Windshield wiper blades are modest hard workers, allowing the driver not to depend on the whims of nature, providing an excellent view of the road in any weather. “Windshield wipers” - as windshield wiper blades are also called - are one of the components that ensure the comfort and safety of a car on the road. To extend the life of your windshield wiper blades, you should follow the operating rules and recommendations.

The main problem when using windshield wiper blades is winter time is that the brush body is very sensitive to snow and ice. This has a particularly strong effect on the operation of frame wipers, because An ice crust can quite easily form in the hinges, which prevents the uniform distribution of pressure from the leash to the rubber band. The tape itself is also susceptible to precipitation and low temperatures. The rubber from which the tape is made changes its properties depending on the temperature. In the cold it becomes more fragile and sensitive to deformation.

To extend the life of your brushes, you should handle them especially carefully in winter. Before turning on the windshield wiper, it is necessary to remove snow and ice from the windshield, because... Otherwise, damage to the rubber brush band is inevitable. If you have frame brushes, before starting the cleaner you also need to make sure that there is no ice or snow in the body hinges so that nothing interferes proper operation windshield wiper

It is also undesirable to leave snow on the surface of the windshield wiper units for the reason that the heat emanating from the windshield melts the snow, but almost immediately turns into ice due to the fact that the ambient temperature is below zero. In addition, when the car is moving, it also happens additional cooling all its external nodes.

To save yourself from the need to painstakingly clean all the windshield wiper units from accumulated snow, you can: winter season put special winter options windshield wiper blades. In case of frame brushes You can use their winter variety - with a protective casing that covers the body from precipitation. This makes it much easier to operate the windshield wiper in winter. However, using a brush with protective cover does not mean you no longer need to clear your windshield of snow and ice. The cover only prevents the accumulation of snow and ice in the housing components. Another feature of this type of brush is its increased windage, which makes it more difficult to operate the wiper when high speeds car movement. For lovers drive fast in winter this option is not suitable.

In winter, car owners prefer to use frameless or hybrid wipers. Such brushes have many advantages over frame brushes: streamlining is much better, snow and ice accumulate less on the body.

In winter, you should also remember that the washer fluid should not be too diluted. It should be taken into account that when the car is moving, additional cooling of the liquid occurs, so its concentration can be left slightly higher than is usually customary at a given ambient temperature. Objections may arise to this that using a liquid of increased concentration will be much more expensive than a diluted one. But do not forget that in winter motorists use the washer much less often than in summer, and in extreme cold there is practically no precipitation or dirt to make frequent use of the washer necessary.

Any driver will say that it is much easier to operate windshield wipers in summer than in winter. And this is not surprising, because... There is no longer any need for the almost daily ritual of clearing the windshield wiper from adhered snow and ice. In summer there is no need to worry that the hinges of the body (frame brush) may be “bound” treacherous ice. And the surface of the windshield does not resemble sandpaper, which it sometimes looks like in the morning when the heater has not yet warmed up the glass.

But do not assume that in the warm season, windshield wiper blades do not require care. They must be kept clean at all times of the year. In winter - ice and snow, in summer - sand and pebbles can ruin the brushes. To avoid damaging the tape, you must carefully ensure that there are no pebbles in the folds, which can deform the tape and lead to uneven pressure of the brush against the windshield.

There is no need to even explain that you should not force the windshield wiper blades to work when the windshield is both dry and dirty. Brushes still won’t be able to clean off dried dirt, but damage to the tape is quite possible. You should first use the washer to soften the dried dirt. And in general, even if there is no visible dirt on the glass, there are always particles of sand on the surface of a dry windshield, which is an excellent abrasive.

It's also a good idea to regularly rinse your brushes in warm water to remove any sand or dirt stuck to the tape. This will help prevent uneven pressure on the wiper blade, damage to the wiper blade, and scratching of the windshield.

If oil stains appear, degrease the windshield and the rubber blade band, and then rinse with warm water. Do not forget that gasoline, various solvents and other chemicals have a destructive effect on rubber, so if such liquids get on the windshield, it is necessary to clean it as quickly as possible.

