How To Handle Your Windshield Wiper Arm Replacement

The windshield of your car is important because if it is not working properly, it would be hard for you to see the road. This comes in handy, especially during tough weather situation like when it is raining or snowing. It is so hard to see the road when your windshield is filled with moist or dust is just all over the place.

This is why you need your windshield wiper working. If not for it, driving is going to be dangerous. But unfortunately, certain circumstances occur that often damage this area.

Today, I'm going to teach you how to deal with your windshield wiper arm replacement. This tutorial would keep your mind at ease knowing you will be able to fix it yourself and no longer need to hire someone just to do it for you.

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Common Causes of the Windshield Wiper not Working

Before I move on to the tutorial here, I feel like it is best that you know the reasons why your windshield wiper is not working sometimes. Learning the root of it would make it easier for you to fix it.

Common Causes of the Windshield Wiper Not Working
1

Ice Clogs

One of the most common reasons your windshield wiper is not working is due to ice that was built up in that part of your car. If you live in a place where it snows, then you can expect that this would happen often.

2

Blockage from Other Material Things

There is also a chance that other elements could just go in your windshield area and clog the movement of your wiper. When situations like this occur, a part of your wiper could easily go loose, which would then result for it to longer function properly.

But don't worry because this is a problem that is totally fixable. The first thing that you need to do is focus on making the windshield wiper move. Here is a step-by-step procedure on how you are going to work on it, but before that, here is also the stuff that you need on hand to make this work.

Materials That You Need

  • Cardboard or mat
  • Flat screwdriver
  • Socket for the hex nut
  • Ratchet
  • Cloth for cleaning

Tutorial on How to Fix Your Windshield Wiper

1. Make The Wiper Rest

 It is important that your windshield wiper is turned off, to begin with. Make sure that it is in a resting position because the next step might complicate things if it is all over your windshield.

2. Ignition Off

Ignition Off

This part would require you to then turn off the ignition of your car and make sure that the key is not in there.

3. Wiper Arm

Wiper Arm

After making sure that the car is not on, have the wiper arm placed apart from the blade down to the base. In order to make this happen, you might have to open the hood of your car for easy access.

Note: You have to make it a point that the base of your wiper is protected. In order to pull this off, get anything that will secure that area like a cardboard or a piece of mat. This is a must because the glass on your windshield could easily be damaged if one of your tools falls on it.

4. Look For The Plastic Dust Cap

Look For The Plastic Dust Cap

http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Windshield-Wipers

Upon checking the area of your windshield wiper, try to get a hold of the plastic dust cap. You will see it protecting the nut of the wiper. Make sure that the position of the base and the arm of your windshield wiper is the same and didn't dwindle.

Now, in order to get the said plastic dust cap, you will need a screwdriver and remove it from the nut that was deeply attached in there. This might be a little difficult to open though but don't worry because you will find a tiny space there that would make you attach the screwdriver.

Once you have that figured out, you will see how easily it will be for you now to take the nut off your hood.

5. Picking A Socket

This process may sound complicated but this is actually an easy part. All you need to do is pick a socket that would fit right to the nut. If you have successfully removed the dust cap, then you won't have trouble analyzing the right size of the hex nut.

In case you don't know, this is the part that supports the wiper arm attached to the drive post. Hence, it is important that you have the right socket for it.

6. Ratcheting

Get a ratchet and have the socket on it. Make sure once again that the socket has the exact and precise measurement or this won't work. This is a common mistake made by a lot of people. They will try to squeeze in the socket when it doesn't fit and some would allow an extra space there where it would end up jiggling with the nut. Don't be one of those. Make sure everything fits perfectly.

7. Tighten the Nut

Tighten The Nut

http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Windshield-Wipers

This part involves you tightening the nut using the ratchet. Do it clockwise to make sure it is done right.

8. Do a Final Check

Do A Final Check

 Do a final check if the nuts are finally tight and back to normal by turning the ignition on along with your windshield wiper. Pray that the arm won't slip because if that happens, then we'll need to talk about replacing it. But if it doesn't, then you're good to go!

Conclusion

Fixing the windshield wiper of your car is no doubt easy, as long as you have the right instructions for it. Most of the time you won't need to replace it because the stubborn nuts should work back to normal as soon. When it comes to the worse case scenario, which would mean replacing it, you will need to mark it first where it needs to rest.

You will need to remove the entire thing that binds the wiper from its nuts to the bolts holding it. Then get a flat screwdriver once again to screw back the nuts, but this time with the new windshield wiper as the replacement.

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