Windshield wiper (janitor) in a car is an electromechanical device with a rubber brush that is used to remove water and dirt from the windshield.
The windshield wiper was invented in 1903 by the English engineer James Henry Apjohn. It was only in 1916 that windshield wipers began to be installed in mass-produced cars.
When the first signs of poor wiper performance appear, in the form of stripes on the windshield of a car or insufficient transparency of the glass in the form of a thick film of water after the wipers pass, many car enthusiasts replace the blades with new ones, without even trying to figure out the reason for the poor performance of the wipers. More economical car enthusiasts will not be too lazy to wash the rubber band of the brush with soapy water and clean the surface of the glass from dirt. This often helps, but if the brush is already worn out, then washing and wiping will not help, and even if there is an effect from such prevention, it will be for a short time.
The design and principle of operation of the frame wiper brush
If the metal or rubber frame of the wiper does not have serious mechanical damage, then such a brush can be repaired with your own hands. In order to carry out quality repairs, you should understand the structure and operating principle of the car windshield wiper.
Frame brush device
The main part of any car wiper is a rubber band, since the cleanliness of the car windshield in bad weather depends on its quality and technical condition.
To effectively remove water, the rubber band is made quite elastic and two elastic leaf springs are used to secure it in the wiper. The length of the plates is equal to the length of the rubber band and is inserted from both sides into grooves specially provided for this purpose.
Rectangular indentations are made at the ends of the elastic plates, and protrusions of the same shape are made at the base of the tape. This ensures that the plates are fixed in the rubber band, preventing them from moving.
The brush frame consists of several rocker arms pivotally connected to each other using axes. The number of rocker arms depends on the length of the brush and there are from three to seven pieces in the frame. The axles are fixed in the rocker arms with a rivet.
For better mobility when connecting the rocker arms, plastic inserts are inserted between them, which reduce wear on the rocker arms and eliminate squeaking when the wiper is operating. In the middle of the longest rocker arm there is a pressed-in axle for attaching a plastic adapter - a latch - to it.
Adapters are necessary to be able to install a wiper blade on a windshield wiper arm (arm) of any car model. Typically, new blades are equipped with a set of the most popular adapters, suitable for almost any car windshield wipers. To fix the adapter on the rocker, just put it on the axle and press hard on it. The adapter will fit securely onto the rocker arm. Before installing a new adapter, you need to determine which of the kit will fit your windshield wiper. You can also use the old adapter by removing it from the old brush.
The length of the rubber band depends on the size of the wiper blade. But the profile of tapes for wipers of different lengths and designs, including frameless brushes, is almost the same. True, there are tapes that have additional sharp edges on the side surface, but having ruled that out, I have not seen them on sale.
The profile photo of the tape clearly shows three symmetrical grooves running along its entire length. The upper groove is designed to install elastic spring plates into it, which give the rubber band elasticity and shape. The claws of the rocker arm clamps, including the fixing one, are inserted into the middle groove. The lower groove forms the neck of the band and makes it possible to shift the working part of the rubber band when changing the direction of movement of the wiper while cleaning the car windshield from precipitation and dirt.
Frameless brush device
Frameless wiper blades are rarely used and this is due to their high cost and narrow applicability. Each brush is produced for a specific narrow range of car models. They are not universal.
Frameless brushes differ from frame ones in that instead of a rocker arm system, a flat, wide, spring-loaded metal plate is used, on which the wiper tape holders are secured with rivets.
The shape of the generating plate is made in accordance with the shape of the windshield of a particular car. Therefore they do not fit any model. This wide tape is covered with a rubber casing glued to it, thereby eliminating cases of disruption of the hinges, like with a frame brush. The design of the rubber band and the principle of its operation when cleaning glass does not differ from work in a frame wiper. In frameless wipers, it is also possible to replace the rubber band when worn, as in a frame wiper.
The working principle of the wiper blade
The wiper blade removes water from the surface of the car windshield thanks to the special shape of the working area of the rubber band. The photograph shows the position of the tape when the wiper blade moves from left to right, in the direction of the blue arrow.
As you can see, the working surface of the rubber band is slightly bent so that its right angle is perpendicular to the plane of the glass. Thus, the wide part of the tape removes a thick layer of water. The remaining thin film of water, pressing it to the glass, is removed by the right angle of the tape.
