How to Change Your Windscreen Wipers
Given the sheer amount of rain, snow, dust and debris that hits our windscreen in a week here in Britain, it should come as no surprise that they will need changing every once in a while. However, before you go off and pay your local garage to change it for you (which will cost a pretty penny), take a look at this step-by-step guide to changing your windscreen wipers. It’s much simpler than you think!
How will you know if your wipers need changing?
Outside of services and official inspections, many motorists might not know what the telltale signs are. Here are the two most common signs to let you know it’s time to change your windscreen wipers:
- Your wiper blades leave smears and streaks across your windscreen, obscuring your view.
- Your windscreen wipers judder and shake as they pass over the glass – or they make a screeching noise instead of gliding silently.
If you’ve experienced either, or both, of these issues, then the chances are your wipers need changing.
If you want to try and extend the life of your wipers further, you can always give them a monthly clean and run your finger along the rubber blade, checking for tears and cuts.
How to change your wipers
- Firstly, check to see if your new wipers come with a little plastic attachment. You will need this to fix the blades onto your car’s wiper arm. If you can’t find one, you will need to grab one online or from a shop.
- Once you have everything you need and you’re ready to start, pull the windscreen wiper arm up and away from the windscreen. Be sure not to pull the arm off, though! You just want the arm and blade sticking out and accessible.
- Remove the old blades at the attachment near the centre of the blade. Whether it’s a hook or a tab will vary from blade to blade, but neither are too fiddly.
- If the old attachment is still intact, you should be able to reuse it by attaching it to the new blade. It should be easy to fit and just click into place.
- Depending on the vehicle, the right and left blades may differ in size and shape, so be sure to double check which way around they should go before you make the switch. If you get it wrong, you might break them when you turn them on!
- Once you’ve figured out where they need to go, simply slide them into position and wait for a click. Once you’re sure they’re fixed, lower your wipers back into place.
- Turn on and test your wipers. If they’re slipping or moving incorrectly, you may need to dismantle them and return to step 5.
While you can fix wipers yourself – your windscreen is something else entirely.
1st Call Windscreens have a wealth of experience providing both domestic and commercial vehicles with windscreen repairs and replacements. Our team offer their services throughout a variety of locations, including: Maidstone, Sittingbourne, and the whole of Kent. If you would like to get in touch for more information, please give us a call today.