While they may not get as much credit as airbags or seatbelts, car windshield wiper blades are essential for safety. They ensure maximum visibility when the weather conditions are bad or when your windshield becomes dirty due to any other reason. As road accidents are often caused by poor visibility, windshield wipers along with lights help you prevent an accident during rain, dust storm or fog.
Find out here why to replace your wiper blades, how to choose them, when to change them, and why they make noise and are no longer effective.
Buying the Right Wiper Blades for Your Car
Buying a new wiper blade set isn’t all about just selecting a set and then mounting it on your car. You need to consider the characteristics of the different types of blades, the dimensions required and the appearance of the wiper.
The first step in replacing your wiper blades is choosing the right product. For this, the wiper manufacturers provide correspondence sheets to find the blade that corresponds to your car. You may also find in the manual of your car recommendations on the wipers to choose from.
Let’s explore in detail some of the most common types of wiper blades.
Types of Car Wiper Blades
Essentially, there are three main types of wiper blades are:
- Conventional blades
- Flat blades
- Hybrid blades
If your car comes with conventional car windscreen wiper blades, then you can replace them with flat or hybrid wipers; however, the flat wipers cannot be replaced with conventional wipers.
Conventional Car Wipers Blades
Conventional wiper blades are made up of a rubber blade on which there is a metal frame allowing pressure between 4 and 8 points on the car windshield. This metal frame does not apply uniform pressure over the entire blade and therefore does not allow optimal wiping over the entire length of the blade.
In addition, conventional wipers have a high wind resistance; therefore, at high speed, they lift and no longer wipe the windshield. However, they are proving to be a good economical choice and the addition of spoilers improves their efficiency at high speeds.
Flat Car Wipers Blades
Beyond being more aesthetic than conventional blades, flat blade wipers are also more efficient in all respects. These brushes do not have an external metal frame. This is internal and is located all along the blade, which allows it to apply an identical pressure over its entire surface. The wiping is therefore homogeneous. In addition, the wind resistance of a flat blade car windshield wiper is very low since it is flat. Thus, at high speed, it remains well stuck to the windshield and guarantees optimal wiping.
Hybrid Car Wipers Blades
As the name suggests, hybrid wipers are a combination of conventional and flat wipers. They combine the aerodynamic properties and appearance of flat wipers with the performance of conventional wipers.
The integrated spoiler runs the full length of the broom, reducing wind uplift to maintain a constant downforce. This keeps the rubber broom on the windshield, for continuous, quiet movement, especially at high speeds.
Hybrid wiper blades are those that benefit from the best wiping thanks to deflectors present along the entire length of the blade. These allow you to keep an ideal pressure regardless of the speed.
Different Sizes of Car Wiper Blades
In addition to the different types of wipers, there are also different sizes. If you select blades that are too long, they will touch the edge of the windshield. Brushes that are too short do not completely wipe your windshield, reducing your field of vision and your safety. If in doubt, it’s best to measure your current wipers or consult your service manual to make sure you’re choosing the right size for your car.
Cost of Windshield Wipers Blades in the UAE
Those who want to replace the windshield wipers of a car can find a range of options in the UAE. The cost of windshield wiper blades ranges between AED 30 to AED 200. Now that you know why you need to change your wiper blades and the cost, it’s important to know when to change them.
When to Change Your Vehicle Wiper Blades
The maintenance of car windshields is essential to extend their life. In general, manufacturers indicate that their car wiper blades have a life cycle of 500,000 cycles or about 1 year in normal use. Of course, as we have seen previously, the life of the wiper blades varies according to several factors (bad weather, temperatures, pollution, etc.). You can use windshield washer fluid to clean a car’s windshield.
There are several signs on the windshield that can tell you the need to change your car’s wiper blades:
Areas Not Wiped
The wiper blade pressure is insufficient or poorly distributed. The broom can also be lifted at high speeds. In this case, it will be necessary to choose brushes suitable for high speeds (see below).
Haze
Haze is a phenomenon that occurs when the brushes spread water on the windshield instead of evacuating it. It occurs when the wiper blade is placed under too much pressure or when the blade has been hardened by ageing or heat.
Stuttering and noise
If you’ve been wondering why your wiper blades are making noise, this is a sign of wear and tear. The main reason is the hardening of the blade due to ageing and heat.
Streaks
If the wiping leaves streaks, it means the wiper blade is cracked or torn from the action of frost, heat and weather. It is imperative to change it.
Components of a Windscreen Wiper
A wiper is made up of the following parts:
- A wiper arm, usually metallic. The arm transmits the movement of the wiper motor to the wiper itself.
- Connector – they connect the wiper blade to the wiper arm. It is important to use the correct type of adapter to ensure that the wiper operates quietly and efficiently.
- Spring flexors (inside or outside the rubber broom) provide even pressure and wiping down the length of the broom.
- A blade of natural rubber. Its lip must have maximum flexibility because the angle of application of the brush is reversed at the end of each stroke on the windshield. The rubber blade in contact with the glass has a special surface coating and graphite powder to reduce friction. The precisely formed profile ensures a gradual change in application angle at the end of the wiper stroke.
- The spoiler, mounted on the driver’s side wiper to improve aerodynamic efficiency, reduces wind lift at high speeds.
Of all these parts, the rubber blade is the most likely to wear out over time. Rubber degrades even if it is not used due to exposure to the sun and the elements.
FAQs
What is the role of car windshield wiper blades?
They promote the safety of vehicle passengers by ensuring maximum visibility and also contribute to the cleanliness of the windshield with the windshield washer fluid.
How do car wiper blades work?
The wiper blades are most often actuated by a control lever on the steering column and generally perform a parallel movement.
Where are the wiper blades for my car located?
They are attached to the vehicle below the bonnet edge.
How do you know if you need to change your wiper blades?
Poor wiping of the windshield. A haze or streaks appear on the window when the windshield wipers pass.
This concludes our guide on car windshield wiper blades. Indeed, the car wiper blades contribute to the visibility of the driver and therefore to the safety of all passengers. Car windshield wiper blades not only allow wiping but also washing the windshield when the wipers are in action with the washer fluid. If you are buying a used car in the UAE, always check if all parts are working fine including car screen wiper blades, brakes, etc.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s leading car blog to get more information on car parts.
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