Welcome back to the third installment of the Two Twenty One Car Series! Today we’re talking about windshield wiper care– how to shop for windshield wipers, how to remove wipers, how to install wipers, and some other wiper tips. I even made two videos for you! Get excited.
Let’s start with shopping for windshield wiper blades. You can find these at big box stores with auto departments (Walmart) and auto stores (O’Reilly Auto Parts, Auto Zone, etc.). In the wiper section you’ll find a book. It’s sectioned alphabetically by make (ex: Ford) and alphabetically by model (Edge). Then it will have the year(s) of the vehicle. The size of the wipers are typically consistent across brands, but you can double check in the book because the brands are listed on the top. So if I wanted to purchase wipers for my car I would need a 26″ for the driver side and a 20″ for the passenger side. I have a rear wiper as well, so if I needed one of those I would purchase an AR-14D.
The wipers are typically arranged by size, making them easy to find.
Now, onto removing the old wiper blades. Keep in mind that I may not have the same wiper arm as you, so your removal and installation may be different than mine. To remove the wiper, first pull the wiper away from the car. Then grab the wiper blade and pull it down off of the wiper arm hook. I even made a quick, 4 second video to show you how to do it. Please keep your eyes on the wiper and not my super buff arms.
To install the new wiper you need to insert the hook on the end of the wiper arm into the wiper.
Slide it into place and pull until you feel and hear it click into place.
I even made a quick, 7 second video to show you how to do it. Again, please keep your eyes on the wiper and not my super buff arms.
You should replace your windshield wipers twice a year– preferably before winter (if you live in a harsher winter climate) and after winter.
Here’s a tip: Learn how to remove and install your wipers in nice weather. Because when a giant hunk of ice comes flying off of the vehicle in front of you in the middle of a freezing rain/snowstorm and takes your windshield wiper blade off and you’re in an unfamiliar town, you’re going to want to know how to quickly remove and install a wiper in the middle of a freezing cold parking lot while being pelted by freezing rain. Yes, this happened to me. I spent 10 minutes attempting to remove and install my wipers. It was so cold my fingers were throbbing and eventually went numb. Did I also mention this was before I had a smartphone so I had to stop in a gas station and ask where the nearest Walmart was and get turn-by-turn directions from the cashier?
And here’s another tip: If you purchase your wipers from an automotive store, most will remove your old wipers and install your new ones for free. But this kind of negates doing it yourself and being an independent woman. However, if you have a broken hand or arm you can get a one-time pass.
Any wiper questions?
Who’s going to go outside and practice removing and installing their wipers now?
Have you had an unfortunate incident involving windshield wipers?
CAR SERIES
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Michaela says
This series is great! I grew up watching my dad work on the car and I think it is incredibly important for women to know some of the maintenance routines. It will help keep them off the side of the road!
[email protected] says
So many good things to know! I think my wipers actually need to be replaced soon…
Heather says
I am loving the car series! The windshield wiper post comes just in time as I need to replace my wipers. I even have an Edge so the videos are perfect for me!! 🙂
Jennifer says
I love this series! It’s good for every woman to know these things. I also love your sense of humor. Thanks Chelsea!
Sasha says
I need new wiper blades now. I’m in Florida and it’s rainy season. I’ll go to walmart and see if I can replace the old ones myself. Thanks again for letting me know you were going to do the wiper blade post.
Chrissy @ Adventures in DIY says
I’m loving your car series so far. I’m going to try to attempt some of these myself sometime. After having my car for 5 years, I finally got new windshield wipers. The funny thing is that I got them as an after-thought, because I actually went to get a new car battery. (I just never think to do it, but I live in Southerin California so we don’t get a ton of rain.) Anyhow, the guy said he could put them on for me and I’m glad he did. He had a really hard time getting one of them off and had to actually bend the old blade off. But, I noticed how easy it was for him to put the new ones on, so I will try to be good and replace them more often. 🙂
Kelly @ View Along the Way says
I LOVE changing windshield wipers! Especially when you go from creaky, squeaky ones to fresh ones that slide perfectly. Ahhhhh!
Susan Case says
Have you ever heard of AutoTex Pink wipers? AutoTex Pink wiper blades come in both PINK and black w/ a small pink ribbon (for non pink-lovers) and work great! For every sale of these wipers, AutoTex Pink donates 10% to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (sales in the US) or to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada (Canadian sales). I have the pink color blades on my car and ALWAYS get compliments. They are awesome!
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Erlene A says
Oh my gosh you’re so funny. Changing the windshield wipers are one of the few things on the car that I can do on my own 🙂
Stacey says
Very important info and I love it from the female perspective.
Thank you so much for sharing at Thoughts of Home on Thursday. 🙂
John S. says
Love the post and you did an excellent job of breaking the process of windshield replacement down step by step! I think it’s common for most car owners to not realize it’s recommended to change wipers twice a year. If this isn’t done, you will know the next time it rains and the rock hard scraping across your glass will remind you that a replacement is needed. Especially out here in Phoenix where the rubber in the wipers get dried out so quickly, twice a year changes should be considered standard. Thanks for your post and helpful insight!
John S. @ http://www.phoenixwindshieldreplacement.com
Danny layman says
Different components of the vehicles including wiper blade needs maintenance at a regular interval and if damaged, then such components should be repaired or replaced with suitable alternatives. Some people underestimates the importance of the wiper blades maintenance. Wiper blade plays very important role by providing clear visual. However, the condition of wiper blade is affected by various factors including the environmental temperature. Damaged wiper blades couldn’t provide better results. So, the condition of the wiper blades needs to be inspected at a regular interval and if necessary should be replaced with suitable alternatives. We could also ask professionals for more reliable information.
Loris bennett says
Wiper blades plays crucial role and hence needs maintenance like other components of the vehicle. The condition of the wiper blade is affected by the extreme temperature and suitable steps needs to be taken in order to reduce the effects of the extreme temperature on the wiper blades. So, prior to the arrival of rainy season when we needs the wiper blades most, the condition of the wiper blades should be evaluated and if the wiper blade is in poor condition, then it would be best to replace such wiper blades with new one.