When changing the direction of movement of the brush, the working part of the rubber band of the wiper blade is shifted and already pushes a thin layer of water through another right corner of the band. Thus, the wiper blade cleans the car's windshield during forward and reverse strokes. The remaining water residues after passing the brush in the form of a micron film due to scratches on the glass and the ingress of small mechanical particles quickly evaporate and the glass becomes transparent.
If, when the wiper is operating, the working part of the tape or part of it takes a position relative to the surface of the glass being cleaned that differs from that shown in the photographs, then the car glass will remain opaque or streaks of water will remain.
Reasons for poor cleaning of a car windshield
Now knowing the structure of the wiper and the principle of operation of the rubber band, it will be easy to figure out on your own why the brush began to poorly clear the windshield of water and try to restore it before buying a new one. Poor performance of the wiper manifests itself in the form of remaining streaks after passing the brush or opacity, cloudiness of the glass, making it difficult for the driver to see the road while driving.
The first thing you need to do if the wiper is not working satisfactorily is to remove dirt and oil film from the surface of the car glass and check the wiper frame. The mobility of the rocker arms in the places of their connections and the absence of looseness, the reliability of fixation of the adapter and the windshield wiper arm in it, the sufficiency of the force created by the clamping spring of the windshield wiper arm. In winter, water often gets into the joints of the rocker arms, freezes and their mobility is lost. If the frame is in order, then the brush should be inspected.
On the windshield of a car
streaks remain after the wiper passes
The brush leaves streaks of water on the glass due to the incorrect fit of a separate section, or several, of the working part of the rubber band to the surface of the glass at the level of the place where the streaks are left. At the same time, stripes with a brush can be left only in the forward stroke, only in the reverse stroke, or in both directions of brush motion. The streaks can remain in the middle of the brush passage or along the edges. The reasons vary depending on where the brushes leave streaks.
The brush suddenly started leaving streaks on the glass
If the wiper was working normally and stripes suddenly began to appear when moving in one direction, then, most likely, mechanical particles in the form of sand or dirt got into the groove of the rubber band, which prevent the working part of the band from bending, and the edge does not become perpendicular to the glass In frosty winters, water may enter the groove and subsequently freeze. It is enough to remove dirt from the edge, and the brush will work normally. The ice can melt on its own from the heat of the windshield, heated by warm blowing air from inside the cabin, or the ice must be carefully removed from the groove of the tape with a sharp object so as not to damage the tape tightly.
If stripes suddenly begin to appear in the middle when the wiper blade moves in both directions, then it is possible that dirt and ice may get into the grooves of the tape on both sides, or the tape may fall out of the retaining flat spring plates. This happens in winter. If the brush is frozen to the windshield and is torn off, pulling it away from the glass by the rocker arm, without waiting for the glass to warm up, the ice will melt and the brush will free itself.
As you can see in the photo, the plate has come out of the groove of the rubber brush band, and the band has lost its linearity. Therefore, it is unacceptable to pull off the frozen brush by the rocker arm; if there is no time to wait, then you need to carefully move the tape along the glass with a scraper. Such a malfunction of the brush is not difficult to fix even without removing it from the car. You must first insert the elastic plate into the groove on one side of the rubber band, and then use the blade of a screwdriver to insert the plate into the groove on the other side.
Streaks on the windshield after passing the brush
expanded gradually
If, during operation of the wiper, a narrow strip first appeared, and then gradually expanded over a long period of time - days, weeks, then the cause of the malfunction is most likely due to wear of the rubber band of the brush. As a result of aging, cracks appear in the places where the rubber band bends, usually the neck, and the rubber breaks in these places, most often along the edges of the brush. The tape continues to tear and the stripe area increases.
The photo shows a brush with a torn rubber band along the neck line on the side of the loose end. This tape cannot be restored and should be replaced with a new one. If the untorn part of the rubber band still cleans the glass well and the brush band is torn at the loose end, then it can be reused by installing a shorter brush in the frame.
If the belt is in good condition, stripes may still appear when the brush moves, slowly expanding when one or more articulated joints between the rocker arms are worn. Then, when changing the movement of the wiper, the tape does not always shift, and the water remains on the glass. In this case, the brush, when moving, can jump on the glass.