Possible causes of poor wiper blade performance

Streaks remain when cleaning glass

This may be due to damage to the brush band caused by high or low temperatures. Another reason for damage to the rubber band may be pebbles and sand that are not removed from the brush in time.

To solve this problem, you can try rinsing the windshield wiper blade in warm water. But although the chance that this will help restore the previous quality is extremely small. In this case, you need to buy new windshield wiper blades.

The windshield remains cloudy even after the windshield wiper has been used.

Most likely, a film has formed on the surface of the glass due to some kind of oil. In this case, it is necessary to degrease both the glass and the wiper tape.

If this doesn't help, it may be damaged. rubber band windshield wiper blades. It happens that the tape gets a longitudinal tear, which makes it impossible for the wiper to fit tightly to the windshield. The only solution is to buy a new brush.

The brush “jumps” across the glass

There can be many reasons for this, the most common of which are incorrect settings of the windshield wiper mechanism, as well as the blade coming off when the car is moving at high speed.

The best fit at high speeds is with frameless brushes. The use of spoilers, which press the brush against the glass when air flows in, also helps reduce windage.

It is worth carefully adjusting the windshield wiper mechanism so that the leash moves without jerking and is under the right angle. The blade should be perpendicular to the surface of the windshield.

Selecting and purchasing a windshield wiper blade

To decide which “janitor” you need, you need to understand that there is no clear division “ bad brush / good brush" It is widely believed that frameless brushes better than frame ones, but a lot depends on the quality of workmanship. Cheap frameless brushes are likely to be of lower quality than expensive frame ones.

The main thing in the brush is a tight fit to the windshield. Often this very glass in cars is the most various profiles. And it is difficult to make a universal “wiper” that fits equally well to the windshields various models auto. In this regard, frame brushes win, because The rocker system allows the brush to better follow the contour of the glass.

When purchasing a brush, you should focus on the length of the tape recommended by the manufacturer. If you install a wiper blade that is too long, it will be more difficult for the windshield wiper motor to move the entire system, and there is a risk that the ends of the blade will not fit tightly to the glass, making the additional centimeters of tape completely useless.

Recently, so-called hybrid brushes have become increasingly popular, combining the body of a frame brush and low profile from frameless.

To purchase a high-quality windshield wiper blade, you should contact only reliable stores to be sure of the quality and originality of the product you are purchasing. For example, by contacting one of retail stores group of companies "Auto-Alliance", You will not only find huge selection windshield wiper blades, but you can also get competent advice from professional consultants.

As they say, and unfortunately, nothing lasts forever in this world. Especially when it comes to car components. We often exaggerate the possible service life of a particular unit or component of a car and at the same time expect that they will last as long as possible.

For example, let's talk about windshield wiper blades. Agree that brushes usually have to be changed much more often than we expect from them. For many of us, this procedure happens every year. But I wonder if it’s possible to save money and extend the service life car brushes? Yes, naturally, brushes are not the most expensive components in a car, which need to be changed as part of every car service. Probably all car owners will be interested in finding out how to increase . After all, by increasing their service life, we will actually save money, since the intervals between our expenses for each purchase of new brushes increase.

Here are five simple ways Get the most out of your windshield wipers:

Raise the windshield wiper blades away from the windshield when you turn off the engine and leave the car outside overnight. At first glance, to many of you this action may seem unnecessary and pointless. IN summer time, we would like to note that of course this is not necessary. But in winter, we advise all car owners to still raise their wipers and move them away from the windshield.

This way, you will not only protect yourself from potential difficulties associated with brushes freezing at night, but you will also actually save on buying new ones, increasing their service life.

For example, when it snows, it naturally falls on the windshield. The windshield of your car is usually blown with hot air when the engine is running. As a result, the glass usually heats up and snow falling on the glass begins to melt.

