Spring Tips to Protect Your Car's Windshield
Posted on: 1 March 2017
With the coming of spring also comes the time to check that your car weathered winter conditions well. Most people know to check the tires and wash the grime off the paint, but they may overlook the windshields. Unfortunately, your car's windshields often take the brunt of the harsh winter conditions and small problems can quickly become worse as spring turns into summer. The following are few things to check to prevent problems later on.
Swap out the blades
The blades may look fine, but after a season of scraping across ice and removing jagged frost, the edges of the blades have likely become tattered. Small, nearly invisible tears can trap dirt and grit. This is then scraped across your window each time you run the wipers during a spring rain. Eventually, you will end up with fan shaped etching on the windshield. The only way to fix this is with replacement glass. Save yourself this expense and get in the habit of putting on new blades each spring.
Perform a full grime removal
Any grime or grit left on your windows from winter can lead to scratches and etching. When washing the windows – which should be done often when temperatures permit during winter – lift the blades off the glass so you can wash beneath them. Then, take a damp towel and wipe down each blade to remove any grit that is stuck to it.
Top off the fluid
Never use wipers on a dry window. With no moisture to lubricate, any dust or grit on the window is sure to scrape and scratch. Many people go through a lot of wiper fluid in winter since it helps remove both dirt and light frost. As soon as spring rolls around, check the fluid reservoir under your hood and make sure it is topped up to the fill line.
Fill small chips
Small chips often occur in the winter months, since many places use sand and salt on the road to help with ice. These then get thrown up against your windshield. You can often spot small chips by parking into the sun, as the chips refract the light when hit directly with sunlight. Small chips can be filled and repaired, but if you ignore them they will get bigger and then a full replacement is necessary.
Contact an auto glass repair shop for more help or to schedule a repair.
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