How to Choose the Right Windshield Wipers

Windshield wipers are lightweight and inexpensive, so many car owners naturally assume they are a foolproof purchase. In fact, older blades or blades not designed for your typical driving conditions can lead to significantly impaired visibility. To ensure you always know where you're going no matter what the elements bring, it's essential to choose the right windshield wipers for your car.

Instructions

Examine Your Blades

• 1

  Turn on your existing wiper blades and test their operation using a hose or misting device. If the blades are shuddering, squeaking, streaking or failing altogether, it's important to figure out why.

• 2

  Examine the blades to diagnose the problem. Cracked and warped rubber are the two most common culprits, but you may also see a bent frame or a split in the rubber.

• 3

  Remove the worn-out blade and take it to the auto shop, so that you can choose the right one.

Choose the Right Match

• 4

  Browse the selection at a local auto shop. These days, windshield wipers come in a variety of rubber composites and sheaths, including some specifically designed with weather shielding for winter months or air foils to "cling to the glass" at high speeds.

• 5

  Make your purchase based on the problem that sent your last blades out of commission. If the rubber has grown rigid and cracked, for instance, you want to get a UV-resistant product that won't dry out and lose its elasticity in hot weather.

• 6

  Test the blades at high speed if you can. Many auto shops now allow for test drives, because they are catering to informed buyers who want to make smart choices.

• 7

  Replace your wipers after a year to ensure maximum reliability.