"Wipers, Washers & Wallets: How Winter Can Wipe You Out"
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Part
wiper blades
Wiper blades are the rubber strips that clean your car's windshield. They move back and forth to wipe away rain or snow so you can see clearly while driving. There are different types, and some work better in bad weather than others.
Company
Bosch
Bosch is a company that makes car parts, including wiper blades. They are known for making reliable and long-lasting products.
Car
Nissan Rogue
Car
Nissan 2008 Nissan
The Nissan Rogue is a small SUV that is known for being reliable and good for everyday use. It has enough space for passengers and cargo, making it a popular choice for many drivers.
Term
Evolution Series
The Evolution Series is a type of wiper blade made by Bosch that is designed to work better and last longer than regular wiper blades. They are made with special features to improve how well they wipe the windshield.
Car
Toyota FJ Cruiser
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a tough SUV that looks a bit like older Toyota models. It's great for driving off-road and is built to handle rough conditions.
Part
wiper pivots
Wiper pivots are the parts that let the wipers move. They help the wipers swing back and forth to wipe the windshield clean.
Part
wiper motor
The wiper motor is the part of the car that makes the windshield wipers move. If it's not working, the wipers won't clear the rain off the windshield.
Part
wiper transmission
The wiper transmission is the part that connects the motor to the wipers and helps them move. It makes sure the wipers can go back and forth to clean the windshield.
Car
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep TJ Wrangler is a type of vehicle designed for off-roading. It was made from 1997 to 2006 and is known for being tough and able to handle rough terrain.
Term
washer fluid
Washer fluid is what you put in your car to clean the windshield. It helps remove dirt and bugs so you can see better while driving, especially in winter when it can freeze.
Term
washer pump
The washer pump is what pushes the cleaning fluid onto your windshield when you press the button. If it gets damaged, you might have to pay a lot to fix it.
LIVE
Good morning, Niagara.
You're tuned into Car Connection where the coffee's hot, the tools are ready, and the talk is always
tuned up.
I'm your host, Niall Motormouth Jenkins, coming to you straight from the Car Connection workshop
where we mix a little humor, a little know-how, and a whole lot of horsepower.
Here it's not just about fixing cars, friends.
It's about keeping you rolling, saving you money, and giving you the confidence
to understand what's under that hood on your automobile.
From the classics to the commuters, the weird noises to what the heck moments we've got you
covered.
So grab your coffee.
I'm doing the same.
Sit back.
Join the crew here because this is Car Connection.
Your good morning, wake-up pit stop for stories, smarts, a few good laughs.
So I'm your host, Niall Motormouth Jenkins.
Been a host of Car Connection on radio for, well, in just a few days, we'll be heading
into our 31st year.
I can hardly believe it, really, seriously, seriously, 31 years.
Well, we're happy to be with you, and this is new for us to launch a podcast.
But I have all kinds of information to share with you that will save you time, money, and
a few bloody knuckles, and perhaps an excedrin-size headache all at the same time, and maybe even
a little acid reflux.
Yeah, we can deal with that here at the Car Connection workshop.
So this morning, my topic is something that many of you really don't pay a whole
lot of attention to when it comes to your automobile, but this time of year, we're shifting gears
from the fall season into, you know, the other season.
I don't like to talk about it much, but, you know, the stuff that, you know, they
call them events now, winter events, that's where we're heading.
None of us really know what the winter events are going to look like for winter 2025, 2026,
but when it's all over, we'll be able to sit back, have a hot cup of coffee, and go,
yeah, that's what happened.
Exactly.
So let's sit back and take in a little bit of information on what can help you, what can
help you.
I'm here to help you.
I'm not here to hurt you.
So we're going to be talking about wiper blades and windshield washer fluid.
Are you excited?
Me too.
Well, not understanding, both of those components can end up costing you a lot
of money in needless repairs.
So let's take it from here.
Our top story this morning turns out 63% of drivers believe their windshield wipers are
just fine.
Right up until that exact moment it starts pouring rain or a winter event.
That's right.
Your wipers are the forgotten heroes of car maintenance.
They survive blizzards, bug storms, bird-related incidents.
You know what I'm talking about.
In my neighborhood, I think we have pterodactyls.
Yeah.
They lay down enough of that white stuff to almost change your color of your car.
So if your wiper blades are streaking, squeaking, or flapping like a scared seagull, it's time
to replace them.
So here's a pro tip for you this morning.
Change your wipers every six to 12 months and you're going, really, really?
