You may not pay much attention to the windshield wipers on your car, but if they won't come on when it's raining, you could have an emergency on your hands. A few things may be wrong with your wipers if they aren't turning on. If they don't work at all, or if an arm is snapped off, take your car to an auto repair shop on a sunny day so your wipers are ready for the next rain. Here are three repairs your wipers might need.
1. Tighten Loose Nuts
The wipers are attached with nuts that hold the ends of the wipers to transmissions that make the wipers move. If only one wiper is stuck and the other one is moving, that's an indication of a loose nut. The motor and other parts are still good or else the other wiper wouldn't be working either. This is a simple auto repair since the mechanic can try tightening the nut to help solve the problem.
It's also possible the threads on the wiper arm are worn down. In that case, a new arm needs to be put on and tightened to the transmission. Then the motor can turn the wiper as it should.
2. Replace A Burned-Out Wiper Motor
If you turn your wipers on and nothing happens, that could be a sign of motor trouble. The mechanic can take off the cover under your windshield and check the motor with a meter. If the electrical plug is sending power to the motor, but the wipers aren't working, the motor may need to be replaced.
This means the mechanic may test the fuse. A blown fuse can keep your motor from working. Your mechanic may want to find out why the fuse blew so your new motor doesn't burn out too.
3. Put On New Blades
If your wipers move but they aren't effective at wiping away rain, the problem is probably the blades. The blades may not be on properly or they may be damaged or worn down. The blades are made of rubber and can degrade due to use and weather exposure. They should usually be changed a couple of times a year. Your mechanic may check them when you get an oil change or when they do other auto repairs.
Changing wiper blades is not often too difficult, and you may want to learn how you can replace them so you can quickly put on new blades if yours get damaged. If you don't know how, then take your car to an auto repair shop to have new blades put on so it's safe for you to drive in the rain.
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