When the wipers are not turned on, the blades, under the action of the windshield wiper arm spring, lie pressed against the glass with a rubber band. In this case, the tape along the neck line is bent. Over time, due to the influence of temperature, the rubber is deformed, which makes it impossible for the tape to take its working position when the wiper is turned on.
The photograph clearly shows the deformation of the rubber band; the working part was deformed to the left. If greater deformation occurs, although the working corners are not yet worn out, the tape will not be able to move and fully clean the glass from water.
Another enemy of car brushes is time. Even if the brush has practically not worked, for example, the car has not been used for a long time, or new brushes have been in storage for several years, the rubber ages and loses its elasticity. When the direction of movement of the brushes changes, a stiff rubber band cannot shift and clean the car glass from water. To check the elasticity of the tape, simply pull it to the side with your finger and release it with a little force. The tape should be easily deformed and instantly return to its original position.
It remains to consider the last reason for the poor performance of the wipers, wear of the working edge of the rubber band. Usually, when the car is used intensively, the wipers have to work hard, removing water from the windshield, along with dust and grains of sand. Sometimes, even pure dirty slurry. This is the shape the working edge of the new rubber band should have. As you can see, the working edge has the shape of a rectangle.
During operation, the windshield of a car becomes covered with numerous small chips and scratches. Thus, over time, due to friction against grains of sand, chips and scratches on the glass, regardless of the manufacturer and quality of the rubber band, its working edge becomes rounded, ceases to push through the water film and the glass after the passage of the brush remains insufficiently transparent. The right angles at the worn edge of the rubber band are rounded and take the form as in the photo below.
Usually the brush is still in good condition, but with worn corners of the working edge of the rubber band, and is replaced with a new one, without thinking that the squareness can be restored by a simple technique, using sandpaper to grind off the rounded part from the working surface of the band.
Car brush repair
If it is determined that the reason for the malfunction of the car wiper blade is the wear of the working surface of the edge of the rubber band, then it can be restored without even removing the wiper from the windshield wiper arm. To do this, you need to take a plate of rigid material, for example, multi-layer plywood, and glue a sheet of the same size of fine-grained sandpaper onto it. The longer the plate is, the better the quality of the edge.
The main thing when doing this work is to try to grind the rubber tape evenly along its entire length to prevent failures, otherwise stripes may remain on the glass in these places when the wiper is working.
It is even better to sand the rubber band by gluing sandpaper to a plate that is 10-15 cm longer than the length of the brush itself. Then the work will be much easier to complete with a better end result. After every few passes, you need to check the result so that you get right angles and do not grind off excess rubber, since it will still be useful for subsequent repairs. In this way, the tape can be restored several times.
If the rubber band has completely become unusable, and the frame is still in good condition, then it is advisable to replace it with a new one. For replacement, you can also use a used rubber band, torn on the moving side along the neck line, removed from a longer brush. Removing the rubber band is not difficult.
First you need to use the blade of a screwdriver to slightly bend the rubber band rocker support clamp to the side.
The rubber band is removed from the rocker arm support tabs. Elastic plates are removed from the tape. Sometimes the elastic plates are bent, and you need to remember which way to go in the same way in the groove of the new rubber band. Sometimes the recesses in the plate are smaller than the protrusions in the tape groove. Then you need to use a file to adjust the samples to size.
A new rubber band prepared for replacement is threaded through a groove through all the rocker arm support clamps. The tape should move freely, but without play, along the rocker arms. If any of the supports does not provide free movement or the tape in it is too loose, then you need, accordingly, to slightly move the legs apart or tighten them.
After threading the rubber wiper band into the arms of the rocker arms, you just need to use pliers to squeeze the clamp and the blade is ready for installation on the car windshield wiper arm.
As you can see, by spending just ten minutes you can give a second life to your brush. Such repairs are especially relevant for expensive branded wipers.
How to choose wiper blades
The first is brush length, which must meet the requirements of the vehicle manufacturer. If the brush is shorter than it should be, the glass cleaning area will be reduced, which will lead to a decrease in the viewing angle of the road. In the case of a longer length, the pressure per unit length of the rubber band will decrease and the force of the driver spring may become insufficient to push through the layer of water with the working edge of the rubber band and the glass may not remain sufficiently transparent after the brush passes.
