How to Make Your Wipers Last Longer

The atrocious Malaysian weather causes everything to wither and die. By everything, we mean not just organic matters but non-organic things too. For cars in this country, if your car components don’t fail then the engine parts would eventually. That’s the reason why car brands are giving extended warranties and maintenance services. In fact, cars these days are simply not built to last as they used to be. We’ll deal with that much later.

Today’s article homes in on car wipers, one of the most vital components in a car. Wipers are usually the most ignored component until they affect the driver’s view in rainy conditions or a heavy downpour. And even worse, the wipers can’t clear the rain efficiently enough and cause an accident.  For this reason, it’s absolutely of primary importance to maintain wipers’ integrity and good condition. This article should assist the regular joes on the proper ways to prolong wipers’ lifespan or get wipers to function over 2 years.

The automotive aftermarket is flooded with plenty of wiper options. So, which one is the best option for your car? The answer lies in built quality of wipers and typically renowned brands that manufacture wipers. Most preferred wiper brands offer a product built to withstand tough conditions as they have gone through proper research and development and vigorous testing.

A quality wiper ensures durability that lasts longer than imitations. Branded wipers can weather the storm better than imitations while providing more effective wiping over a 2-year cycle. This in turn helps to increase general safety.

When you have a good pair of wipers, rain repellent or that thing called rain x is not needed. The so-called rain, water repellent or rain x sells the idea of giving a coat on your windscreen to aid view when your screen gets wet or fogged up. In reality, there’s no such thing! In fact, applying additives would cause more wear to wipers than usual use. Worn out wiipers provide poor wiping and ‘hazing’ effect that could undermine windshield clarity during heavy rain. ‘Hazing’ effect from unnecessary rain repellent coat is dangerous as it becomes harder to disappear over time after each swipe. This makes it all the more difficult to see especially at night.  In comparison, for windshields without this coating, the ‘hazing’ effect lasts just a second after a wipe cycle.

With the harsh Malaysian climate, everything breaks down in a matter of time. However, wipers aren’t too costly to replace if they should go bad. Due to constant exposure to extreme heat, dust, debris, high humidity and wet conditions, wipers are prone to wear and tear faster if you don’t take care of them. To prolong your wipers for over 2 years, check your wipers from time to time for wear and tear. In addition, it is advisable to remove debris or dirt build-up from wipers, if necessary.

A lot of people in this country practice lifting up wipers when the car is idle, either outdoors or indoors. This is actually a good practice as it helps prevent wiper blades from getting damaged due to the intense heat. But be warned that lifting up the wipers could compromise the springs of the wipers’ arms, therefore it is best to do it gently and with care.

The best time interval to check your wipers is every six months. Things to check are: ensure wipers aren’t harden, worn out, torn or cracked. If you find any anomalies with your wipers, then it’s time to have them replaced. So, when’s the best time to replace worn out wipers? During wiping, if there’s large unwiped sections, cross beams or rattling and fluttering, then it’s time to replace them.

Remember, wipers are important as they are there to ensure a clear path ahead in varying weather conditions. Your car might have the most advanced safety systems, but none of that matters if you have faulty and ineffective windshield wipers that do not give you clear vision while driving.