Do you know how much they cost?
Well, we're going to talk about that as well.
How you can get, well, my wipers on my 2007, yeah, one more payment, she's all mine, heading
for 400,000 kilometers, I put those wipers on when I bought it 12 years ago, but I bought
really good, expensive wipers and I'm going to teach you how you can keep them 12 years
as well.
Six to 12 months, I'd have to say, if I had to change my wipers out every six to 12 months,
I would probably have to go for therapy somewhere for a period of time.
So when do you change them?
Well, you change them when they sound like a jazz saxophone solo.
That's just creepy right there, yeah.
Let's leave that.
Let's pull the handbrake on that, pull over and leave that right where it is.
How can you also get 12 years out of your wiper blades?
Well, I'm glad you asked and let's talk about that.
Wipers are out there for two reasons.
They're lonely.
It's lonely being a wiper blade.
That's what I think.
They do have a friend on the other side.
So driver's side is important, very important for two reasons.
Number one, you need to know and be able to see where you're going.
But most of all, you need to see who's coming at you, if you know what I'm saying.
I don't really care much for driving out there on the highways and byways anymore.
It's kind of a killer be killed program from what I can see.
Let's move over or get out of the way or I'll push your car out into the rhubarb.
So it's very important that you're not only able to get a really good visual on the road,
but a really good visual on the guy that you cut off or he thinks you did something
nasty, he's coming after you.
So you want to be able to see that person, right?
Okay, let's jump right into it.
You can buy some very inexpensive wiper blades out there, but yeah, you're probably
going to end up changing them somewhere between 6, 12, 18 months.
If you step up to the plate and you buy quality wiper blades, I'm not into the wiper blades
that have the veins on them.
Those are absolutely evil on a wintry morning where you drove home and it was raining and
then we had one of those deep freezes overnight and your wipers are pretty much useless.
So wet snow that turned to ice and now all those linkages on that style of wiper blade, man,
you might as well take them off and throw them in the bathtub before you can use them and
hose them all off.
You want to buy the beam type wiper blades, one piece.
There's no linkage, it's a one piece.
I like to call them the squeegee style wiper blades.
Wipers are the bomb, absolutely 100%.
But you've got to buy a really, really good set.
Now I'm not putting a plug in for companies that sponsor car connection or radio broadcasts
or our YouTube channel, no.
I've just stuck with a brand of wipers that was recommended to me when I had a repair
shop on the Hamilton Mountain for 11 years.
I really like the Bosch Evolution Blades.
I just recently purchased a set of wiper blades from Bosch as well.
Those are the ones I got 12 years out of.
I finally have to change them.
They're chattering, they're not cleaning the window properly, can't believe it, only
12 years.
But how did I get that far?
First of all, choose a very good wiper blade.
Whatever that is for you, that's your baby.
I'm just saying, you're probably wondering, well, tell us what wiper blades are using.
Bosch Evolution Series.
There's a couple other series out now.
I'm not sure if the Bosch Evolution Blades are still available or not.
But I just ordered some wiper blades for 2008 Nissan Rogue and I bought Bosch, but they
weren't the Evolution Series.
But just the same, I know the quality is there.
Well, how do you take care of them?
That's right, there is, you've got to be a bit of a wiper blade technician.
Somebody does.
Otherwise, yeah, you're going to be changing wiper blades like your socks.
Well, I hope you're changing your socks.
None of my business.
Let's move on, I digress.
If you can get yourself a box of the wet naps, you know the ones you can snag at
the restaurant, especially if you're going out for pizza and wings?
You know the little cleanup packet?
Those work excellent for cleaning the edge of your wiper blades.
If you're willing to take a couple of minutes out of your life and get some of those wet
naps, I know you can get them at the W store because I get them to clean my eyeglasses
with.
So they are available.
But if you're saying, I don't want to go through all that, well, I got a couple
other methods.
You can have some isopropyl alcohol or some alcohol wipes in your first aid kit.
You could use those.
You can take a little quality windshield washer fluid on a paper towel or a clean cotton cloth
and just clean the edge of the wiper blade.
You're going to see a ton of black stuff coming off there.
Some of it is rubber, but a lot of it is the grime that gets spit up at your windshield
by dude that's in front of you on the highways.
It lands on your windshield.
Your wipers get to clean it off and it builds up on the edge of the wiper blade.
So if you take the time to clean the edge of that wiper blade once a week, once a month,
you as well will be able to get maybe 13 years out of your wiper blades.
