Springing into action when it rains, wipers clear the windscreen from water. Even small amounts of water droplets sprinkled across a windscreen can already be a safety hazard. Acting like a prism, these droplets re-direct light, thus blurring our vision. The more rain water accumulates on the windscreen the more difficult it is to have a clear, safe vision of what happens ahead on the road.
Although wipers may look fairly simple, they have become incredible design feats. For instance, the metal arm will have springs that press the rubber blade firmly against the glass. These springs also ensure that the pressure on the blades is evenly distributed to ensure that water is wiped off from all covered parts of the glass.
The blades themselves oftentimes comprise of a number of lips, differently sized, to provide maximum wiping power. As the blades move across the windscreen the rubber lip will bend, and a smaller lip will also be pressed against the windscreen.
Over time, rubber will become brittle. Sunlight and heat will slowly dry out the rubber and it will become hard and small pieces can break off. Small pieces of debris flung onto the windscreen can also damage the rubber blade as it swipes across the glass. These damages will result in the wiper not being effective anymore: parts of the windscreen will not be cleared of water even if the windscreen wiper operates at high speed. Thus, visibility is impaired, and a safety hazard is created. The springs in the assembly loose their power over time and this too, will lead to insufficient clearing power of the wipers as the rubber lip is not pressed against the glass firmly enough.
A good indication of a worn-out wiper is if it skips and skitters over the glass when operated. The lifetime of a wiper depends on several factors. First and foremost, the quality of the wipers determines how long it can be used. German Motors recommends using top quality wipers as they are safety related wear and tear articles. The wear and tear of windscreen wipers depends on their usage and climate. Considering the frequent rains in tropical countries like Malaysia, German Motors recommends to visually inspect windscreen wipers at least monthly. If there are visible signs of wear and tear, they should be replaced immediately.
