In this week’s Goss’ Car Care Tips For Women video, CARCHEX customer Erica asks Pat how she can add more wiper fluid to her car when it’s running low. Along with explaining this process, Pat provides expertise on the best wiper fluids to purchase. He even shows us the three different types of wiper blades. (Who knew there were different kinds?)
Pat’s advice will not only help keep your windshield squeaky clean, but also save you money; because when using the correct kind of wiper blades (depending on the weather conditions in your area) you don’t have to replace them as often.
Watch the video below to learn all about wiper fluid and wiper blades because you’ll want to make sure you’re using the type that will benefit you most!
Don’t forget to check back for the next Goss’ Car Care Tips For Women video!
When Should I Change My Wiper Fluid and Blades?
Hi Pat, I’m Erica. I’d like to know when is it time to change my wiper blades and fluid?
Goss’ Car Care Tips For Women
Erica checking windshield washer fluid on most cars is pretty simple. You open the hood, you locate the washer reservoir, and you usually have a visual indicator as to the level. Like this one we see right here, we can see that it is absolutely full. Now there’s going to be some cars where you can’t see the level. On those cars their gonna have a sensor built into the bottle that tells you a warning on the instrument cluster when the washer fluid is low. Either way it’s pretty simple.
But what about the washer fluids themselves. Well in colder climates you to want make sure you use a winter fluid in the winter because otherwise the summer fluid will freeze up and damage that bottle and the pump. Now there are a couple of different types out there. Conventional blue fluid, such as we see here, sometimes its kind of a greenish color, or a superior product in the form of RainX. Now the RainX washer fluid is also a De-Icer plus it forms a coating on the windshield that makes the wiper blades move more smoothly and efficiently; and it helps to prevent ice and snow from sticking to the glass. Cost a little bit more, it’s what I use all the time and I love it.
Erica, wiper blades can be kind of a confusing subject. Reason being there are several different types. The most common being what we see here, where there’s a framework that supports the blade that actually touches the glass. Now some people go out and elect to buy the $4 wiper blade inserts, which really don’t last very long. Sometimes three months is a long time. But if you replace the entire blade and use this style of blade there are a couple of things to understand. First these usually last about a year, but if you live an area where you have snow, well this blade tends to get all packed up with snow and it distorts and when it distorts it doesn’t clean the glass.
So snowy areas you have to buy a second set of blades. This is a winter blade, which is just simply that first blade with a thin rubber membrane over it to keep snow from getting into the framework of the blade. So you’ve got another expense.
But here’s the newest and the greatest. This is a beam type blade. This has the spring mechanism built right into it. Well there’s no framework, so there’s no need for winter blades because there’s nothing for the snow to build up in. In addition to that, where the other one has all those little frames there are pressure points this has the spring inside it and it applies even pressure all the way from one end of the blade to the other. This is the best way to go. It costs a little bit more, but usually they last a lot longer, up to slightly over two years, so in the long run they’re less expensive.