And it's as simple as that.
That's all I've done.
Nothing magical, no crystal ball, no magic wand, no I got the best pair of Bosch Evolution
wiper blades on the face of the planet.
Nothing sticks to them.
No, it's doing that little bit of extra which will save you money because you can
blow out $120 on a set of wiper blades depending on how huge, humongous your windshield is.
Now on the FJ Cruiser, I remember when I was driving it home from Oshawa, I bought it privately,
it took me a while to get used to the windshield because it felt really, really tiny.
It felt flat and narrow and tiny.
And the wiper blades, there's three of them and they're really, really short.
But after all this time that I've owned it, I don't see it, the windshield is being small
anymore.
But the blades didn't cost me a lot of money.
They're all the same size which makes it easy to order them.
All three blades are exactly the same size and the windshield is small.
But on a lot of vehicles out there, SUVs, minivans, can you look cool in a minivan?
Someone asked me that.
I don't know, I'm not sure.
Really?
Can you look cool?
Like can you be a cool-looking mom or dad behind the wheel of a minivan?
There's a question for you.
Maybe you can send me a comment on that.
You can visit me at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com.
Any time you can connect there with local businesses, I put my seal of approval on.
They'll take really good care of you.
And there's also a website form where you can send me an email directly.
It comes directly to my eyes only.
That's where our merch store is.
On the homepage there's a link to our YouTube channel and our Facebook page as well as
our merch store for carconnection on the top right-hand corner on the homepage of our
website.
So if you've got a question, that's how you can fire that off to me and I'll
be more than happy to take a few moments and send a reply to you.
So wiper blades cost depends on size.
So if you've got a really big SUV, you've got a really big windshield up front, you can
blow out some pretty good bucks on some wiper blades.
So that's why I'm talking about it.
You can save money by not ruining your wiper blades ahead of a way ahead of schedule and
perhaps you can knock me off my wiper blade pedestal of 12 years same wiper blades and
maybe you could do 13.
Yeah, there's a challenge.
I put the challenge out there.
So three ways to clean it.
Number one, wet naps.
Number two, a little bit of isopropyl alcohol or something you use in your home to clean out
a wound.
Yeah, I can't remember the name of the other sauce you can put on there.
Not iodine, but that works.
You can use a paper towel with some really good quality washer fluid and we're going
to talk about that next, so stick around.
Put a little bit on the paper towel or on a cotton cloth, a lint-free cloth and just stroke
the edge of the wiper blade, lift the blades up and clean them off at least once a month
and you'll be surprised how long you can get out of those wiper blades.
They can go the distance, they really, really can.
So next let's talk about what else can be damaging to your wiper blades.
Well I'm going to tell you a story, okay, are you ready?
Well, it's been a long day at work and a miserable day outside, weather-wise.
You're driving home, it's raining, but it's winter, yeah, we're officially in winter,
you're driving home, it's pouring rain and then we get a flash freeze overnight.
That seems to happen a lot.
So number one, you're really just wanting to pull in the driveway, shut the thing off,
get the heck out of Dodge, head for the house and get in where it's dry and warm.
That's a lot of you.
This I know, 44 years as an automotive service tech I can tell you the number of times that
what I'm about to share with you next happens and it ends up costing you an arm and a leg
to fix the problem.
But the cause of the problem is pilot error.
So let's dive into that next.
So how many of you have had that experience?
You don't like the weather, you're uncomfortable, it's raining, you want to get out of the
car, get in the house where it's dry and warm and call it a day.
And then we have a flash freeze overnight.
So when you got out of that car the night before and then it's morning now and everything
is frozen solid.
Did you happen to think about shutting the wipers off before you left the car, you
know, like shutting down the aircraft, you know, turn the engines off, shut down
all the accessories, power down when you left your car.
So you know the blower motor is off, the wipers are turned off, everything is, the radio
is off, everything is shut down so nicely before you exited the car heading for the
nice warm dry homestead.
Many of you do not.
And you forget.
Or somebody else is taking the family car next day, son, daughter, hubby, if you don't have
multiple cars in the family, here's what happens.
You didn't shut the wipers off.
Next person is not really thrilled about having to scrape everything off the windshield and
make sure the wipers are all in good healthy condition, they're not stuck to the windshield
because we had a flash freeze overnight.
So the wipers have welded themselves to the glass.
The next person just hops in and goes, I'm just going to fire it up, put it on to frost
lots of heat and let it melt.
