Windshield wipers are an integral, although highly neglected part of your car, and they are responsible for keeping the visibility maintained, especially during rainfall, snow, and bad weather. Winters can be exceptionally harsh for you and your car, and they also take their toll on the wipers, since they are installed externally.
If your car is usually parked in the open in the winter, your windshield wipers won’t be able to survive the season and you will have to replace them much more frequently. However, there are some important tips that you can follow to ensure that they can live out much longer.
Replacing them After Winter
When you park your car in the open during winters, the snow and ice that falls on it causes the wipers to stick to the windshield, making it very difficult to detach them. If you turn on the engine and turn on your wipers in this state, the motor will have to work very hard to move the wipers, which will cause it to break down.
At such a point, don’t try to move the wipers away from the windshield, as too much force may cause the wipers to break or snap away, or cause the frame to bend.
Some people lift their wipers to keep them away from the windshield, so that the snow buildup doesn’t stick them together. However, this doesn’t protect the rubber blades of them from getting frosted, in which case you shouldn’t use them on the windshield, otherwise they can damage the glass. Therefore, it is inevitable to replace them when winter turns into spring. They will be unsuitable for use, especially because their rubbers get hardened.
Protecting Your Windshield Wipers in the Winter
If they have gotten stuck due to ice, the best way is to start up your car and turn on the defroster, which will slowly warm up the glass and cause all the snow to melt, thus freeing your windshield wipers. However, this also doesn’t work against icy rubber blades, and you still can’t use the wipers to clean your windshield.
The best way to go about this is to get a cover or protector for them, so that you can keep them covered whenever you are parking your car in the wintertime. This will protect it from get covered with ice. Not only will this protect the blades from scratching the glass surface, but it will also protect the rubber blades from wearing out, which happens more quickly in the winters.
Nevertheless, your windshield wipers will wear out pretty quickly during the winter. This means that you will have to change them at any cost. By following the tips, you will be able to protect them from winter damage. You will also be able to ensure that they don’t need to be replaced as soon as springtime comes.