Rubber boots and bellows protect tight tolerance metal joints from weather elements, dirt, and road grime. If
they tear or break from a projectile or just plain old age, the aforementioned elements are allowed to attack
the joints and metal parts and wear them out in short order. Replace any compromised protective rubber boots
immediately to avoid expensive part replacement.
Windshield Wipers
Make sure the windshield wipers on your vehicle are fresh, and clean the
windshield properly before traveling. Wipers that skip, smear, or just move the
water around are dangerous.
If your wipers are skipping, check the wiper blades to see if they are dried out.
If they are, replace them. If the wipers smear the water, they are probably soaked
with oil (oil gets kicked up from the road onto the windshield). Try cleaning the
windshield with a water and cleanser solution. Dissolve the cleanser completely
in warm water before applying it to the glass, and change the wiper blades. If the
wipers just move the water from one place to another on the windshield, check
the wiper arm tension. The arms springs could be worn out and unable to apply
enough downward pressure on the blades to clean the windshield.
Snow and ice often settle at the base of the windshield, binding the wiper
blades. Many people think they can clear the windshield of snow and ice by
turning on the windshield wipers. Nothing could be further from the truth! The
wiper system was designed to clear the weather elements from your windshield
while you’re driving. Wipers aren’t snowplows; they can’t remove the glacier
formed at the base of your windshield.
What are the consequences of overtaxing the wiper system by using the
wipers to move packed ice and snow at the base of your windshield?