As the frosty mornings come to an end, weather reports suggest that the rain is on its way. Whilst we don’t have to spend an extra 10 minutes in the morning scraping away the ice, we still need to make sure that our windscreen wipers are set up so we can see properly during adverse weather conditions.
Your windscreen wipers are a testing factor in your car’s MOT, and can prevent it from passing. Most people disregard their wipers, even though they’re constantly right in front of their eyes.
As motorists, during winter weather, we concentrate on anti-freeze, oil changes and tyre tread. However, winter weather can seriously affect your windscreen wipers. The frost can make them stick onto your car, cause the rubber to disintegrate and even cause the wiper to fall off completely – not great when you’re driving home in the miserable weather in the dark!
During rainy days and busy journeys, it’s important that your wipers are effective in wiping out the water so that you can see where you’re headed. Keeping your wipers in check, can prevent causes of accidents with maximum visibility.
As windscreen wipers are subject to wear and tear, just like any other part of your vehicle, it’s important to check them just as much as you do with your oil, tyres and other safety components of your car.
First of all, your windscreen wipers are right in front of your face, so it’s easy to work out where they are! That’s step one covered.
Step two, is identifying when they might not be working best for you. It’s easy to see when your wipers are not performing effectively, because your visibility will be impaired in wet weather conditions or when you try to clean your windscreen during dry, dusty road journeys.
Leaving streaks and dirt on your windscreen when trying to clean it off is the first sign that you need your wipers replacing along with juddering along the surface instead of a nice smooth sweep.
The best thing to do is try to check your windscreen wipers before it starts affecting your visibility as this could impact on your safety.
Check your wiper blade by lifting the arms up from the windscreen. Test the rubber on the blade by running your fingers along the surface. If the rubber breaks up or feels delicate or wear like chunks are missing or peeling away, then you need to look at getting your wipers replaced.
Get your wipers checked before your MOT and it could save you some money! It doesn’t cost much or take long to get your windscreen wipers replaced. So, visit your local garage as soon as possible to get these checked out before an MOT. It can save you money on a re-test. Most garages will check your wipers for free, as it’s a simple visually check that can be done in minutes! So, save yourself the extra re-test fee and get them checked out first.
There are tonnes of brands of wipers out there, big ones, small ones, budget, premium, front ones, back ones, it can be a little tricky trying to find the ones that are right for you. Do not fear! Most garages will be able to use your car registration to find out which windscreen wipers are best for you.
If your garage doesn’t have this option, then your vehicle handbook should be able to tell you which ones you need and how to re-fit the new ones. At RG Motors, we’ll help you find which wipers are best for you, and we’ll re-fit them for you in a couple of minutes.
Generally, the most expensive one’s aren’t always the best. It’s best to get the parts that suit your particular car. There are a plenty of brands such as Lucas, Bosch or Valeo that you’ll recognise. But at RG Motors, we can help you find what’s best for you at a range of prices.
If you want to fit your wipers yourself, it’s a pretty easy task. Your car’s handbook should be able to tell you how to do this properly. You’ll need to pop the arms out into a vertical position in order to fit the new blades properly. Remove the old blade, and simple slot in the new ones.
Tip for the road: if you match your new wiper blades to the same blades you have previously, they fit on and off the same way. As you remove the old blade, you can see how it fits onto the arms, and just reverse the process to get the new ones back on.