Next you need to check if it is suitable adapter, installed on the purchased brush or the presence of additional adapters in the kit for the leashes of your car. The most common type of fastening of wipers to a leash is a “hook”. Usually all brushes are equipped with an adapter for it.
The third criterion is tape quality. On its surfaces, especially on the working surface, burrs and irregularities are not allowed. The tape should be elastic, uniform in texture and color. The working edge must have a right angle along the entire length of the tape. The same requirements for the tape are imposed when purchasing it for the restoration of a brush. The tapes in expensive wipers are made of silicone, graphite-silicone and Teflon; they are more resistant to wear, since they have a reduced coefficient of friction, but their price is several times higher than rubber tapes.
It remains to check the frame and the free movement of the tape in the rocker arm supports. The rocker arms at the articulation points must have plastic liners and there must be no play, but there must be freedom of movement of the rocker arms relative to each other. The tape should move freely in the supports without play, except for the outer one that fixes it. This can be easily done by pulling the wiper blade strip away from the frame.
This three-story video shows how to test in practice the freedom of movement of the wiper blade in the supports. In the first plot, the tape is excessively clamped in the rocker arm supports or dirt has accumulated in the supports; such a brush requires repair or replacement. The second and third plots, respectively, show the response of a correctly secured rubber band in the rocker arm of a short and long brush. The vibrations of the rubber band show that the necessary freedom of movement of the band in the supports is available.
There is a lot of controversy about the manufacturers of windshield wiper blades, but in any case, all blades are made in China. Only branded ones are produced under the supervision of well-known companies. It is difficult for a non-professional to recognize whether it is a fake or not. Therefore, you have to rely more on external inspection. If a wiper blade or repair tape meets the above requirements and pleases your eyes with its appearance, then we can most likely assume that it is of high quality and will last a long time. This is the brush you should buy for your car.
The RemBytTech service center replaces brushes on washing machine engines in Moscow and the region. Call our workshop and have a specialist come to your home. Choose a convenient date and time, or wait for the specialist within 24 hours from the moment you submit your application. We perform the replacement service at home on automatic machines of any type (front-loading and vertical loading) and year of manufacture. We issue parts for work and warranty card, he acts 12 months.
How much does it cost to change brushes in a washing machine?
The cost of replacing brushes is from 1400 rubles. Parts are paid separately or the technician installs brushes purchased by the client. The specialist calculates the full amount of payment after diagnosing the car. The price depends on the model, type, brand of the machine and year of manufacture.
The service includes:
- car disassembly;
- engine removal;
- removal and inspection of old brushes;
- installation of new contact elements;
- checking engine operation;
- machine assembly and testing
Attention! Carbon brushes are consumable parts; they cannot be repaired, they can only be replaced.
See the table for the cost of replacing brushes on washing machines of different brands.
| Washing machine brand | Price* (for work only, without parts) |
| For free | |
| from 1800 rub. | |
| from 1500 rub. | |
| from 1800 rub. | |
| from 1900 rub. | |
| from 1500 rub. | |
| from 1700 rub. | |
| from 1800 rub. | |
| from 2100 rub. | |
| from 2800 rub. | |
| from 1900 rub. | |
| from 1900 rub. | |
| from 2100 rub. | |
| from 1800 rub. | |
| from 2100 rub. | |
| from 1900 rub. | |
| from 1800 rub. | |
| from 2200 rub. | |
| from 1900 rub. | |
| from 1400 rub. |
* Attention! The table shows only the cost of replacement work. If the master installs parts from his stock, he additionally includes their cost in the full payment amount.
How to call a specialist
To call a specialist, call the RemBytTech service from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. by phone:
Or leave a request via online forms at on the website (24 hours a day). The service center is open daily. Masters come on weekdays, weekends and holidays.
When calling a specialist, please provide:
- Make and model of the car. The model name is indicated on the equipment body. Read it on the sticker and tell the dispatcher, for example, Bosch Maxx 5 or Indesit WIU80. Information is needed to select brushes. If you bought the parts yourself, then just name the make of the car.
