you hold dry rubber over them, then it will form cracks and abrasions. Naturally, from one time this does not appear. But over time, they are necessarily formed.
Sometimes it is useful to rinse the brushes with water, but do not forget about the rubber bands for brushes.
We keep brushes in the winter
In the cold season, they need special care. If the car remains for an unknown period on the street, then they should be taken away from the windshield, as in severe frosts they can freeze. Once in the car, in no case should you immediately turn on the device for cleaning the windshield. After all, the brushes and the motor that starts their mechanism may wear out ahead of time.
When the weather changes, the washer fluid should be replaced with an anti-freeze. Thanks to this, the gum for the wiper blades will last another couple of seasons. At the same time, this will keep the tank intact, as it is filled with ordinary liquid and may crack.
We keep brushes in the summer
It should be borne in mind, on the other hand, that when direct sunlight enters the brushes, this reduces their service life by half. Therefore, if you don’t want to buy new wiper blades or rubber bands for the wiper blades after the summer season, take care to remove them from the car. It only takes a couple of minutes. But money will be saved.
A few more tips for operating wipers
It’s also a good idea to wipe the glass, for example, when refueling a car. The most vulnerable part of the wipers is their hinges. They need to provide proper care: lubricate them so that there is no corrosion and they do not wear out ahead of time, or again the mechanism will have to be changed.
When the windshield is snowing, it is better to sweep it off with your hand than a wiper, or use a scraper. Wipers turn on after the snow is removed.
Do not turn on the wiper if there is an ice layer on the glass. Friction can lead to cuts in elastic bands, after which you can forget about high-quality cleaning of glass.
Gum Replacement
But no matter how carefully you care for the wipers, sooner or later there comes a time when they have to be changed. However, do not rush and throw out the old kit. Maybe the reason for the poor performance is the wiper blades, as all the other parts are more durable and break much less frequently.
Let's consider the option of replacing the gum on the wiper blade and try to implement it. Perhaps then with an old set of brushes it will be possible to calmly ride a few more seasons, and use the money saved for something else.
Instruction manual
To change the gum, it is not necessary to go to the repair shop. The main thing is to choose the right length of the rubber tape. Installation will require pliers and scissors or a knife, as well as the tape itself. Suppose you have purchased good rubber bands for Bosch wiper blades. The replacement process will look as follows.
It is necessary to raise the levers of the cleaners on the driver's side, and then on the passenger side. It is better not to open the hood when replacing, as the wipers may break.
Then the gum is removed from the mounts. This will be easier to do if the pliers unclench the fasteners literally a couple of millimeters so as not to break them.
Then they gently pull the end of the gum and pull it out with guides or, as they are also called, ribs. Elastics for Bosch wiper blades most often come with guides. But sometimes they are sold separately. In the latter case, the ribs are installed on a new tape and, if it turns out that the elastic is longer than necessary, calmly cut off the extra piece with a knife.
Next, the wiper is installed back. Make it easier than take it off. But you need to be careful not to damage small parts. The elastic is inserted between the fasteners, fixed and clamped with pliers.
The final step is lowering the levers onto the windshield. The first is to lower the part on the passenger side, and then the driver.
This whole procedure applies not only to the windshield. Similar actions are taken when replacing the tape on the rear window. If you pick up good gum wiper blades and install them correctly, then you will extend the life of a set of wipers. Of course, this will be possible if you follow all the recommendations for the operation of these parts.
Conclusion
Thus, if you use rubber bands for wiper blades (Denso, Bosch, Alca, Horse and others), you can significantly save on the purchase of wipers. And proper care will keep them in order for a few more seasons. At the same time, the replacement procedure is so simple that it is easily carried out independently and does not require the help of specialists.