Wiper blades are one of the ignored components on vehicles. Many blades are cracked, torn, split, brittle, worn or need a replacement. Some may look okay, but when put to the test; don’t do a satisfactory job of wiping.

Ninety percent of all the driving decisions depend upon the clear unobstructed view of the road that ensures that good visibility is much necessary -- particularly in wet weather when vision may be unclear by road splash, water, sleet or snow on the windshield. But clear visibility needs wipers that are in better condition. If the wipers are streaking, chattering or are unable to wipe consistently and cleanly, it means you require new blades.

Most experts say that wiper blades should be substituted every six to twelve months for most favorable presentation and driving visibility. That's because wiper blades don't last forever. The rubber naturally declines over time, so you have to change the wiper blades.

The vehicles that are parked outside in the hot sun usually needs to change their wiper blades. The Sun heat hardens and bakes the rubber. And the wipers streak and chatter at the time of the need.

Cold weather makes the rubber brittle and hard, which increases the chances to split and crack. The blade "freezes up" in cold weather and leaves lines as it hops across the glass.

Checking Your Blades

Trying your windshield washers is a simple check. If the blades are not in a good state, chattering, streaking or any other troubles will be obvious.

In this test, you will also be able to check your windshield washer system. Does the spray hit the windshield where required? If not, adjust the nozzles. Does the washer pump convey a sufficient stream of solvent? If not, there may be a weak washer pump in the vehicle, or kinked, a clogged, or loose hose. Many of the washer tanks have a debris filtering screen that could damage or block the pump. The debris over the screen may also cause a problem in the flow of the washers. Also check the rear wiper after checking the windshield wipers, if there is a rear wiper system in your vehicle.

There are also some other factors that effect the Wipers. These factors are shortly discussed below

The performance of your wiper blades also depend on the condition of the holders and wiper arms. The wiping ability of a blade is affected by the amount of spring tension on the wiper arm, the number of claws or the pressure points that hold the blade, and the design of the blade itself. If the springs in the arms are not confirmed tightly then the wipers will not be pushed against the screen firmly to give a clean wipe. In this case, nothing would happen by replacing the blades because the problem lies in weak arms. Also check the rear wiper arm because these are usually spoiled by drive-through car wash rollers.

While replacing the blade, make sure that the replaced blade is of the same length as the original are. An extra long blade may create nosiness problems, while a short blade may not fit the holder.