Changing Wiper Blades

When should you replace your blades? If your blades are over 1 year old they probably need replacing. If you see streaking,  gaps, or hear chattering, or squeaking, replace the blades. Vision while driving is imperative, so make sure you can see clearly in bad weather. This is a very easy repair once you do it the first time, but it can be a frustrating repair if you have never done it before. I suggest you purchase the entire blade rather than buying the wiper insert. If you live where the winters are severe, you may want to consider purchasing a winter blade. When you open the package you will see many inserts that are there for multiple applications. The instructions are usually not that helpful, and looking at all these clips and attachments may seem daunting. But once you learn which attachment to use with your car it will become easy. You may not even need attachments for your particular application. Start by purchasing  a good set of wiper blades that are designed to fit your car. There are many brands at many prices. Anco is a leading manufacture and they make a good blade. But there are others, so choose wisely. Start by raising the wiper arm to the up position so it is no longer resting on the windshield, and you can easily remove the blade. Now open the package and find the attachment that matches the one on your car. Read the directions to get an idea of how exactly this attachment works. Remove the old blade. Normally this requires you to either push, pull, or lift on a tab. You may need a very small flat blade screwdriver.  Sometimes this is the hardest part of the repair. Figuring out how it comes off can be frustrating. Look at it closely and read the directions. You will figure this out. As you start to remove the old blade pay close attention to exactly how it fits on the arm. You are going to do this very exact same thing again in reverse order. Now find the attachment that matches the one on your old blade. It may already be on the blade, or may not be. Insert the attachment if applicable, and slowly install the new blade just like you took the old one off, in reverse order. Listen for it to click. That click tells you it is firmly locked in place. No click and your new blades my fly off. The photos below are a typical installation. You just saved a few dollars by DIY.