Three Things To Check Out To Keep Your Windshield Looking Good

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If you've ever turned on your windshield wipers only to find that the blades are leaving streaks, chattering and jumping as the arm moves, or just generally not doing a good job of cleaning your windshield, you might have assumed that the blades were just old and needed to be replaced. In many cases, that will fix a lot of problems, but in some cases replacement just isn't enough -- or it's too much. Before you replace the blades, watch out for these three things.

Debris Stuck to Blades

You've likely seen twigs or leaves get stuck just under the edge of the blade, enough so that when you use the windshield wipers, the debris just moves with the blades. The solution for this, of course, is to remove debris that you see before you get into your car. But it's also possible for nearly invisible debris to get stuck on the edge of the blade and create streaks, or worse, scratches, meaning that even if you don't see anything obvious, there could be something tiny hidden just out of sight on the blade. Raise the wiper arms up and wipe the blade's edge gently (very gently) with a damp cloth. Try using the wipers with windshield washing fluid to see if that took care of the problem.

Leaves Under the Arm Assembly

If you live in an area where there are a lot of trees dropping leaves into the space that's just below the wiper arms and the edge of the hood, clean those leaves out religiously. When it rains a lot, those leaves can plug up drainage routes for water running down your car's windshield, and the resulting puddle can actually harm the motors that drive the wiper arms. If it gets bad enough, the arms can stop working.

Sparse Wiper Fluid

Another thing to check is the fluid reservoir for your windshield washing liquid. If it's low, and not a lot is coming out when you try to use the fluid, then that can make the windshield drier than normal and make it harder for the blades to clean off the windshield. Ensure the reservoir is full, and then try the blades again.

If it turns out that none of these options has solved the problem, go to an auto repair center that specializes in windshields to find out what's going on. You could have the wrong size of blades, or there could be a defect in the windshield glass that's causing the blades to skip, or you could have another issue. By taking the car to people who deal with windshields regularly, you'll have a better chance of solving the problem. To find out more, speak with a business like Allstate Glass.

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29 May 2016