If you leave your car at night in the winter in the parking lot, on the street, the windshield will gradually begin to cool down and, if at that moment it is still snowing, then it is natural that after a short period of time ice will begin to form. And all this is due to the fact that the snow that melts for a short time will first turn into water, and then, due to the negative air temperature outside, it will quickly take on an icy form. That is, snow, in accordance with the laws of physics, will turn into ordinary ice crystals. And this will naturally lead to icing of the windshield wiper blades, since it is on them that the flowing water in the form of melted snow will fall. As a result, if the windshield wiper blades are lowered onto the windshield, you will find in the morning that they are completely frozen to the glass. As a result, if you do not clear the ice from the blades, they can be significantly damaged when the wiper mechanism is activated.

Please note that even if the windshield wiper blades are not stuck to the glass very strongly, when you turn on the wiper mechanism, you will still cause microdamage to the very surface of the rubber bands of these brushes.

Thus, the damaged edges of the rubber bands of the brushes will no longer clean the windshield efficiently and effectively, which means they will leave streaks and streaks when cleaning the glass, and in this case you will still have to replace them with new ones.

By lifting the windshield wiper blades when parking your car outside in the winter, you definitely protect them from freezing to the windshield and thereby increase their service life.

This advice is especially relevant for those drivers who use windshield wiper blades in their car constantly and all year round.

Do not remove ice from your windshield wiper blades with a winter scraper, especially if they are frozen to the windshield. In winter, many car enthusiasts try to clean their car windows with a special plastic scraper. Many people, of course, use such a scraper on windshield cleaning the windshield wiper blades with it. For example, when they were completely frozen to him. Under no circumstances should you do this, otherwise you may seriously damage the rubber bands of the brushes.

For example, you can simply break these rubber bands with a scraper. But even if you don’t break the rubber bands of the brushes, the scraper itself can still significantly reduce their service life. As a result of wear on the rubber bands of the brushes, the latter will not be able to properly clean the windshield of the car. In this case, you will have to buy new wipers.

Try to clean the windshield wiper blades with windshield washer fluid. When the vehicle's windshield wiper blades are in in good condition, then they must cleanly and efficiently collect dirt and debris that falls on the windshield. Unfortunately, various dirt and debris very often stick to the brushes themselves. This can not only damage the rubber blades, but also scratch the glass when the wipers are operating. Therefore, every machine owner should regularly clean the surface of the brushes from dirt. To do this, soak a clean rag in windshield washer fluid and wipe the wiper blades. Always remember that windshield blades are not self-cleaning. Thus, by constantly cleaning your car brushes from debris and dirt, you will significantly extend their service life.

In the shadow. Yes, we certainly understand that it is almost impossible to park a car in the shade all the time. But still try to do it when you can. The more often you hide your car from direct sunlight, the less damage you will cause and paint coating car, and the central plastic console, and of course the wiper blades themselves.

Remember that if the windshield wipers on your car do not do their job properly and properly, then you should definitely replace them with new ones. Due to poor cleaning of the glass, the visibility and visibility of the road may be very low, which may cause you (the drivers) to have an accident.

We are often asked why windshield wiper blades wear out so quickly.(?) First of all, it certainly depends on the brand, model and quality of the wipers themselves. But to our regret, even the most expensive and most reliable brushes, if you do not follow certain rules for their operation, can also become completely ineffective in a very short time. So what then can be done to extend the life of car wipers? In fact, friends, everything is quite simple. You just need to follow certain recommendations specified in the instructions and then you can significantly increase the durability of your car brushes. These are the recommendations.

1) Keep your windshield clean.

A clean windshield will significantly increase the life of your car blades. The point here is this, it’s just that dirty auto glass quickly leads the brushes to premature wear. Even in rainy weather, you should keep your windshield clean. If you, friends, think that the rain will wash the dirt off the glass on its own, then this is not entirely true, it is better not to delude yourself. Therefore, remember, before you go on the road, clean the windshield of your car from dirt in advance if it is dirty.

