Using windscreen wipers when the heavens open up is a foregone conclusion. Newer cars come with rain-sensing wipers which automatically activate when the celestial sprinkle starts, which pretty much means set and forget it.

The problem here is that with the set-and-forget mindset, people simply forget that their wiper blades are a regular service item, only to be frustrated by streaks and uneven wipes that impede outward vision during rainy weather.

The follow-on problem is that people also forget that their vision was marred post wet-weather drive, and go about their business as usual until the next inclement weather episode.

Frustrate-and-forget. Rinse and repeat.

When to Change

Let’s start with the obvious. If your wiper blades are well and truly worn, and/or leave streaks and un-wiped patches in its swept area on the windscreen, it is high time to change them out.

This would also be true if the blades are chattering and/or squeaking badly while wiping.

However, it’s best not to let things get to this stage, as worn blades can also lead to windscreen damage by instilling scratches that might require highly specialised polishing to remove at best, or a windscreen replacement at worst. Windscreens ain’t cheap folks.

If your vehicle is always parked outdoors under the elements and susceptible to fallout from trees, industrial sources and the like, consider changing your wiper blades when streaks start to show or every year, whichever comes first.

Remember, it isn’t just wiping that deteriorates blades. So do sun and associated heat and UV exposure, and accumulated debris along the blade that can cause it to deteriorate faster.

Otherwise, consider changing the blades when streaks start to show or every two years, whichever comes first. This will allow you to retain better forward visibility during wet weather and will also protect your windscreen from scratches.

Types of Wiper Blades

The most common and affordable is the conventional type.

These types of wipers have a cartridge comprising two shorter suspension arms built into a longer bridge that holds the actual blade to the windscreen. The benefit of the conventional type is twofold.

One is that the entire cartridge together with the blade can be replaced, which makes things much more convenient.

The other is that blade inserts can be purchased and replaced on the existing cartridge if preferred, offering a more cost-effective replacement solution. Usually, the cartridge can last many years, which means cost-savings on inserts.

The other common and newer wiper blade is the flat type.

Flat-type blades have tensioned metal within that supports the blade. This is why when the arm is picked up off the windscreen, flat type blades tend to resemble a bow. This means the blade can better conform to the curvature of the windscreen and is much more effective at wiping.

Furthermore, a flat-type blade has an aerodynamic spoiler integrated into its form. At highway speeds, this integrated spoiler causes the blade to press down with greater pressure and be more effective at wiping since the blade does not lift away from the windscreen.

There is a third type called a hybrid blade, which uses the best features of conventional and flat-type wipers.

The blades themselves can be made of natural or chloroprene rubber, or even silicone. While there is raging debate online on which of these is best, consider the recommended change interval and use whichever suits your wallet.

Wiper Care

Let’s say you’ve just had a set of brand-new blades installed. How do you take care of them so that they’ll last the distance?

A good rule of thumb when washing your car would be to lift the wiper arms off the windscreen and run your wash media (sponge, mitt, etc.) over the blade itself to remove accumulated debris.

This would help remove any road grime picked up from daily driving and make the blades more effective during rain.

During day-to-day usage, it’s best if you can check for debris on and under the wiper blades, and clear them out before setting off. This is especially so when parked in an open carpark.

Neglecting to do this is what causes streaks on the windscreen when the wipers are at work. Accumulated debris can permanently deform and/or damage the blade, or even scratch the windscreen, so spend a minute to clear the junk.

“Wipers are an important safety feature and something our Service Ambassadors check on every time we pick up your car for servicing en route to the workshop (among other checks and observations).

Our advice is not to compromise on a low-cost item that plays such a big part in our unpredictable weather. Ensure original or good OEM ones are used for effectiveness and a longer lifespan.”

– Kenneth Yeo, General Manager, AutoApp

Overlooked Wipers’ Assistant

Banish any thoughts of squeegee elves magically appearing and dancing on your vehicle’s bonnet while they sing and clean the glass. The most overlooked wipers’ assistant is actually the windscreen washer fluid.

