Ways How Faulty Wipers Can Damage Your Windshield

It is a common notion that windshield damage is mostly caused by stones, pebbles, or other road debris. And, while it is correct that most windshield chips, scratches, and cracks are the results of debris impact, believe it or not, faulty wiper blades can also cause a lot of auto glass damage.

Wiper blades are an instrumental part of your windshield and help you keep the car glass perfectly clean so that you can have an unobstructed view while driving. Wiper blades are on the frontline defending the windshield against the sun, vehicle waxes and oils, heavy rain, salt, moisture, airborne debris, and extreme temperatures. These elements, in turn, have severe and lasting effects on the wiper blades. Consequently, wipers tend to squeak, chatter, skip, smear, and streak, thereby reducing driving visibility.

Whilst you may not realise it, but worn and rough wiper blades can induce noticeable harm to your auto windshield. Unfortunately, it’s not always an on-surface scratch in the paint that can be furnished by professionals with polish. Once the damage reaches the glass and grooves are carved in, there’s no way to repair a crack in windshield, and it leads to windshield replacement, something that could have been prevented if wiper blades were taken care of in the first place.

Faulty wiper blades can affect your windshield in many different ways. Here are a few of them.

Windshield Getting Scratched

Wiper blades are strategically designed to push firmly across the windshield glass to clean it thoroughly. However, when the rubber covering of the wiper gets worn out, the exposed metal from inside could scrape over your windshield. When the rubber edging is weakened, the metal portion of the wiper blade grazes the glass surface repeatedly, causing scratches.

Improper Movement Due to Deteriorated Wiper Arms

Wiper arms are usually made of metal and, hence, can grow weaker with time. Your wiper blades in such instances cannot move when turned on, or they may lift off mid-process without touching the window. This can result in the accumulation of roadside debris on your car's windshield, hence, damaging the glass.

Streaking and Squeaking during Wiping

Rough edges of your faulty wipers can cause excessive squeaking, scraping, grinding, and other unusual sounds when your wipers are in use. This can be distracting for the driver.

Uneven Cleaning

If your wiper blades are not functioning correctly, they won’t be doing the one job that should be done easily. The wipers won’t be able to clean your windshield properly and will leave sections unattended. During heavy rain, water streaks can flood your view while the wipers are still wiping, and it can damage your windshield and compromise your road visibility.

Tiny Cracks Can Worsen without Immediate Attention

If there are scratches and cracks already on your windshield or if the wipers are causing them, without immediate professional help, these damages will only deepen and aggravate up until a point when only windshield replacement becomes the only viable option.

The very windshield wipers that are placed to protect your vision while driving can hurt you by impairing it. Battered, on the fritz, defective, inappropriately installed, and poorly maintained windshield wipers can scratch your windshield, damage them severely, which will affect your ability to see. Depending on how long you take to do something about it, the damage can require anything from a windshield repair to an absolute windshield replacement.

However, it’s not that hard to avoid windshield wiper scratches if you pay attention. One of the best things to do is to inspect your wipers and replace them with new ones at least twice a year.

Tips to Keep Your Wiper Blades Running Smoothly
Keep Your Windshield Clean

Wiper blade scratches are often caused by gravel, pebbles, dirt, car wax, or oil build-up on the windscreen. A lot of wiper fluid goes into cleaning that, so wash the windshield thoroughly whenever you get the opportunity and clean the rubber wiper blades often.

Keep Wiper Fluid Full

To keep wipers working properly, ensure keeping the wiper liquid full. In case your wiper fluid spray doesn't cover the windshield entirely, examine the spray nozzles, and clean them if they are congested with dirt. Adjust the nozzles from time to time.

Check on Your Wipers Regularly

Check the wiper clips to ensure that they are locked properly to avoid scratches. Rubber wipers usually wear out after several months, so always replace them timely. It is cheaper and more convenient to replace wiper blades than repair crack in a windshield.

Assisting you in keeping a clear view of the road ahead is the most important responsibility of a windshield wiper. And while it is evident that increased exposure to sunlight, heat, cold, rain, road debris, lack of use, improper maintenance, and windshield damage can cause rubber wiper blades to deteriorate over time, they should be able to clear rain, snow, moisture, and road debris off the glass without streaking, squeaking, chattering, and smearing. If they don’t, you should replace them.

Do not wait before it’s too late and if your wipers are damaged, get in touch with AIS Windshield Experts! We use AIS windshield wipers - the best and the most reliable wiper blades in the market to replace your old ones.

If you are looking for windshield repair or replacement, give AIS Windshield Experts a call at our centralized helpline numbers or visit our website. Our technicians will do a comprehensive job, and we will have you on your way out in no time at all.

To know more, visit our website or call us on 1800 102 6364! Get in touch with us today!