- Worn blades reduce contact; replace them promptly
- Heavy ice, snow, or mud must be cleared before use to avoid damage
- Wiper motor failures or blown fuses can stop operation
- Loose pivot nuts loosen wiper arms; tighten them
Functional windshield wipers contribute to safe driving. Worn wiper blades, a faulty motor, a broken fuse or heavy snow can be some of the reasons why your windshield wipers do not work.
When driving, it is essential that the car’s windshield is clean. If you do not have optimal visibility on the road in front of you, it is much more difficult to avoid an accident, an object on the street or a defect in the road surface, such as a hole in the road. To keep your windshield clean, your wipers must work properly.
Sometimes, the wipers may not work properly or both at the same time. There are several reasons why windshield wipers no longer work - here are the top 5 main causes:
1. Wiper blades are worn
The condition of the slats is directly responsible for how well the wipers work. If the rubber edges on the blades are broken, the wiper will not make contact with the windshield as it should to wipe off debris and moisture. The gap formed by the lack of rubber could even accumulate even more dirt there which can scratch the surface of the windshield. Replace the wiper blades as soon as possible, so as not to compromise your visibility.
2. Windscreen wipers have ice or snow on them
The wipers are made to remove a small amount of snow from the windshield, but heavy snow, ice or even mud must be removed with a cleaning brush before putting the wipers into operation, because otherwise they can destroy the wipers.
Frozen snow can be so heavy on your car’s wipers that the blades can bend, the wiper arms can jump or dismount from the pivots, and the wiper motor or transmission circuit can fail. Remove snow from the windshield before wipers start.
3. The windshield wiper motor no longer works
This is an electric motor. Like any other electrical component, it may stop abruptly and may need to be replaced. If this happens, the windshield wipers will not work at all and you will not be able to wipe water, dirt or snow from the windshield. Replace the engine immediately, in this case.
4.The windshield wiper fuse is burnt out
When the windshield wiper motor is overheated, the associated fuse burns out. The fuse is designed as a weak element in the wiper circuit. In this way, if the engine is overheated for some reason, the fuse will burn first, instead of the engine, which is much more expensive. If the fuse blows, first check what caused the engine to overheat. A large amount of snow on the wiper blades, slats or arms that have been obstructed by an object can cause the safety to burn. Remove objects that block the wipers and replace the fuse.
5.Wiper pivot nuts are loose
The wiper arms are connected to the wiper transmission by a nut on a pivot. The pivots are usually splined with a stud protruding. The wiper arms are grooved as well and have a hole through the base. A nut tightens onto the pivot stud to hold the wiper arm tightly to the pivot. If the nut is a little loose - which is common - the wiper motor will turn the pivot but the wiper arm will not move. You may see it slightly move when the wiper direction changes, but it will not wipe the windshield.
You may find yourself with only one wiper working while the other isn’t .In this case, make sure the wiper pivot nuts are tight.
Photo: medium.com, car1.ca, napaonline.com
