Sunday, October 26, 2008

Free Tips on How to Replace Your Windshield Wipers

Your windshield wipers are a very important part of your car. Once they start going bad, you are going to notice. The only problem is that a lot of people do not replace the wipers as much as they should. They say that you should try and replace your windshield wipers about once a year. Of course, it really depends on how much it rains in the area that you live. Just remember not to let them get too bad. After all, you only use them when you really need them, and if they are bad, you could be in trouble.
The first thing that you are going to want to do to replace your windshield wipers on your Toyota is to find the right replacements. Finding the right replacement blades is, of course, going to count on which kind of Toyota you have. For example, the Toyota Tacoma is going to have different blades than the Toyota Prius. You can refer to your owner's manual to make sure you get the right wipers, but most of the time, the windshield wipers will have the cars that they can be used for right on the box. Last, but not least, make sure you buy the whole blade and not just the rubber striping. These are a lot harder to change than what you may think they would be.



Getting Started
The first thing that you are going to want to do is, of course, read the instructions that come with the windshield wiper blades. Keep in mind that the left and right blades are going to be different. Most of the time, the boxes are going to be marked which ones go wear. However, if they are not, then you can simply match them up with the ones that are on your car and mark them yourself. After matching them up, you will want to pull the wiper blades on your car to the up position. You will notice that when you pull on the wiper blades, they will come forward. This is known as the up position, or the service position.
At this point, you will be removing the old worn out wiper blades by simply releasing the tabs that are found at the top of the blade. If you have an old Toyota, you may notice that they require a very small screwdriver to help release the tab. After you remove the blades, it will be time to install the new ones. All you have to do here is push the new blade arm in until they click into place. After that, you will just push the whole blade arm back to the down position, or what auto shops would call the locked position. Before using them, make sure that they are securely located into place. After you get them on, try using them to make sure that the new blade does not come off during use.
New Wiper Blades
The main thing that you are going to want to do is test them before driving in the rain with them. It is always a good idea to test everything to make sure that it is functioning correctly before you start to use it. Otherwise, you could find yourself out on the open road with wiper blades that go flying off. This would be a very bad situation to be in. Also remember, after changing them, you can throw out your worn out wiper blades; there is no reason to keep them. Unlike other car parts, this is a piece of equipment that is fine to just throw out. Also, remember that it's best to go with name brand wipers over off brand ones. Off brand wipers are only going to save you a little bit, and you are taking a big risk with them. That is something that you are not going to want to do when it's your family's life in your hands!

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