Keep the washer fluid reservoir topped off for the unfortunate times when a bird decides to drop a strategically-aimed bomb out its backside, or when mud from the road is flung up by another vehicle onto your windscreen.

Premixed windscreen washer fluid is available for purchase at most petrol stations and car-accessory shops, and you’d only need to top off the reservoir. Some cars have their rear windscreen reservoir in the boot, so consult your owner’s manual as to the actual location(s).

Due to premixed washer fluid containing glycol, alcohol and/or surfactants, one may not want to use this due to the paintwork stains they can potentially leave behind. In this case, use straight distilled, de-ionized or reverse-osmosis water to reduce the amount of potential stains on paintwork.

Stressed Out?

Well, don’t be. AutoApp can handle all of your car’s servicing needs and keep you updated along the way. Wiper replacements can be scheduled together with your regular servicing, and we’ll even remind you when they’re due for replacement.

Our panel of partner workshops are carefully curated to offer the most optimal and timely servicing solutions for your car. We’ll also remind you when your next servicing is due so that you don’t have to worry about getting it done on time.

Other safety-related and maintenance checks such as the wear of brakes and tyres are checked during servicing with Autoapp.

The Invisible Wipers

Here’s some bonus content, which is probably the most important aspect of windscreen wipers’ efficacy. By getting rainwater to roll off your glass, your wipers will have a much easier time. No, it’s not voodoo or black magic.

The main phenomenon that obscures vision during a downpour is that rainwater sticks to a vehicle’s glass, be it the windscreens or side windows.

As speeds increase, the air that passes over the front windscreen with greater velocity causes the stuck-on rainwater to ripple, much like the ripples on the surface of a pond or lake on a windy day.

Do you recognise this exact scenario in the image below?

This phenomenon of water sticking to the glass and rippling more with speed is what causes your outward vision to be obscured during a downpour.

The solution, therefore, is to break the surface tension that causes rainwater to adhere to glass in the first place. This is where hydrophobic coatings come into their own, especially during torrential downpours that cause all and sundry on the road to shudder.

A hydrophobic coating breaks surface tension on the glass, causing water to bead up into droplets.

At lower speeds, these droplets are easily dealt with by wipers. At higher speeds, the air that passes over the windscreen literally ‘blows’ the droplets up and away, giving the wipers much less water to wipe.

Since there is no film of water adhered to the glass and rippling away with speed, you therefore enjoy a much clearer forward vision in the process to enhance safety.

AutoApp offers a service to prep and coat all the glass panels of your vehicle to make them hydrophobic. This is a thorough and involved process that takes around 1.5-hours to complete, and also includes cleaning the inside glass surfaces for clearer outward vision.

The coating lasts up to one year. Click here for enquiries.

Download AutoApp here. Leave the hassle to us. Let go, let AutoApp.

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!

Believe it or not, there are car owners who think that regular vehicle servicing is a conspiracy theory solely meant to enrich oil companies and spare parts manufacturers.

Well, here are two examples of engines, one out of an Infiniti and the other a turbodiesel Mercedes-Benz powerplant, that have been so severely neglected that their internals end up caked in sludge. Not to mention these engines have also self-destructed.

Here are some regular maintenance items to keep an eye on.

Engine Oil & Filter

Oil is the lifeblood of an internal combustion engine. It not only lubricates but also cools the engine as one drives down the road.

Without prompt and regular oil changes, an engine will not function well. In some extreme cases, it might even erupt violently while throwing a rod out the side of the engine block and leaving the owner stranded.

Imagine shelling out thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars to replace a blown engine because an owner was “too frugal” to spend on regular oil changes. Penny-wise, pound-foolish.

Along with engine oil, the oil filter needs to be replaced at the same interval as well.

If the interval calls for 10,000-kilometre oil changes or every year, whichever comes first, then follow it strictly. A couple of hundred kilometres or a couple of weeks either side of that interval is fine, but never let it get past that.

Even if you don’t use your car regularly and don’t clock the required mileage, the oil still needs to be changed periodically due to degradation from occasional cold-and-hot cycles.

