Wipers are probably one of the most crucial yet often overlooked replacement part on vehicles. It’s been around pretty much since the invention of automobiles and will probably be around for years to come. Wipers should be checked often and replaced BEFORE they fail. I’m sure we can all imagine driving with wipers that don’t work well. Especially in our tropical climate where it rains very frequently and heavily. You may have a powerful engine and a bangin’ stereo, but if you have poor visibility, you ain’t going nowhere my friend. You can still enjoy your stereo though.
Checking Your Wiper
Most of us will know to change the wipers when we realise how poor visibility is when we are caught driving in a downpour. But usually this is a little too late, especially if you are already on a long drive out to another state. Here are a couple of steps to help you figure out if your wipers need replacing. We recommend doing this monthly.
1. Visual Inspection
Make sure to do this in a well lit area or outside when its bright. Things to look for are cracks, tears and discolorations.
2. Touch Inspection
Feel for roughness, uneveness and also hardness. Wipers need to have a certain amount of flexibility in order to work when wiping in both directions.
3. Test It
Spray some water on your windscreen, sit in the drivers seat and turn on the wipers. If you see streaks, juddering or hear screeching, it may be a good idea to change the wipers.
Shopping for New Wipers
Buying new wipers can be a confusing process. The best thing you could do is head down to a trusted shop and get them to help you out. For those who want to pick out wipers yourselves, here are a couple of things to know.
1. Wiper Arm Type
The first step in narrowing down your search is figuring out the type of wiper arm your vehicle uses. The most common would be the Small J Hook type which is used by most Japanese and Malaysian makes. Know your wiper arm type before you proceed further.
2. Wiper Length
Firstly, check if your car owner’s manual has any recommendations. You can also refer to PIAA’s guide here http://www.piaa.com/Shared/Application_catelogs/2015-PIAA-Wiper-Application-Guide-for-site.pdf. However, the guide may not be 100% accurate as we have discovered many cars out there to have wiper lengths that differ to the guide. These may very well work anyways as sometimes different lengths can be matched to fit. We recommend that you measure the length of your wipers and compare it against the guide and manual. Then decide for yourself which lengths you want to go with.
3. Wiper Material
There are 3 types of materials most commonly used for wipers.
a. Rubber
b. Graphite Rubber – Rubber infused with graphite
c. Silicone Rubber – Rubber infused with silicone
There are a ton of brands offering various wiper types out there. Do a search online for some reviews to get an idea on the quality of these wipers. Personally for us, silicone infused wiper blades tend to last longer than the other types.
4. Wiper Style
a. Traditional metal frame
b. Plastic aerodynamic modern frame
c. Flat or Beam blade
Besides replacing the entire wiper assembly, there are also options for refills / inserts. PIAA makes inserts for some of their wipers and also inserts for some OE wipers such as Mitsuba brand which is used on many of the new Honda’s models and also on some newer Toyota’s. Other brands may also offer such solutions.
d. Wiper Refills / Inserts
Wipers on Fasmoto
Below are some of the wipers available on Fasmoto.com. We have also placed some key info to help you identify the difference.
PIAA Si-Tech Silicone Wiper
Wiper Arm fitment : Small J Hook, Large J Hook, PTBrm, I&L Arm, Pin & Hook, Small Side Pin and Large Side Pin.
Wiper Insert Material : Silicone infused rubber.
Frame Type : Flat / Beam / Frameless
PIAA Aero Vogue Silicone Wiper
Wiper Arm fitment : Small J Hook
Wiper Insert Material : Silicone infused rubber.
Frame Type : Plastic
PIAA Radix Silicone Wiper
Wiper Arm fitment : Small J Hook (Except for 28″ which is Large J Hook type)
Wiper Insert Material : Silicone infused rubber.
Frame Type : Metal
PIAA Silencio XTRM Silicon
Wiper Arm fitment : Car Model Specific
Wiper Insert Material : Silicone infused rubber.
Frame Type : Flat / Beam / Frameless
Bosch Eco Plus Graphite Rubber Wiper Blade
Wiper Arm fitment : Small J Hook
Wiper Insert Material : Graphite rubber.
Frame Type : Traditional metal
Goodyear Moly Graphite Rubber Wiper
Wiper Arm fitment : Small J Hook
Wiper Insert Material : Graphite rubber.
Frame Type : Traditional metal
More Info
PIAA Silicone Wiper Refill / Insert (6MM Width)
Wiper Insert Material : Silicone infused rubber.
Insert Width : 6MM
PIAA Silicone Wiper Refill / Insert (8MM Width)
Wiper Insert Material : Silicone infused rubber.
Insert Width : 8MM
PIAA Silicone Wiper Refill / Insert (8.6MM Width)
Wiper Insert Material : Silicone infused rubber.
Insert Width : 8.6MM (Commonly used in new Toyota wipers)
PIAA Silicone Wiper Refill / Insert for Mitsuba wipers (10.2MM Width)
Wiper Insert Material : Silicone infused rubber.
Insert Width : 10.2MM (Commonly used in Mitsuba wipers)