7 reasons for car wipers to fail in winter

Car wipers are designed to provide safety and good visibility. A malfunction or poor operation of the wiper blades leads to poor visibility, which can lead to an emergency. Many motorists know that wipers begin to experience problems and work unstable precisely with the beginning of winter, when there is a sharp cooling. Let’s look at why this happens, what reasons can be caused by the fact that the brushes fail and can’t cope with their basic functions in extreme weather conditions.

The main causes of malfunctioning wipers and methods for their elimination

If suddenly the janitors began to leave strips on the glass and smeared the dirt, began to make unpleasant creaky sounds or to stagger, then you should not rush after the new ones. Of course, you can buy new car wipers, especially since they cost not very much. However, often you can quickly solve the problem yourself. And some can be completely avoided if you know a few rules for the winter operation of janitors.

1. Wear and mechanical damage to brushes

During their work, the rubber elements of the wipers often come in contact with dirt, which leads to their abrasion. And here it is obvious that the more actively the car is used, the more the wear process will go faster.

It is very easy to check the condition and degree of wear of the brush, for this you need to lift them up and evaluate the appearance of all the main working surfaces. They should be even, there should be no tears, nicks and other mechanical damage visible to the eye. If defects are visible and they are already serious, then nothing can be done here, it remains only to buy new wipers for replacement.

Alas, aging of rubber is a natural process. The operating time, even of the highest quality and most expensive models, is no more than 2-3 years. Gradually, any rubber becomes less elastic, cracks and collapses. As a result, the brushes are tinted and can no longer accurately repeat the shape of the glass, the quality of dirt removal is deteriorating. Experienced car owners sometimes treat the rubber with gasoline to mitigate, but the effect of such a resuscitation procedure does not last long. Still have to look for a replacement. This option can only be used as an emergency measure.

2. Corrosion damage due to corrosion

Popular frame wipers have one unpleasant feature-over time, their mechanism becomes covered with dirt or oxidizes (corrosion foci form on its surface). As a result, the brush becomes less mobile and ceases to be pressed tightly against the glass surface. On the glass in this case, you can often see stripes and missing areas of uncleaned dirt.

You can fix this problem quickly and fairly easily. It is only necessary to remove the brushes from the leashes and thoroughly clean the hinges and other parts from dirt and rust. It is important to check that the frame rotates easily in all directions and does not get stuck. Joints are recommended to be additionally treated with silicone grease for prophylaxis. If the working rubber part of the brush is well preserved and has no damage, the wipers will work efficiently and will last a long time.

You should not wait until the car brushes start to malfunction. Experienced drivers know that they must be thoroughly washed and dirt removed from them at least once a week (for this purpose it is recommended to use a special alcohol-containing liquid), and then treated with a silicone-based protective grease. This approach will extend the life of the wiper blades.

3. Freezing and frosting

With a similar problem, motorists always face the onset of frost. Particles of water, freezing, penetrate into the moving parts of the frame, which leads to blocking of the joints, their mobility is reduced. In addition, directly the rubber elements of the brushes are covered with an ice crust. All this prevents the wipers from working efficiently.

You can cope by heating the structure, this will help to remove the brush from captivity. It is important to consider that the cleaning must be carried out very carefully, the ice should be removed from all even the smallest grooves in the gum, hinges and other places where structural elements are connected.

Before you go in the winter, warming up the car, be sure to direct the flow of warm air from the stove in the direction of installing the wipers. If there is a function for electric heating of the glass, be sure to turn it on. You can remove ice from the surface of the brush using a special defrosting liquid, which contributes to the accelerated melting of ice. In no case can you turn on the wipers, if they are already firmly frozen to the glass. This can lead to structural failure, as the brush simply may not be able to cope with the load.

As a prevention of freezing, you can use the following method: before leaving the car for the night in a cold garage or in an open parking lot, open doors or windows to cool the interior. So you will avoid the temperature drop and the formation of an ice crust on the glass.

4. Car windshield wear

Car glass also affects the operation of wipers. Over time, micro-chips and scratches form on its surface, which complicates the cleaning process. In addition, when using such old and shabby glass, the rubber part of the wiper blade becomes unusable faster.

If the cause of the problem is precisely this, then changing the wipers is useless. To achieve the result will have to put a new windshield.

5. Wiper trapezoid problems

Sometimes the problem is that the drive mechanism directly fails (it is also called the trapezoid). You can assess her condition quite easily-grab the leash by the base and try to swing it left and right slightly. If there is a play, even minimal, this is a sign that the bushings inside the trapezoid are already worn out. This leads to a reduction in downforce. There is wear on the bushings when the atmospheric precipitation enters the structure due to poor sealing, which leads to corrosion that destroys any metal elements.

In such a situation, you can fix the problem only by completely replacing the wiper mechanism or repairing the trapezoid.

6. Aging springs pressing brushes to glass

The janitor consists of several elements, and sometimes springs fail, pressing the leashes of car wipers against the glass, to which the brushes themselves are already attached. This is due to the fact that over time, the pressing force naturally weakens, since the metal is subjected to constant loads. As soon as the springs weaken, the wipers lose their effectiveness and begin to work poorly.

Checking the condition of the springs is easy-gently press the brush against the glass with your hand. If it has become better to remove dirt from the glass, then you can try to replace the springs or slightly bend the tips of the leashes towards the windshield, this will slightly increase the angle of attack and can help correct the situation.

Please note that you can not leave the car on the street with the wipers raised up, which many drivers love to do in the winter so that the brush does not freeze to the glass. This will only do harm, since the springs in this position remain cocked all the time, which leads to an accelerated loss of elasticity. They weaken faster and lose their working qualities.

7. Using the “Wrong” Washer

Wipers stop working properly due to the use of the "wrong" washer fluid or when various resins or special means for treating the body hit the surface of the windshield. A sign of such problems may be that the brushes make nasty sounds, begin to twitch and jump, forming stripes on the glass.

Prevention is simple here-constantly make sure that the windshield of the car is always clean, timely remove tar and other sticky substances from its surface. In addition, it is recommended to regularly treat the surface with special products that repel pollution. This will help simplify the wipers' work, as well as reduce the load on the structure. For example, conventional silicone grease has a good water repellent effect. It forms a very thin film on the surface of the glass after application, the pollution on which simply does not linger.

As for the winter washer fluid, it is best to take products based on isopropyl alcohol. These alcohol are practically not affected by subzero temperatures, even in severe frost it will remain fluid, cleaning the glass well.

If you need to replace the wiper blades, then you can always buy car wipers in Kiev, Kharkov or Odessa in the online store 130.com.ua.

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