Remember, oil is cheap but engines are expensive. Taking care of your engine is the best prevention tactic.

Transmission Fluid

Just like engine oil is the lifeblood of an internal combustion engine, transmission fluid is the lifeblood of a gearbox.

Manufacturers in recent times have been touting their transmission fluids to be “lifetime fluids” or “sealed for life.” We all know what happened to those transmissions, which proceeded to grenade themselves after a prolonged lack of transmission fluid changes.

‘Lifetime’ in manufacturers’ parlance likely means the warranty period or 100,000-kilometres. Why? Simply because they want you to buy more vehicles from them sooner!

Adopt a servicing regime of every 60,000 to 100,000-kilometres for your transmission fluid and your car will chug along happily. Even if the owner’s handbook doesn’t specify any intervals at all, it is good to keep this in mind.

This is also applicable for continuously variable transmissions or CVTs. Always ensure the correct fluid for the respective transmission is being used.

Engine Air Filter

Imagine someone plugging up your nostrils to a tenth of their regular size and you being forced to breathe through those tiny orifices. Difficult isn’t it? Likewise, your vehicle’s engine needs to breathe freely to run at its optimum.

The period to change the engine air filter can vary anywhere from every 50,000 to 80,000 kilometres, but follow the interval stated in your owner’s handbook and your engine will be much happier for it.

Cabin Air Filter

Just like the engine needs to breathe clean air, so do you and the occupants of your vehicle. Cabin air filters need to be changed every 20,000 to 30,000 kilometres, more so if the occupant(s) smoke(s).

A clogged and dirty cabin air filter will affect the efficiency of the vehicle’s aircon, and may also introduce foul smells into the cabin. For the sake of your health and that of your loved ones, have it changed regularly.

Timing Belts (and Chains)

Timing belts should be regularly replaced. The first replacement usually is at 100,000 kilometres, and subsequently every 80,000 to 100,000 kilometres thereafter.

A timing belt change will also usually involve changing out the coolant pump and coolant, as well as idler pulleys and tensioner bearings.

Neglect this, and when the timing belt shreds itself to pieces, expect valves to make contact with pistons and carnage inside the engine to ensue. A timing belt replacement costs far, far less than an engine replacement.

A timing chain system, in theory, is meant to last the lifetime of the vehicle. In practice, chain guides can disintegrate and come apart, and chains can stretch. These can lead to valves making contact with pistons, leaving you with an ugly mess.

An experienced mechanic will know how to promptly identify the symptoms of a failing timing chain system, and remedy it with a new chain, tensioners and chain guides before calamity strikes.

Valve De-carbonisation

Purely direct-injected engines have issues with carbon building up on the intake valves. This is due to a lack of solvent (petrol) flowing over the valves to keep them clean, which is what a port injection system would do.

Some manufacturers such as Toyota have incorporated both port- and direct-injection, and such internal combustion engines do not require valve de-carbonisation.

If your vehicle’s engine is purely direct-injected, adopt a valve de-carbonisation servicing regime every 60,000 to 80,000 kilometres. This is a rather involved process, so leave at least half a day for it.

Neglect it, and expect the engine to run rough, skip timing and at worst, drop a valve into the combustion chamber and cause the engine to wreck itself.

Tearing Your Hair Out Yet?

Well, don’t.

Just realise that there’s more to car ownership and maintenance than the items stated above, such as changing spark plugs, brake fluid flush, periodic tyre rotation and wheel alignment, aircon and engine refresh, etc.

If this is way over your head, and all you want to do is drive your vehicle, there’s a ready solution for you.

AutoApp can handle your car’s servicing needs and keep you updated along the way.

Our panel of partner workshops are carefully curated to offer the most optimal and timely servicing solutions for your car. We’ll even remind you when your next servicing is due so that you don’t have to worry about getting it done on time.

Other safety-related and maintenance checks such as the wear of brakes, wipers and tyres are checked during servicing with Autoapp.

Leave the hassle to us. Let go, let AutoApp.

Download the app here.

Click here for enquiries.

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!