The Citizen, 1996-10-09, Page 11A clean sweep
Windshield wipers need to do more than move the dirt
around. Start by choosing the right blade for your car and
switch every six months in the spring and the fall.
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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1996 PAGE 11.
1996 Fall and Winter Car Care
When windshield wipers won't wipe
It's bad enough that your
windshield washer fluid is freezing
on your windshield, now the wipers
are only moving the dirt around.
What can you do? It starts with
choosing the right wiper blades.
Hardly anybody thinks about the
wiper blades — after all, they won't
cost you big bucks at the service
outlet.
Well, they might cost you big
When the cold weather comes,
most of us slow down a little and
do some of that good old Canadian
grumbling. Your car battery is no
exception. Your engine is more
dependent on electrical power than
ever before. It seems as though
every single engine function runs
off a computer.
All those computers, electrical
clocks, etc. maintain a power drain
on the battery, whether you drive
the car or not. That's why you can
sometimes end up with a flat
battery (even if you didn't leave the
lights on) after a prolonged ski trip,
for example.
Here are some common
questions and answers, reported by
Car Care Canada.
What's the white powder that I
see on my battery terminals?
The powder is corrosion, and it
acts as an insulator. When you get
enough of it on the battery posts,
no current can get through and your
car won't start. You can clean it off
with a wire brush, or with battery
post cleaners available at all
automotive stores. You can also
clean off your battery with a
solution of baking soda, which will
counteract the acid in the
electrolyte. When the posts are
clean, give them a coating of
bucks at the body shop. Defensive
driving instructors will tell you that
vision of the road and the traffic
around you is your most potent
defence against collisions. Keeping
a clean windshield is a good start.
Just as there is seasonal
windshield washer fluid, there are
seasonal and high performance
wiper blades. The Car Care Council
recommends switching blades
every six months, in the spring and
fall.
battery terminal grease to keep the
corrosion from recurring.
My battery is called maintenance
free, but it isn't really, is it?
Actually, yes. Other than keeping
corrosion off the terminals, there is
very little you need to do a good
battery. It's no longer necessary to
check each pot and top up with
distilled water. The battery pretty
much holds its own electrolyte
level.
Here's how the battery works. It
consists of lead oxide on the
positive plates, lead on the negative
plates, submerged in an electrolyte
(diluted sulphuric acid). The
chemical reaction between the
plates within the electrolyte creates
the electricity, and the reaction
Winter wiper blades are typically
well-protected against ice and snow
buildup so that the rubber wiping
blade remains flat on the wind-
shield. The rubber used has better
cold weather performance, too.
Living in a fine climate is no
guarantee against wiper blade
deterioration — even sunlight can
cause the rubber to age and crack in
a relatively short time.
Common problems to watch out
for:
• cracked or split rubber — usually
caused by ultraviolet rays or
overly aggressive ice removal
• pitted, scarred, or discoloured
rubber — usually caused by salt
removing chemicals
• torn rubber — where the rubber
blade has pulled away from the
arm and is slipping out or
slapping against the glass.
• chattering or squeaking sound as
the blades work — usually caused
by blades warped through
infrequent use or exposure to
strong sunlight — the blades take
on a permanent curvature, instead
of conforming to your windshield.
• worn rubber — old blades will
exhibit rounded or ragged edges,
which will not clean properly
• windshield streaking — can result
from tree sap or road tar on the
blades, from cracked, inflexible
rubber, or from blades clogged
with snow or ice.
So how do you get the best
performance from your
windshield wipers?
First, clean off the whole wind-
shield — don't try to look through a
porthole. Gently remove ice from
around the wiper blade, and make
sure the arm can move freely.
Clean the snow off the hood, too
— otherwise, it will wind up in your
face as soon as you drive away.
Before your car has come up to
operating temperature, your ability
to melt that snow on the windshield
is limited, and it will likely smear.
reverses when the battery is
charging so that the components
regenerate themselves.
How long will my battery last?
It varies depending on how much
you drive and how rugged the
winter is where you live. Batteries
should last four years, and will
sometimes hold on longer.
In really cold weather, will my
battery freeze?
Yes, the electrolyte is acid,
diluted with water. A fully charged
battery will freeze at about -65°C (-
80°F), and a fully discharged
battery at about -12°C (+10°F).
Keeping your battery clean and
charged is good policy. If the
battery does freeze, it is likely to
Continued on page 12
The same holds true for the roof
of your car or van — that snow will
wind up all over your rear window,
and cause difficulty with your rear
window wiper (if you have one).
Have you ever had the experi-
ence of driving away with a clear
view of the road, only to have your
windshield fog over instantly?
That's usually the result of snow
being drawn in through the defrost
system. This is less likely to
happen if you clean out your air
intake on the hood.
The lowly wiper blade. Just a few
simple steps can keep it/invisible,
and help you keep your eyes on the
-oad.
How to cope with a cranky battery