windshield wipers

windshield wipers, when most people in Chicago discuss vehicle safety, they mostly think of tires or brakes rarely do we think of windshield wipers.  But we usually do not think about our windshield wipers?  The ability to see is a prime safety factor when it comes to driving around Chicago? We never seem to notice our windshield wipers until we can’t see, or until our wiper blades streak, skip and ultimately fail.

Windshield wipers

It’s estimated that around 46 million people are driving with windshield wipers that won’t keep their windshields clear during a storm — that’s 46 million people with blurred vision during a storm.  Chicago drivers need to change the way we think about our cars wiper blades. Most of us, 78% in fact, only change our wiper blades after we cant see in a storm, or snow fall.  In other words, we don’t get new ones until the old ones become a safety hazard or are completely shot. Instead, we need to make wiper blades part of our preventive maintenance schedule. At Triangle auto, we check windshield wipers blades as part of our 25 point check list while performing an oil change. Windshield wiper blades take a beating in Chicago with our winters then the summer heat. They are cheap insurance to avoid impaired vision while driving.

Wiper blades should be changed twice a year, in the spring and in the fall or anytime they seem to chatter.  In Chicago we experience harsh winter weather, special blades are available that can help prevent ice and snow from collecting on the wiper. Ask your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at Triangle Auto Service about windshield wiper blades that help repel ice and snow.

No matter what windshield wiper blades you use on your vehicle in the winter, don’t expect them to clear the ice and snow from your windshield after your vehicle has been parked for a while. Using your wipers will shred your blades and can damage your wiper motor. Its similar to running a piece of rubber back and fourth on a course piece of sand paper. It will destroy the rubber part of the blades.

Wiper blades are subjected to extremely harsh conditions in Chicago. They’re out in the Chicago sun and in the brutal cold over the winter. Over time, they will become hard and brittle and lose their flexibility, which leads to tears and cuts. Without flexibility, wipers just can’t clear a windshield of water or snow. And torn wipers can actually scratch your windshield. Then the entire windshield has to be replaced or buffed out, either way its a easily avoided additional expense. It’s a perfect example of how preventive maintenance could have saved you a unnecessary repair bill.

Chicago drivers can purchase new wiper blades at Triangle Auto Service or at any auto parts store. They cost about the same, but at Triangle Auto Service we’ll also include the installation of the blades.

Once you have good wipers installed, don’t forget to top off your windshield washer fluid. If you take your vehicle in for a full-service oil change at Triangle Auto Service in Chicago, your washer fluid will get topped off then. But it’s good auto advice to purchase a jug of washer fluid to keep at home — just in case. And pack it in the car when you go on long trips or in the winter months.

Triangle Auto Service advises Chicago drivers to always fill their washer fluid reservoir with window washer fluid. Don’t ever use water, water will freeze in the reservoir, which can damage it. It can also freeze onto your windshield in the cold weather. Plain water just can’t get a windshield clean. Do you use plain water to clean your bathroom mirrors? And a bathroom mirror doesn’t get exposed to anything near the debris that can end up on your windshield. Windshield washer fluid was designed to do one thing, to clean windshields.

A clean windshield is not just good car care for Chicago drivers — it’s also a safety concern.

Triangle Auto Service
4060 N. Elston
Chicago, Illinois 60618
773-539-5858