How to Change Windshield Wipers

Your windshield wipers play a crucial role in vehicle safety, so you want to be sure to replace them when the time comes. In general, windshield wipers last between six months and one year, but they can deteriorate faster with routine exposure to high temperatures, rain, and sand, among other risk factors. Whether you do the job yourself or leave it to our service team, be sure to change wipers as needed to keep yourself and everyone else safe on the roads of Santa Clarita and Valencia. For those wanting to go the DIY route, we offer this guide on how to change windshield wipers.

Signs You Need to Change Wipers

Before we get into how to change windshield wipers, you should know the common signs that it’s time to replace these essential auto parts, even if you ultimately let our Valencia auto experts take care of this task for you. Any of these indicators are red flags that a wiper change is in order:

• Blade separation
• Cracked rubber
• Gaps in the wiper’s ability to clear your windshield
• Loose pieces of blade
• Scratches on your windshield
• Screeching sounds with wiper movement

How to Change Your Windshield Wipers – Step by Step

After you order the OEM parts, you’ll be ready to change wipers on your own. Simply follow these seven steps:

1. Pull the wipers carefully upright and away from the windshield.
2. Depending on the type of blades you have, you’ll either push a tab to pull the blade off or you’ll slip it off with the arm of the wiper.
3. Dispose of the old wiper blades.
4. Clean your windshield and dry it completely so dirt, dust, and other fine particles don’t adhere to the new blades.
5. Attach the new windshield wipers by doing the reverse of step two.
6. Repeat these steps on the second wiper.
7. Return the wipers to their original position.

In most cases, you won’t need to devote a lot of time to changing wipers. Expect it to take no more than five minutes or so.

Let Our Service & Parts Center at Hello Mazda of Valencia Help Change Your Wipers

A wiper change will ensure you are prepared for inclement weather on all your Sylmar-area drives. Now that you know how to change windshield wipers, you can contact our parts department to order the correct replacements. Still unsure of tackling this job on your own? Don’t worry–our service team is here to help. Contact us for an appointment or schedule your service visit online.