Back to all

Change Your Wiper Blades Twice Yearly at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Glendale Heights

April 22, 2018

Because 90% of our driving decisions are based on visual information, unobscured vision is paramount. Which brings us to the topic of today's Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Glendale Heights article: wiper blades. While this isn't the most exciting automotive subject, it's important. You wouldn't drive at night in Glendale Heights with your headlights off, but a dirty or streaked vehicle windshield can catch the glare of the sun or on-coming headlights and make it just as difficult to see.

Most of us in Glendale Heights replace our wiper blades when they no longer do the job. They are so worn, hard or brittle that they can't clean the windshield. They may even be falling apart. In other words, we deal with our wiper blades from a failure perspective. We address them when they no longer function. The theory, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," doesn't apply here. Instead, we should think about wipers blades as an important safety system that we should maintain rather than repair.

Illinois automotive experts recommend that we change our wiper blades twice a year, in the spring and fall. That way you have functional blades for those Glendale Heights spring showers and winter storms.

When we use our wipers a lot, they get worn from the Glendale Heights road grime and bug juice. Even if we don't use them very often, they're exposed to the sun, heat and cold, and air which cause them to dry out, become brittle and break.

And of course, you need a good windshield washer fluid in your vehicle to help the wipers do their job. Always use washer fluid because plain water doesn't work as well and it can freeze in the reservoir. If you're driving where there are a lot of bugs in Illinois, you can pay a little more and get fluid that does a better job of clearing them. If you live where you have extremely cold winters, you can get fluid that resists freezing.

Like everything else in the automotive world, there've been some big advancements in wiper blades, both in terms of the design and the materials from which the blade is made. If you are a local Glendale Heights driver that has a need for better than average windshield wipers, you can pay some more for an upgraded wiper. And if you live where there's a lot of snow and ice in Illinois, they make special winter blades that don't clog up and freeze like standard blades.

At one of your fall and spring oil changes, ask your Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Glendale Heights service advisor which is best wiper blade for your driving conditions. Replace your blades on schedule so you never have to struggle with your vision when you switch on your wipers.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Glendale Heights
1153 Bloomingdale Rd.
Glendale Heights, Illinois 60139
630-588-8846

More articles from Tuffy Glendale Heights

Plugging Away (Spark Plug Replacement)

November 17, 2024

If you drive a vehicle with a gasoline engine, thank the spark plugs for igniting the gasoline/air mixture in each cylinder that keeps your vehicle traveling smoothly down the road every day. Your spark plugs work hard, firing thousands of times in a well-choreographed order, and you usually don... More

Poor Reflections (Door Mirror Problems)

November 10, 2024

Mirror, mirror on the door, why is my vision there so poor? Well, you could have a broken outside rearview mirror that's disabled your blind spot vision there and endangering your ability to see some of the traffic around you. Outside rearview (or door) mirrors are important safety devices that ... More

Too Hot to Handle (Vehicle Overheating)

November 3, 2024

In the hot weather, seeing steam coming from the engine compartment is something we all dread. No one wants that to happen to them. But if you know the signs of overheating and how to deal with it, you may be able to reduce the risk of damage to your vehicle, maybe even prevent getting stranded ... More