Always a clear visibility with the right windscreen wiper

When it gets cold and wet outside, the time has come to check the car so it’s ready for winter. Apart from changing the tyres and checking the coolant, the windscreen wipers should also be examined. Clear visibility is particularly important during the dark season. At the latest when the roads are gritted with salt, a whitish film quickly builds up on the windscreen. It makes the light from oncoming cars scattered, which only worsens the visibility further. Read this article to find out everything you need to know about windscreen wipers and how they can be attached.

Quality has no alternative

Windscreen wipers have been installed on cars for 100 years. However, there is still a lot of research and development going on. The bodyworks of cars change, the design makes its demands, but above all, windscreen wipers should be able to cope with the most adverse conditions.

At the same time, these parts are definitely subject to wear. They are usually replaced as part of the annual inspection. This is not money-making, but an important contribution to road safety.

Even if the wiper sets from branded manufacturers cost up to 30 pounds, it is money well invested that will ensure clear vision next season. Eventhough cheap models from the discounter look similar, their performance is very different. With cheap wipers you have to expect the following problems:

High-quality brand-name wipers stand out in all respects. Instead of annoying squeaks, all you hear is the reassuring flap-flap-flap even in the heaviest rain. The brand-name wiper keeps the windscreen clear as well.

Windscreen Wiper Shop largest selection and branded quality up to -30% cheaper! Order online ⇒

The challenge of fitting

Fitting a windscreen wiper can be quite a challenge if you go about it too carelessly. It is obvious that windscreen wipers should be firmly mounted on their arms. Otherwise they would start to flutter at higher speeds or fly off completely.

Particularly fatal is if this happens while driving: on the one hand, the detached windscreen wiper becomes a projectile; on the other hand, it thus endangers other road users. If the windscreen wiper detaches during operation, the arm drags across the windscreen and inevitably leaves a scratch. Then the entire windscreen has to be replaced. This is much more expensive than buying a high-quality wiper straight away.

Fitting a windscreen wiper is only complicated at first glance. 4 types of mounting are currently used. In other countries there are even more mounting concepts, but these have not been able to establish themselves on the market yet. The four types are:

1. The classic: hook mounting

The hook mounting is the classic connection between wiper arm and wiper blade. It is proven and reliable. Tearing off or flying away is almost impossible with this type of mounting. The reason for this is the interlocking connection, in which a steel bracket holds the wiper blade reliably in place. However, hook mounting also has its disadvantages. These are

– Aerodynamics
– Optics

• Hook-mounted windscreen wipers are quite wide. Depending on the type, the wiper blade which consists of a wiper lip and a wiper holder, can protrude 3-4 centimetres from the windscreen.
• During normal driving, the wipers rest visibly on the windscreen. This not only looks unsightly, but also detracts from the car’s aerodynamics. Noise generation while driving and even slightly increased fuel consumption are then the result.

Installation is somewhat complicated with the hook type.

• The wiper blade itself has a small plastic shoe that is fitted with a retaining clip. The clip is pressed down on a tab. This pulls a small pin out of a hole on the hook.

• As you unlock, the shoe should be pushed out against the direction of the hook. This looks somewhat contradictory, as it initially pulls the wiper further over the hook.

• However, it is necessary to release the hook from the wiper. Once done, you can thread the windscreen wiper out of the wiper arm. This is quite tricky.
• Especially if the retaining shoe is old, brittle and dirty, disassembly can become a game of patience. You should therefore clean the hook thoroughly before fitting the new wiper blade with a new holding shoe.

2. The easiest: Side mounting (Side-Lock)

Side mounting is particularly popular with beam wipers. Side-lock wipers do not have a high mounting frame but consist only of a steel bracket with an attached wiper blade.

• Due to the side mounting and the flat wiper blade, this type of wiper has quite a low profile. This makes them particularly advantageous for both appearance and aerodynamics.
• Moreover, beam wipers are rather wide and have a very high cleaning performance.
• For side mounting, the wiper arm is folded all the way up. Then the wiper blade is turned 90° and pulled off to the front. Done!

3. With one hand: pinch-tab mounting

• With pinch-tab mounting, the locking mechanism is located behind the joint.
• The windscreen wiper arm is folded up.

• Now the lock is pressed with both thumb and index finger.
• The wiper blade can then be pulled off to the front.

4. Bosch Special: Top-Lock Mounting

Top-lock mounting is mostly like the classic hook mounting.

• The holding shoe from the windscreen wiper is pushed straight onto the arm until it locks into place.
• It is also suitable for beam wipers.

Windscreen wipers maintenance

You can extend the service life of windscreen wipers by maintaining them regularly.

The ideal maintenance product is a mixture of washing-up liquid and antifreeze. However, normal windscreen wiper water will also do. Simply spread a few squirts on a clean, lint-free cloth and rub the rubber lip several times until no more dust sticks onto it.

Also clean the windscreen thoroughly before putting the wiper back on. Every three months, the windscreen wiper may also be sprayed with silicone spray to keep it soft.

No cutting

There are always gadgets to buy that are supposed to make changing windscreen wipers superfluous. These “windscreen wiper sharpeners” are not recommended. They do indeed cut the rough spots off the wiper blade, but they only make it thinner and more sensitive. After a few days, the windscreen wiper is completely ruined and must be replaced. The money for the windscreen wiper sharpener could therefore have been saved for the better.

Foto: Mikbiz, Denis Churin, Stefan Zwijsen, Lestertair, What Photo, Fusionstudio, fotoslaz, BELL KA PANG, Ruslan Kudrin, Georgy Dzyura, Aleksey Kurguzov / shutterstock.com