- Convenient time and date of repair.
- Contact details. Your name, phone number and address.
The specialist will call on the appointed day and confirm the time of the visit.
Our advantages
- We provide free consultation. We explain the problem with the technology through the “Question and Answer” section. Describe the problem in your own words and send a message. The repair specialist will respond to your question within 2 days. When submitting an application, we will advise you by phone. Tell the dispatcher that you want to talk to the foreman. He will call you back and tell you about the possible breakdown and the cost of repairs.
- We come out and diagnose equipment at home for free. You only pay for replacement parts and new brushes.
- We repair at home within 24 hours after the application. We are located throughout the city and in most areas of the region. The technician comes to the address from the nearest branch. Therefore, we can be with you on the same day if the application is submitted in the morning. Or the next day, with an evening application. If you have chosen a different date and time, the specialist will arrive on time. We repair everything at home, without taking it to the workshop.
- We work daily from 8 to 22. Regular schedule - every day, without weekends or holidays. We arrive early in the morning and late in the evening, convenient for those who work. Choose the time of the master’s visit at your discretion.
- We guarantee the quality of repairs for 1 year. We are responsible for the work and replaced brushes. We provide a 1 year warranty. If a part purchased by the client is installed during the repair, the warranty is issued only for the work of the master.
The main function of brushes in a washing machine, and why they cannot be repaired
Carbon brushes are the element that ensures the rotation of the commutator motor. They transmit tension between its parts. Without them, there is no “connection” between the stationary stator and the moving rotor. If there is poor contact between the brushes and the commutator, the electric motor loses power, jerks or stops altogether.
During operation, the brushes rub against the engine commutator and over time become so shortened that they lose contact with it. That is why they are classified as consumable items, and worn-out “stumps” are replaced with new brushes.
The procedure for carrying out work when replacing brushes by a RemBytTech technician
What we do when performing a service at a client’s home:
1. Disassemble the washing machine
The engine, most often, is located at the bottom, slightly to the right, when looking at the car from the rear wall. To get to the engine, the master removes the back panel. In some washing machines, you need to remove the top cover before doing this.
Disassembly order:
- We completely turn off the power to the machine by unplugging the plug from the socket.
- Remove the back wall. We unscrew the fastening screws with a screwdriver (if the wall is additionally pressed by the top cover, first remove it).
We remove the drive belt, which is put on the drum and engine pulleys. To do this, turn the drum pulley and slightly pull the belt towards you.
2. Remove the engine and check the brushes
In most models, the motor is “put on” special holders and secured with screws or bolts. The sequence of our actions is as follows.
- Disconnect the engine power supply. To do this, remove the connector from the socket.
- Unscrew the fasteners and remove the engine.
After removal, the technician checks that the brushes are worn out and it is, indeed, time to change them. As a rule, this is not difficult to determine by visually looking at them. RemBytTech employs experienced craftsmen who, by their appearance, understand how critical the wear of brushes is.
In some older washing machine models, the brushes may be hidden behind the motor housing. In this case, the technician checks them with a multimeter.
Note! Sometimes the design of the washer motor mount allows you to ring the brushes without removing the motor.
3. Change brushes
The brushes are inserted into special holders. The contact part is in contact with the rotor commutator, the wire part is connected to the stator. In very old electric motors of “aged” cars, access to the graphite brushes is blocked by part of the motor. Therefore, it has to be partially disassembled. But this is rare and usually the replacement order is as follows:
- We disconnect the wires and dismantle the worn brushes. To do this, depending on the design, we either snap off the pressure plate and pull out the brush, or unscrew the holder with the brush with a screwdriver, disassemble it, bite off the wire of the brush ember from the holder, and then remove the ember itself. During dismantling, be sure to remember where the bevel of the contact part of the brush was directed. This is necessary for proper installation of the new part.
- We inspect the collector. If it is very dirty, wipe it from dust.
- We install the new part in the reverse order of dismantling. If the design is such that during dismantling the brush carbon wire was cut off from the holder, then new brushes will need to be soldered to the brush holders. After installation, the technician visually assesses how the electric brushes are installed: the end should protrude from the holder by approximately 10mm. The technician also checks the correctness and tight fit of the brush bevels to the commutator.