So they turn on the car and the wipers are still on and all that person hears is
this, bam.
And the wipers aren't working anymore.
Yeah, something broke.
That's right.
That's what happens.
The wipers were left on by whoever was driving the car the night before when it was raining
and we go through a flash freeze, now you've done damage.
How much damage?
Well, that's what we don't know.
And I just put a video out actually on our YouTube channel just about a week ago showing
you how to diagnose a wiper motor and what the wiper transmission and the pivots look like.
I have that all wide open so that you can see that in the workshop because we've been working
on a 97 Jeep TJ Wrangler rescue from the wrecking yard and it's starting to really, really
come together now, but it didn't have wipers.
They didn't work.
So just put up a video at Nile Motormouth Jenkins on YouTube and there is a link on
our website at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com, top right hand corner.
Click on the YouTube icon and I'll get you there.
So in that video, you'll actually get to see the wiper motor, the wiper, what we call
the wiper transmission and the pivots.
The pivots are what the wiper blades are attached to, the wiper arms themselves.
So when the next driver jumps in, turns the key on, the wipers didn't get turned off by
the previous driver and a flash freeze overnight, wipers are frozen to the windshield, bam,
something breaks.
Well, that's what we got to go looking for.
Did it break a wiper pivot where the arm is attached to the wiper transmission?
Did it break part of the wiper transmission?
Or did it damage the wiper motor itself?
So if those components sound expensive to you, you're absolutely correct.
And what generally happens is if we don't fix the cause, that is, perhaps you or whoever
used the car last, teach them to shut the wipers off and secondly, lift the wiper
arms up off the windshield.
So I know it's raining, it's cold, you want to get in the house, I get it.
But it only takes a couple of seconds for two things to happen.
Make sure you shut the wipers off and then take a minute just to lift the wiper arms
up off the windshield so they don't freeze to the glass.
The next morning is going to be such a glorious day because you're not going to break something
in the wiper system a second time because what I'm telling you over the years when
I had my automotive shop, I had one family, they had one car shared between three drivers
and the wiper's got broken more than four times for the same circumstance.
Didn't turn the wipers off, they froze to the windshield overnight, next person jumps
in, turns on the keys to start the engine and the wipers want to go and bam, broke
them a fifth time.
Let me tell you, I can just say this, that there was some intense moments of fellowship
between husband and wife in my waiting area because it's costing us a fortune to keep
our wipers going.
Okay, so make that a habit, especially in the winter months, we can have snow events,
we can have rain events, we can have flash freeze events, get in the habit of lifting
the wiper arms off the windshield so whoever uses the vehicle last, it's your baby to
lift the wiper arms up off the windshield.
You will save lots of money by doing that, lots of money and a lot less headaches.
Now let's move in and talk quickly, our time is running out here together on car
connection.
If you're just tuning in, I'm Niall Motormouth Jenkins, host of Car Connection Radio for 31
years and beginning a podcast to share my wealth of knowledge with you through the podcasting
for free, for free, you can also check us out on YouTube, we have well over 100 plus
videos up there, we put three new videos up every single week, two for Tuesday, one
every Friday with different categories, always teach you the five things, what the component
is, where it is, how it works, how it breaks, and how you as the vehicle owner could have
possibly done something different in how you work things in your automobile to save yourself
money on breakages that need not happen.
So if you learn how to use stuff better just like I told you about the wipers, that will
save you money and that's what I do in all the videos, they're teaching videos so whether
you know a little bit about cars or nothing at all, you will definitely have the five
pieces of information in every single video, what it is, where it is, how it breaks,
how you could save money by learning how to use it and not having to spend money needlessly
but apply those funds to other items on your vehicle that need some attention.
And let me tell you, if you brought me out, if you did a hand pick of ten vehicles
I can almost guarantee that at least 60 to 70 percent of the ten need some work for sure.
Well, something as simple as washer fluid can turn into an absolute nightmare this time
of year.
Why?
Well, we don't know when the temperatures are really going to drop below zero, 32 Fahrenheit.
I don't talk metric system, I believe it's a tool of the devil, I'm not interested
in metric, I like to talk in English standard measures.
So Fahrenheit, 32F Fahrenheit is freezing.
That's when things freeze up.
We really don't know when we're going to get to that number and below.
So you want to make sure that you have a winter based washer fluid in your washer
fluid reservoir on your vehicle for a couple of reasons.
There are a lot of displays in a lot of stores, even including, I noticed, some pharmacies
also are carrying washer fluid and they usually have a blowout price on it.