Pay special attention to the condition of the windshield if you are going to hit the road in dry weather. Even if the weather forecast does not promise rain this year, this does not mean that the car windshield does not need to be wiped clean. Please remember that when driving you can accidentally touch the lever (handle) for turning on the wipers, which can lead to damage to the brush rubber bands themselves. If you turn on the wipers in dry weather, you will get the following, namely, if there is dirt on the car windshield, the soft rubber bands of the wiper blades will short term may simply lose their properties and quickly become damaged.

Therefore, dear motorists, we advise you to carefully monitor the condition of your wiper blades. If while driving the windshield has become quite dirty and can no longer clean it with the wipers on, then please do not be lazy and stop at the nearest gas station or near a store and clean the windshield of your car. To thoroughly remove various contaminants, please use a special automotive fluid for the cleaning car glass. With this universal product you will quickly and easily remove all stains on the glass and without any streaks.

2) Thoroughly clear the glass of snow and ice.

In order to increase the service life of the wiper blades, it is necessary to monitor not only the cleanliness of the windshield itself. For example, many of us (you) in winter could often see on the road, in the same parking lot or in the yard, who seemed to have and, but they were all covered in snow and icy conditions. Often and by mistake, many drivers turn on their wipers in winter in an attempt to clear snow or ice from the windshield. At this moment, the soft rubber bands of the brushes are damaged. Remember, friends, to seriously damage the wiper blades you only need to turn them on once in the winter. working condition when there is snow and ice on the windshield of the car!

Therefore, remember, before you hit the road in the winter season, always and in advance. To avoid removing ice from the windshield in the morning in winter, you must thoroughly wipe the windshield (all windows) from moisture that has formed in the evening, after you have parked the car. as a result of melting snow or a temperature difference between the street and the car interior.

By following this advice, friends, you will certainly be able to increase the service life of your wipers several times.

3) Cleaning car wiper blades.

Many car enthusiasts still do not know that the windshield wiper blades themselves also need periodic cleaning. As the wipers operate, over time, a certain coating appears on these blades and, as a result, the blades no longer fit tightly and properly to the windshield, and the wiper blades themselves lose their former softness. Therefore, when using such contaminated brushes, their coefficient of friction increases, which ultimately leads to premature wear of the surface of the wiper blades.

To clean the brushes from dirt you will need a clean material, cloth or paper towel. Please wet the brushes with water or, then clean the brushes and the rubber bands themselves from dirt. Be extremely careful, otherwise you may damage the wiper blades. The process of cleaning the surface of the brushes should occur until a rag or paper towel glides easily over the surface of the brushes and rubber bands.

At this very moment, you will personally see that your rag or paper towel has turned black. This will mean that you have actually cleaned the brushes of dirt.

True, friends, don’t try too hard and be zealous so that the fabric or paper towel you have during cleaning becomes perfectly clean. Remember that the brush itself, since it is rubber, can simply stain a rag or towel; they will never become perfectly clean after washing the brushes. If you rub (scrub) the brushes too long and too thoroughly, you can damage the soft rubber bands on the brushes.

Here, dear friends, is a video from which you can learn how to properly clean the wiper blades that work on the windshield of a car:

Some elements of the car wear out much faster than others and require regular, rather frequent replacement. First of all this car wipers. However, there are ways to significantly extend their life.

What brushes are not intended for

It happens that recently purchased wipers soon stop working as they should. The brushes do not collect water properly, leave stains, and at the same time they make a lot of noise. This undoubtedly affects driving comfort and safety. What is the source of the problem? Partly, of course, low quality products, and partly, improper use. First you need to remember that wipers are not used to remove:

• ice;
• frozen snow;
• insects;
• other dirt.

When using brushes for these purposes, rubber is damaged, which is their most important element, and, consequently, their service life is reduced. To remove the above-mentioned contaminants, you need to use the right tools. For ice, traditional scrapers or chemical deicers are best - after spraying, a scraper is used to remove any remaining ice. Well, there are special liquids for removing dead insects.