- We connect the wires.
Note! In a design where it is necessary to solder a new brush to the holder when replacing it, the technician often saves time and installs a ready-made set of holder with a brush soldered into it.
4. Install the engine
Now we return the motor to the washing machine.
- We put the electric motor on the mounting lugs and tighten the bolts or screws. We check the stability of the motor so that there is no movement or swaying.
- We put the drive belt on, first on the motor, then on the tank pulley. We check the tension, otherwise the belt will fly off when starting the engine.
- Connect the power, insert the cable into the socket.
5. Assembling the car
We put the back panel in place and screw it on. The top cover is put on last if it was also removed. After assembly, we run the washing machine in test mode to check the operation of the motor under different loads.
Attention! Even if the brushes are installed correctly, they undergo “grinding in” with the commutator during 2-3 washes after replacement. Therefore, the washing machine may make a little noise and spark a little at first.
Main signs when it is necessary to change brushes
The exact answer that it’s time to change the brushes is given by machine diagnostics. But calling a specialist for an inspection is not convenient for everyone. Based on repair experience, RemBytTech service engineers have prepared a list of signs that may indicate the need to replace electric brushes.
- Problems with drum rotation. The drum barely turns, and the machine cannot gain speed during the spin cycle. Or the washing machine does not rotate the drum at all, immediately draining the water after filling. Or, it happens that the drum spins a little at the beginning of the wash, after which the machine stops washing and gives an error.
- Unstable engine operation. When the machine is fully loaded while washing or spinning, it loses speed.
- Noise and sparking brushes. It is noticeable by the smell of metal or burning insulation; also in the dark you can see a glow at the bottom of the washer, like from sparklers.
The described symptoms may result in program interruption and display of an error code. The code is displayed on the display (if there is one) or the indicators flash. Most often, brush wear is indicated by a motor, tachometer or spin error.
Reasons for brush failure
Electric brushes “fail” due to defects, physical wear (that is, abrasion) or jamming.
- Marriage. This is a production flaw and it happens rarely.
- Wear of carbon brushes. The most common reason for replacement. The average service life of electric brushes is 5-7 years. If you rarely wash and do not overload the machine, then the contact elements can last 10-12 years. After this, the length of the brushes reaches a minimum of 1 cm, and they no longer touch the motor commutator.
- Wedging. Sometimes the wear of the brushes is not critical, but they lose contact with the commutator. This is due to the fact that they are wedged in the holder. The brushes are pressed against the engine commutator using springs that squeeze them out of the brush holder. Coal dust gets into the space between the brush and the holder, which is formed in large quantities as a result of friction of the brush against the commutator. It stops it from being squeezed out of the holder. This problem is called “brush jamming”.
Note! In the event of jamming, the wear of the brushes may not yet reach the minimum permissible value, and by moving the brush in the holder, its contact with the commutator can be restored. But, in most cases, a wedge occurs either when there is 3 - 5 mm left to the critical length, or when the geometry of the brush is broken. In both cases, it is advisable to replace the brushes with new ones. If this is not done, the problem will repeat itself in the very near future.
Replacing brushes in a washing machine requires special knowledge and experience. Independent work often results in additional difficulties that are difficult to deal with without professional training. The main difficulties are caused by:
- Disassembling an old model motor. It is impossible to change the brushes in them without removing part of the structure. And when putting the engine back together, non-specialists often confuse the connection of the wires. As a result, the motor burns out and you have to replace it completely.
- Correct installation of brushes. The part must be placed with the correct side (cut towards the collector) and the distance must be checked. If the contact element is not secured correctly, it will weakly touch the surface of the commutator. As a result, the motor, due to weak contact, will not be able to operate at full power and may even burn out. And the machine will make noise and spark for quite a long time. This is also dangerous and may cause a fire.
- Soldering contacts. In some brands of washing machines, brushes must be soldered to the holders. This requires knowledge of soldering technology.
- Adjusting the motor for belt tension. During repair work involving the removal of the motor, its position must be adjusted during reinstallation to ensure sufficient belt tension. Otherwise, the belt will jump off the pulley while the washing machine is running.
