Car How to replace wiper blades
Car · Beginner
How to replace wiper blades
We may earn from shop links, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure
Fitting new wiper blades is one of the shortest jobs on the car if you match the length and the fitting type. This guide is for standard clip-on blades on the windscreen, and often the rear screen too. It is not for repairing a scored windscreen, and not for forcing a frozen blade off a painted arm.
Your call
Go or no?
Fancy giving it a go, or would you rather call a garage? There’s no wrong answer.
Right then. Here’s the kit, then the steps.
No problem. We’ll show you how to find a local garage.
At a glance
Shop the full kit
You can pick up the items below as you need them. Prices vary by shop and country, so we have not invented a figure here — check the live price before you buy. Shop links go to a product search on a local store for your country.
All-in-one kit
There is not usually a single boxed kit for this job. Buy the items below as you need them, and skip anything you already have.
Before you start
Safety
Stop and get a pro: Do not work on the windscreen if it is cracked and moving, and do not force a blade that is frozen to the glass — you can lift the surface of the screen. If an arm is bent, the joint is loose, or a wiper motor is jammed, find a garage. Leave any work that needs the scuttle panel off to a professional.
- Park on level ground and switch the ignition off so the wipers cannot cycle while your fingers are on the arm.
- Lift each arm gently until it stays up. Do not let a metal arm snap back onto the glass.
- If the screen is frosted, thaw it first. Pulling a frozen blade can damage the windscreen.
- Watch for a sharp metal spine on some old blades when you unclip them.
Prep that is worth doing
- Measure the old blades, or look up the lengths in the handbook or a maker’s size guide — the two sides are often different, and the rear blade is usually shorter.
- Note the fitting: a common hook, a push-button, or a pin. Take a photo of the joint before you start.
- Clean the windscreen so you can tell whether streaks are the old blades or a scored screen.
Tools and materials
Check the live price at a shop you trust. Typical prices on this site, where they appear, were checked in the UK and may be out of date. Do not invent or assume a figure from this table. Shop links go to a product search on a local store for your country.
| Item | Why you need it | Typical price | Shop link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wiper blades in the correct lengths and fitting | A mismatch will not clip on securely, or it will leave a smear at one end. | check price | |
| Screenwash or a glass cleaner and a cloth | To clean the glass before you judge the new blades. | check price | |
| A small towel or a piece of card | To rest under an arm if you are worried it might fall back onto the glass while you swap the blade. | check price |
Shop this list:
Step-by-step
Match the size and fitting, lift the arm safely, swap one blade at a time, and test with the screen wet.
Confirm the size and the fitting
Compare the new blades with the old ones. The length should match, and the adaptor should be the type your arm uses. Many new blades include more than one adaptor — pick the one that matches your photo or the old joint.
Lift the first arm and unclip the old blade
Lift the arm until it stays vertical, holding it so it cannot drop. Press the tab or pinch the clip, and slide the old blade off the hook or pin. If it will not move, look again rather than bending the arm.
Clip the new blade on
Slide or click the new blade onto the arm until it locks. Tug it gently to check it is seated. Set the arm back down onto the glass; do not let it slam.
Repeat on the other side, and the rear if you are changing that too
Keep the old blades until both new ones are on and tested, so you can put one back if a fitting is wrong.
Test with a wet screen
Spray screenwash or pour a little clean water on the glass and do a few sweeps. The blades should clear evenly, without a chatter or a thick smear. If they do not, reseat the clip or check you have not fitted a blade on the wrong side.
If the arm is bent or the glass is scored
New blades will not fix a bent arm or a pitted windscreen. That is a garage or a windscreen specialist.
General guidance only. Check our disclaimer.
Common mistakes
- Buying one length when the sides are different. The shorter blade on the longer arm will leave a dirty arc. Measure both.
- Letting the bare arm drop onto the glass. The metal end can chip or crack a windscreen. Hold it, or rest a towel underneath while you work.
- Forcing a frozen blade off the screen. Thaw the glass first. Pulling can lift the surface of the windscreen.
- Fitting the adaptor the wrong way round. The blade may sit off the glass or pop off on the motorway. It should click and sit flat.
- Ignoring a noisy motor or a wiper that stops mid-sweep. That is not a blade problem. Find a garage.
FAQ
How often should I change wiper blades?
When they smear, chatter, or leave unwiped bands, or at least once a year in a harsh climate. UV and road salt wear them even if you do not use them much.
Can I just replace the rubber refill, not the whole blade?
On some older frames, yes, if you can buy the matching refill. Many modern blades are replaced as a complete unit. Do not cut a refill to fit.
The new blades still smear.
Clean the glass properly, including any oily film. If the smear remains in the same place, the windscreen may be scored. If the blade skips, the arm may have lost tension — a garage can check that.
Is a rear wiper the same job?
Usually, yes, with a shorter blade and sometimes a slightly different clip. The same rules apply: match the part, do not let the arm drop, and test with water.
Would rather not DIY? Find a local garage
If an arm is bent, a fitting will not click, the wiper motor is faulty, or you would rather not risk the glass, a garage or mobile mechanic can fit the blades and check the arms.
We may earn from shop links, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure