Do your windscreen wipers screech or judder as they wipe your windscreen? Noise and vibration can not only be irritating, it can be distracting too which can affect your driving, so if you’ve got a problem with noisy or chattering windscreen wipers, you need to do something about it. Here are a few tips and tricks that you can try, and get your windscreen wipers working efficiently and quietly.
Clean your windscreen
A dirty or greasy windscreen can cause your wipers to stick or judder, so use a proprietary windscreen cleaner to remove road film and dirt from your windscreen. Dirt on your windscreen can make it harder to see in adverse weather, so a thorough clean should be part of your regular maintenance schedule. It’s impossible to avoid road film totally, but you can reduce the build-up by not driving too close to the vehicle in front in wet weather.
If you use a automated car wash, there can be a tendency for wax polish to end up on the windscreen too, so either wash your vehicle yourself, avoiding getting polish on the windscreen, or use windscreen cleaner after the car wash to remove the polish.
Check that your wiper blades are in good condition
Windscreen wiper blades don’t last forever; it’s a good idea to change them at least annually, preferably before the winter rains and snow begin. If the blades are old, the material can harden which can cause them to screech and to miss parts of the windscreen. A regular wipe along the blade with a small amount of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) will keep your wiper blades grease-free and keep them softer for longer, but they still need replacing regularly to ensure continued good visibility.
Looking after your wiper blades is also necessary to prevent the wiper arms from scratching your windscreen – this can happen if the wiper blade breaks off or shreds, leaving you with distinctive half-moon scratches in the windscreen where the wiper arms have made contact. If this happens, don’t forget that you can get a great value windscreen repair or replacement by contacting your nearest myWindscreen technician.
Ensure your washer bottle is full and contains screen wash
Judder can be caused by a dry windscreen, so always keep the windscreen wash bottle topped up and make sure you have the right concentration of screen wash for the time of year. In cold, frosty and snowy conditions, the concentration of screen wash needs to be increased to help prevent freezing.
It’s not a good idea to replace screen wash with washing up liquid, as the detergent can cause the windscreen to be as ‘squeaky clean’ as your dishes, which is another source of noise. In higher concentrations, some detergents can have an adverse effect on your vehicle paintwork too!
Check the condition of the wiper arms
If your windscreen wiper arms are distorted or the springs are not holding them against the windscreen properly, the wipers will not be effective so if necessary, get a new set of wiper arms fitted.
Here’s to safe and quiet driving!