To avoid unnecessary problems with the washing machine when replacing the brushes yourself, contact RemBytTech. Call a specialist by phone:
Wait for a specialist 24 hours after the call or on the selected day.
With your own hands and at least for a while. We use proven products and extend the service life of windshield wiper blades.
Lubricate with gasoline
The effect is short-term, suitable for “dead” brushes that you no longer feel sorry for, but have no time to buy new ones. Graphite coating will not survive a collision with gasoline, but it is responsible for the quality of sliding on glass and the absence of squeaking. So you should only soak your windshield wipers in gasoline as a last resort. Again, after the gasoline evaporates from the rubber, the condition of the brush will be even worse.
Note! After wetting with gasoline, the brushes should be washed with warm soapy water.
Lubricate with silicone
The gliding will become too cool, like that of the world figure skating champions! Accordingly, the quality of glass cleaning, on the contrary, will sharply decrease.
Lubricate with White Spirit
It's a good liquid and the effects are interesting. You just need to work with this solvent carefully, wearing personal protective equipment and in a well-ventilated area. Again, the effect will be short-term, and White Spirit will not turn old brushes into new ones.
Lubricate with glycerin
Ordinary pharmacy glycerin “knows how” to soften hardened rubber. Before application, the brush must be cleaned of dust and dirt, and then washed and dried. After applying glycerin to the surface, it is allowed to absorb.
Wash in hot water
Water at a temperature of 50-60 degrees will remove the surface layer of fat from the rubber. However, you will have to keep the brushes in water for half an hour, and the effect will not last long.
Restore the shape of the brush
If the working surface of the brush is worn out, you can extend the service life of the accessory and restore its cleaning properties with sandpaper. Take a plate of rigid material (strong plywood, for example), glue fine-grained sandpaper to it and carefully process the rubber edge of the brush so that it becomes rectangular. The method has disadvantages: if the surface is treated unevenly, then wide stripes will remain on the glass.
The secret method from the mysterious grandfather
On the Drive2 auto resource there is a post about a special old-fashioned method for restoring windshield wiper blades. You will need White Spirit (gasoline solvent) and several cigarettes. You need to remove the tobacco from the cigarettes and shake it onto a rag soaked in solvent. After this, wipe the brushes with a cloth. The author of the method assures that tobacco has an unusually powerful effect, but it is better to check his words again on old brushes.
Since windshield wipers are often used incorrectly or in unfavorable conditions, their rapid wear is not uncommon. But if you drive on domestic roads in rain or snow with faulty wipers, this can cause a traffic accident.
If for some reason it is not possible to replace the faulty parts with new ones in the near future, the motorist can try to restore the wipers himself. To do this, you will have to restore the supporting frame, as well as replace worn-out rubber elements. Almost anyone can restore wipers with their own hands - it will not take much time, and as a result, the performance of the wipers will be completely restored.
Step-by-step instruction:
1. First of all, you need to release the lock girth. This is done so that the replacement rubber band can be removed.
2. Clean the surface of the windshield wipers thoroughly, and after cleaning, thoroughly treat it with a special compound. A multifunctional product such as WD-40 lubricant or any other composition with similar functionality may well be suitable.
3. Using pliers, correct any play in the hinges (if any, of course). If you don’t have pliers, you can carefully use a regular hammer for these purposes. The hinges should under no circumstances interfere with the free movement of the brush levers. If the rubber pads are in good condition, this is enough.
4. If the rubber components have served their purpose and require replacement, then you should not delay it. Using the old rubber band as a template, select the length of the new rubber piece. Just in case, be sure to leave a little as a reserve: approximately 5-7 millimeters will be enough. In the future, excess elastic can be easily cut off. However, the “tail” of the rubber band should be cut only after the wiper has been completely assembled.
5. Together with the adapter, install the new rubber element in place. Secure the entire structure with ordinary tape. Next, install the elastic band into the supporting part of the brush from the side of the locking girth. Clamp the girth with pliers and carefully insert the rubber element to the end, fixing it in the remaining girths. Of course, you can buy replacement rubber elements directly with an adapter from an auto shop, however, in order to correct such an element you will have to use special scissors for cutting metal. If the motorist prefers to use old adapters, which are practically not subject to wear, such a problem will not arise.