Here's what you've got to look at.
What is the temperature of that washer fluid?
So in other words, is it minus 30, minus 35, minus 40, minus 50?
What's on the jug, okay?
So they're going to use the metric system.
Don't purchase any washer fluid minus 35.
And if you've got that in there right now, they call that summer washer fluid.
What I do is I run nothing less than minus 45 all year round for two reasons.
Come this time of the year, we're heading into the month of November and also we're
going to have a season change and head into that winter stuff.
Now you've got summer fluid in there.
We get a deep freeze overnight and your washer fluid freezes, cracks the washer
bottle and on some of these automobiles, they practically bury the washer fluid reservoir
into the fender or into part of the car.
You've got to take so many components off to get it out and that's an unnecessary expenditure.
Having to replace parts and labor, the washer bottle, the washer fluid bottle.
Why?
That's what I say.
I think I'd rather take a pencil to my kneecap.
That might be less painful.
Maybe.
So what do you do?
If you've got summer washer fluid in your washer bottle, don't just go adding the winter
stuff to it.
The best thing to do is to suck it out, siphon it off, get it out of there completely
and hit the washer nozzle, turn the key on, hit the washer nozzle and blow the lines out
completely then add the winter washer fluid.
It sounds like a lengthy process, doesn't it?
Well it is.
So you can save yourself a lot of headaches and unnecessary repairs by having a washer
fluid bottle freeze, crack, wrecks the washer pump as well.
So you're into some money.
Very, very quickly.
That can turn into a $400 bill very, very quickly or you're going to say, well I'm just not going
to use them anymore.
That's not going to happen.
You know it as well as I do.
It's not going to happen.
Get the summer washer fluid out of there and get the habit of only buying minus 40.
Nothing less than minus 40.
I use personally minus 45 and minus 50 all the time.
Now minus 50 washer fluid I notice is becoming more and more available and the reason is when
we get a wind chill and we have go into a couple of weeks of deep freeze, the cheaper washer
fluid like minus 35 or minus 40 makes a really good kaleidoscope on your windshield.
It just frosts right over.
But you don't get that with minus 45 and minus 50.
So stick with the winter washer fluid all year round and then guess what?
You don't even have to think about it.
That's where you save money.
So be very, very careful out there.
Grocery stores, big box stores, practically everyone will have a display somewhere where
they're offering wind chill washer fluid cheap for a few bucks.
Look at the temperature on the label.
If it says minus 35 or even minus 40, I'm speaking for myself.
I'm leaving it there.
Do not put that in your washer fluid bottle.
You're going to have a lot of heartaches.
It's going to cost you time and materials.
So parts and labor.
Only buy minus 45, minus 50.
Save yourself a ton of headaches and you know what?
It works really, really good.
No matter how cold or how biting the wind is and you're driving into that freezing cold
temperature, your minus 45, minus 50 washer fluid is going to work for you fantastic.
So I hope you got something out of today's broadcast.
If you've got questions, I've got answers.
Visit me at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com.
Just click on the send me a message link on our website.
There's a website form there.
You can send me an email, ask me a question.
I'll be happy to get back to you.
And you know what?
It's time to go.
So keep it under 100.
Put that coffee on.
We're going to come to your house.
About this episode
Winter driving can be tough, but proper maintenance of your wipers and washer fluid can save you from costly repairs. Niall Motormouth Jenkins shares insights on the importance of wiper blades, emphasizing the need for regular replacements and care to extend their lifespan. He also highlights the dangers of using summer washer fluid in winter, advising listeners to switch to winter-grade fluid to prevent freezing and damage. With humor and practical tips, this episode equips drivers to tackle winter challenges effectively.
Original notes
Winter's coming - and your wipers and washers are your first line of defense. Motormouth Nile dives into simple maintenance you can't afford to skip, and how ignoring these small parts can lead to big bills. from frozen nozzles to streaky blades, learn how to keep your windshield clear and your wallet happy all season long. Catch Car Connection Saturdays on Joyradio AM 1250, follow nile motormouth jenkins on Facebook , and grab your Car Connection merch to show off your shop pride! Visit us at ccbusnet.com click on our store button top right on our home page and connect with our amazing recommended businesses that make our broadcasts possible and our youtube channel @ nile motormouth jenkins, like, share, comment, subscribe and ring the bell for notifications this way you'll know when we go live and when our new videos come out every week! Tnx friends, Happy Motoring! NMJ
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