I can see clearly now, wipers changed

I encountered the first rain of my fall driving season a couple of weeks ago near Portland, Ore. If it were another month into autumn, I would have been prepared for that monsoon-like downpour. As it was though, the ravages of summer heat and bugs had reduced the effectiveness of my windshield wiper blades to a point of irritation and potential danger. As I approached the Rose City at night, the smeared surface of my windshield made all of the individual headlights look like one big blur of illumination. I changed blades when I got to town.

I can see clearly now — the rain is gone — as my wipers make a swipe. Usually, I change blades annually about the time I drain the sprinkler system at my home — that’s my reminder — but that hadn’t happened yet while sightless in Troutdale (west of Portland).

My blade failure was a bit premature, due to some hardened bug residue on the underside of the blades — I should have cleaned them better. Periodically, it is a good idea to saturate a paper towel or rag with window cleaning solution (or windshield washer bottle liquid), and rub both sides of the blade full length repeatedly until no more black residue comes off. However, deterioration of wipers in the parked position throughout summer’s heat is inevitable.

Replacing your blades once per year is the safest assurance of having reasonably clear vision during rainy drives.

We have Mary Anderson to thank for this marvelous rain-wiping invention. She obtained a patent for the first version of windshield wipers in 1903. While in New York City, Mary noticed that streetcar drivers had to open the windows of their cars when it rained in order to see. As a solution, she invented a swinging arm device with a rubber blade that was operated by the driver from within the vehicle via a lever. Wipers became standard equipment on all cars by 1916.

We now all enjoy modern versions of that early invention on our vehicles — the latest of which even have rain-sensing devices built in to activate wipers when necessary.

When changing your blades, measure their length before heading to the parts store. Most blades are in the 15-to-22-inch length range. Many newer cars use different lengths for the passenger and driver sides, so measure both.

It’s best to change the entire blade, which consists of the rubber squeegee and the plastic or metal portion that holds it. The blade assembly attaches to the arm — the arm seldom needs replacement. Refills are available for some brands, and if you know and can match the brand, this should be OK. My experience has been that many wiper shortcomings are due to wrong or improperly affixed refills. If you get the whole blade, you will be assured of a matched fit and proper installation of the rubber refill.

Blades have three basic styles of connection to the wiper arms: hook, side pin, and straight. You will probably need a small screwdriver to aid your replacement operation. For all wipers, lift the arm off of the glass before detaching the blade. Some wipers will stay in the “off-the-glass” position by themselves — others will need to be held off, for which a bunched up rag can come in handy between the glass and the wiper arm.

For hook connectors, swing the blade perpendicular to the arm. Find a tab that must be pushed, lifted, or otherwise released with your screwdriver. With tab released, push blade out of hook mount. Line up new mount (may be an adaptor included with new blade), and slide into place until a click is heard — that means it’s locked in place.

Look for a locking tab to push or lift on pin-type connectors. With tab moved, pull blade away from arm. Use the screwdriver in a twisting motion between the blade and the arm for stubborn removals. The new blade should lock on pin when pressed into position.

With straight attachments, again a tab must be lifted to remove blade from arm. When your screwdriver is releasing the tab, simply pull blade off end of arm. Shove the new blade onto the arm until the locking click is heard.

Double check blades after replacement to be certain they are locked in place. If a blade detaches during operation, a nasty windshield scratch is a certainty.

If you have matched brands, and are using refills, use great care during installation. At one end of the blade, there is a positive stop for the refill — the other end has some sort of locking mechanism. With refill unlocked, simply slide the rubber out. When inserting the new rubber, the most common mistake is to miss one of the several slotted guides holding the refill. Make sure that these guides are engaged on both sides of the refill, one by one, as you slide the new refill into position.

Please make it safer for yourself and everyone else by tending to this relatively inexpensive vehicle maintenance item.