Replacing rubber in wiper blades?

Maybe add that to your list along with checking the oil on the dipstick.

 

Toyota dealers in Chicagoland do this for free, too. But my question is how old are your wiper blades that they actually are falling apart? Consumer Reports testing shows most blades last 6 months. None last a full year. Are these the original blades on your 2011?

 

Removing a Civic wiper blade, I needed a YouTube, to figure out the release method. There was instruction in the Owners Manual, but it had fundamental typos, lol.

@kenoarto It's weird, ours is build date Aug 09, still on original wipers, and they look pretty much new. It is garage stored, and low mileage; I think it's UV light that's a big factor.

 

Looking new and working new (vs 7 year old smearers) are two very different things. I bet your 7 year old 12v battery looks new, too! Would you buy 7 year old tires? How about basing all your a maintenance on how they look? Just wonderin' where you draw the line on safety issues.

 

I'm very conservative with auto maintenance. The wipers perform fine too. Another factor (besides garage storage and low mileage) might be that I periodically clean the windshield with automotive glass cleaner.

 

Wiper performance is very easy to gauge merely by watching them do their job.

Living in the same climate zone as he does (much more moderate than Chicago), where I normally get 7-9 years on 12V batteries parked outdoors, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he still has a very serviceable OEM battery in his indoor car.

 

I'm on second 12 volt battery (Optima), but yeah it was a pre-emptive swap, I retained the old one, stored under the work bench, monitor (with Solar BA5) and periodically charge it. Without the phantom charge overhead of being in a vehicle it holds charge surprisingly well.

 

It's a matter of taste. I was doing the same thing before, but mentioned that new blades (Michelin from Costco) do not last longer then one month or two. After that the smears are bothering. It is still not certain what blades are better, - original or frameless. I think that more points pushing rubber toward the windshield, is better (just my opinion). And that is why I decided to keep original blades and replace the inserts only. And it is not a time consuming at all. It takes just maybe 10-20 seconds longer per blade to change the insert then blades only.

 

Yes. Also, on many cars, the blades they force you to buy are unsuitable, so you have to remove the insert from the new blade you didn't want and install it in the old blade. Compared to the inserts they used to sell, that's extra labor, besides costing at least 5 times as much.

 

Do you clean your wipers as well? I clean mine with Windex (or equivalent) every time I wash the car or clean the windshield. Buildup of road crud on the wiper edge is the primary cause of streaking; it also leads to scratching the glass. Clean the crud off routinely and your wipers will perform better for longer time.

 

Yes I do. Have cloth wet from going over the windshield with my cleaner, so just pinch the wiper blade and slide along a few times.

This stuff:

Glass Kleen Industrial Strength Glass Cleaner | Princess Auto