Wipers are not suitable for wiping dry glass. If this fact is neglected, they can be destroyed very quickly. The rubber elements of windshield wipers are not very durable, and after several times of movement on dry glass, their edges may chip. Therefore, the car should always have liquid in the glass washer tank, which will give the wipers the appropriate glide, and thanks to cleaning properties will remove contaminants. Naturally, when it rains or snows, the brushes will have sufficient glide.

Other factors for brush failure

In order for the wipers in your car to last as long as possible, you must remember that prolonged exposure to sunlight negatively affects their rubber parts, which are very sensitive to high temperatures. In a car left for a longer period (several days) in a brightly lit area, they may become deformed and no longer perform their task. Another problem is the correct placement of the brushes: after a long period of non-use, they should be placed on the glass. Thanks to this, the feathers will straighten and rubber elements will work correctly. The last, but probably key question is the brand of windshield wipers. It's worth betting on a little more expensive models from well-known manufacturers.

Their quality is usually much higher than cheaper alternatives, making them last much longer. Windshield wiper blades have a limited service life. The deterioration of their condition is affected by slow rubbing of the rubber edge. Wipers slowly wear out and lose their ability to remove moisture from the glass. Running a severely damaged windshield wiper instead of improving the condition of the windshield can wash away dirt and limit overall visibility. This situation is especially dangerous during an overtaking maneuver. It happens that a stream of water or dirt flows down the glass, which should be removed immediately. If the windshield wipers do not work effectively, we will be left without visibility for a moment, which is very dangerous. Moreover, the overtaking maneuver is usually performed at high speed.

Serviceable windshield wipers are the key to safety and excellent visibility. Breakage or poor performance of the windshield wipers leads to disgusting visibility and often becomes cause of accident. Many of you have probably noticed that windshield wiper blades stop performing their functions normally with the arrival of cold weather. We'll figure out why this happens and tell you how to make them work efficiently in the most unfavorable weather conditions.

Before we talk about reasons bad work"windshield wipers", it would be useful to understand the design and operating principle of this simple device.

Windshield wipers of the absolute majority modern cars represent electromechanical devices, which are driven by a small electric motor. A motor with a servo drive, through rods and levers, provides reciprocating movement to the windshield wiper arms, on which, in turn, the blades are installed. For the best cleaning of glass surfaces, the system is additionally equipped with a feed special liquid from hidden in engine compartment tank.

Only the leashes and brushes remain visible to motorists; all other “offal”, including the control electronics, are hidden behind decorative trims. Windshield wiper blades are the same “consumables” as, for example, oils or filters. Their service life during active use of the car rarely exceeds one calendar year. The working elements of windshield wipers differ slightly in their design, but their operating principle is the same. These are profiled rubber strips mounted on an elastic metal frame. Spring-loaded leads press the brushes against the glass, and the elastic frame allows the latter to follow all the curves of the glass and remove dirt and precipitation from the contact area.

Structurally, brushes are divided into three types - framed (with a metal frame in the form of movable rocker arms), frameless (the role of the frame is played by an elastic metal plate) and hybrid (the brush has a traditional frame protected by a sealed cover). However, regardless of the type and design, their working rubber part is subject to severe wear due to constant contact with water and dirt, as well as exposure to high and low temperatures. It is she who first falls into disrepair.

Problems with wipers and ways to solve them

If you notice that the windshield wipers have begun to “stripe” and smear dirt on the glass, jump or make unpleasant sounds, don't rush to the nearest store. First, get to the root of the problem. Perhaps buying new cleaning elements will be pointless.

1. Wear and damage to the working surface of the brushes

During operation, the rubber surfaces of the brushes come into contact with various contaminants and are quickly erased. The more you use the car, the more intense this process goes.

To check the brushes for wear, lift the arms up and carefully examine the working edges. The so-called “blade” must be absolutely smooth, without chips, tears or other obvious damage. If you notice any defects and uneven wear, there is only one way out - replacing the brushes with new ones.

