When your car’s windshield wipers start streaking, skipping, or squeaking, it’s time to replace your windshield wiper blades. And with winter storms in the near future, right now is a good time to replace them.
I used Rain-X because they were on sale. I haven’t noticed any difference in brands or types of windshield wipers. Probably because they last for a few years, so by the time I replace them, I have no idea what brand I used last time.
You can buy wiper blades at an automotive store, a general store like Target, or online at Amazon.
Step 1: Figure out the correct size windshield wiper blades for your car.
I bought my blades at Target. In the middle of the windshield wiper section is a booklet. You look up your car by make, model, and year. You can also look it up online, for example: the Rain-X blade size finder. Amazon will also help you find the right size, and Amazon even remembers your car when you need another car part.
Whatever source you use to find the size of your car, you will need to know the make, model, and year. Our 2005 Volkswagen Passat needs a 19-inch and a 21-inch windshield wiper blade. Like most cars, the driver side windshield wiper is larger than the passenger side.
Step 2: Determine the type of attachment
Look at your current windshield wipers where they attach onto the blade. Is there a J-shaped hook that holds the blades on (J-Hook Arm)? Is there a perpendicular post that goes through a hole in the blades (Pin Arm)? Or is the windshield wiper straight with a hole at the end (Bayonet Arm).
Pretty much all wiper blades work with all types of attachments, so you don’t need to worry about this when you are buying your blades.
Because it’s been years since I last replaced our windshield wiper blades, and I forget how I did it last time, this step always takes me the longest, like a whole 3 minutes.
Step 3: Remove the old wiper blades
My windshield wipers are Pin Arms (technically, slide pins), so I simply turn the blade perpendicular to the wiper and slide it off. It’s easiest just to remove the old blade while you’re figuring out what type of windshield wiper you have.
Step 4: Put on the new windshield wiper blade
Again, pretty simple. With a pin arm, I just slide the pin through the center hole. This time it was a little tight, so had to wiggle it a little to get it on.
Remember, the wiper blade packaging shows how to attach the new blade to any type of windshield wiper. Rain-X also has some simple videos showing how.
Replacing your windshield wiper blades is pretty easy and makes driving in inclement weather so much safer. December may be a busy month, but it’s a good idea to take the 15 minutes to make sure your car has windshield wipers that work. Just make sure you don’t wait until it starts raining.
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