Windshield Wiper Woes
Posted on: 25 March 2015
It always seems to happen at the most inopportune moment: your windshield is covered with icy sludge from the roadway and your wipers fail. Or you turn on your wipers first thing in the car to clean off the morning dew, and nothing happens. Here are a few reasons why your wipers could be malfunctioning and what you need to do about it.
Regular Maintenance
Sometimes a wiper failure is due to poor maintenance on your part. If your wiper blades are old, they can be cracked or peeling, causing them to stick partway through the cycle (in addition to performing a poor job of actually wiping the windshield).
Every time you get your oil changed, make sure to have your blades checked. Have a mechanic, such as Lynwood Firestone, show you how to remove and replace the blades, and consider carrying a spare set with you so you can change them yourself, especially if you live an a region with frequent bad weather.
Also, be sure to check your blades after a bout of extremely hot or cold weather, which can damage the rubber blades more quickly. Streaks on the windshield are the telltale signs of blades that are starting to wear. Don't wait until they fail on the freeway at rush hour in a rainstorm to replace them.
Fuse
A blown fuse can be another cause of wiper failure. While replacing a fuse can be a DIY job for some folks, keep this in mind: it takes a lot to make a little windshield wiper fuse blow. Usually the fault isn't with the fuse itself, but with a wiring issue elsewhere in the vehicle. You may be better off having a pro take a look to make sure you don't have bigger problems under the hood.
Gear Failure
Many of the parts of a windshield wiper mechanism are simply mechanical, not electrical. One reason the wiper motor can fail is if the gear inside has become damaged. This can be due to
- corrosion from salt
- wear and tear
- lack of lubrication
- ice buildup
- accumulation of microscopic debris
Your mechanic can remove the wiper arm mechanism and replace the gear, if that's all that's damaged, although sometimes the entire motor may need to be replaced if gunk on the gear has spread throughout the motor unit.
Multifunction Relay Switch
Sometimes your wipers can have problems due to the multifunction relay switch. Usually when this happens, you'll notice a host of weird things happening at once:
- Your wipers don't work at all when you turn them on.
- Your wipers come on without prompting from you when you start the ignition.
- The wipers only work in one speed or in manual mode.
- Your wiper fluid won't spray.
- Your turn signal and hazards don't work or only work intermittently.
Sometimes the wire to the multifunctional relay is simply loose and replacing it or reattaching it can solve the problem. Other times the switch itself is bad and needs to be replaced. If you're reasonably handy, you may be able to do this job yourself, but since so many other functions are involved, it may be best to leave this one to the pros.
Your windshield wipers are a vital part of your auto safety. If you have a failure with your wipers that you can't easily fix yourself, it's time to take your car into the shop for look. Often the fix is easier than you thought, and you can be in and out with a minimum of damage to your schedule or your wallet.
Share