Lifehack

Most frame structures and some “frameless” structures can be repaired. To do this, it is enough to purchase a separate working rubber part, cut it to length and replace it with the worn one. This pleasure costs mere pennies, but no one guarantees a 100% positive result.

Don't forget about the natural aging of rubber. The lifespan of any, even the highest quality products does not exceed a couple of years. Over time, rubber begins to harden, crack and break down at the molecular level. As a result of natural processes, the brushes lose their elasticity and stop following the curves of the glass. Experienced motorists To restore performance, the rubber is moistened with gasoline, but the effect of such resuscitation is not “long-lasting.” A trip to the store is inevitable.

2. Contamination and corrosion of the frame

Most accessible frame brushes are subject to an unpleasant feature - their mechanism becomes overgrown with dirt or corrodes/oxidizes over time. Losing mobility, the brush stops pressing properly against the glass. As a result, dirty areas or streaks are left behind when the windshield wipers operate.

This problem can be solved quite simply. To do this, you need to remove the brushes from the leads and thoroughly clean their hinges from dirt and signs of corrosion. Make sure that the brush frame bends in all directions without stress or snagging. Lubricate the joints silicone grease, and then place the brushes on the car. As a rule, if the working edge is well preserved, the wipers begin to work perfectly again.

Lifehack

Don't wait until your windshield wipers stop functioning properly. Make it a rule to wash them thoroughly at least once a week (it is best to use an alcohol-containing liquid) and lubricate them with silicone grease. This will help avoid unexpected problems on the road and extend the life of your windshield wipers.

3. Frosting of the wipers

In autumn-winter-spring, motorists face a similar problem. Only the role of “pollutant” is played not by sand and dust, but by ice. When freezing, water penetrates into the joints of the frame, blocks mobility at the attachment points of the wipers, and at the same time envelops the rubber bands themselves, forming an ice cocoon. At the same time, windshield wipers of any design and price category stop working adequately.

At first glance, coping with such a problem is not difficult. To do this, it is enough to warm up the structure and free it from ice captivity. However, during the cleaning process, it is important not to be lazy and clean the ice from all the smallest grooves of the rubber bands and hinges.

Before setting off in winter, direct the flow while warming up your car. warm air from the stove to the windshield wiper parking area. If you have electric glass heating, do not forget to turn it on. At the same time, moisten the brushes with a special defrosting liquid - it will help quickly melt the ice. Remember that if you turn on the wipers frozen to the glass, the motor may burn out. On some car models it is not protected from increased load and may simply fail.

Lifehack

To avoid freezing of the brushes, before leaving the car in the parking lot, open the doors or windows and thoroughly cool the interior.

4. Weakening the springs of the leads

The wiper arms, to which the blades themselves are attached, are pressed against the glass by small but powerful springs. Over time, the metal gets tired and the clamping force weakens greatly. This causes unsatisfactory operation of the entire system.

Try to increase the load on the brush while the wipers are operating - lightly press it with your hand. If at the same time you notice an improvement in cleaning, try replacing the springs with new ones or slightly bend the tips of the leads towards the glass, increasing the angle of attack.

Advice

Never leave your car in a parking lot with the brush arms raised. In this position, the springs remain charged and “tire” much faster.

5. Heavy wear and tear

The vehicle glass also has a significant impact on the operation of the windshield wipers. Over time, it becomes covered with microchips and scratches and ceases to be cleaned well for completely natural reasons. Old glass not only glares and gets dirty, but also quickly renders the rubber part of the windshield wipers unusable.

6. Problems with the windshield wiper trapezoid

Quite often, the problem of cleaning glass lies not in the wipers themselves, but in the drive mechanism, the so-called trapezoid. To check for wear, grab the base of the leash and wiggle it horizontally. The presence of even slight play indicates wear of the trapezoid bushings and, as a result, poor pressing of the brushes to the glass. Wear of the bushings occurs due to the penetration of atmospheric precipitation through a poor seal into the joints of the trapezoid and corrosion of its elements.