Part 1. Preparation and safety
Objective
- Check the condition of windshield wiper blades and arms and change a windshield wiper blade.
Personal safety
Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:
- Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear
- Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks
- Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs
- Hand protection – such as rubber gloves and barrier cream
- Respiratory equipment – such as face masks and valved respirators
If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.
Safety check
- Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.
Points to note
- Never operate the wipers when they are dry because this may damage the blades or scratch the surface of the windshield.
- Never bend the arms to make better contact with the windshield. The arms are pre-tensioned by the manufacturer and damage could result. If the arms seem to have lost their spring tension, obtain a suitable replacement.
Part 2: Step-by-step instruction
- Check windshield wiper blades
Lift the wiper arm away from the windshield and inspect the condition of the blades. Look for damage or loss of resilience in the material. Wet the windshield with a spray, or with the washers and switch the wipers on. If the windshield is being wiped cleanly, do not replace the blades. If the wiper blades are not wiping the glass evenly, or are smearing the windshield, you will need to replace the blades.
- Remove blade assembly
Remove the blade assembly. Depending on the vehicle, you may need to remove the wiper arm from its mounting, or you may be able to just undo a spring clip and remove the blade insert.
- Obtain replacement blade
Check the shop manual and obtain the correct size replacement. New developments in blade design means that the profile of the new blade may not be identical to the original.
- Install inserts
Feed the new inserts into the wiper arm, and make sure the clips fit snugly and engage properly.
- Test blades
Wet the windshield again, and operate the wipers to check their performance, making sure they remove the water evenly.
Source: CDX Global
