- What
makes a high quality wiper blade?
- How
often should wiper blades be replaced?
-
Do ClearPlus wiper blades fit all cars?
- Should
I replace the whole wiper blade or just
the rubber?
- Can
I replace my own wiper blades or is too
difficult?
- How
do I know which adapter (connector) to
use from the package?
- How
long will it take for me to replace my
wiper blades?
- What
is the difference between plastic and
metal wiper blades?
- Which
rubber is better quality — natural
or synthetic?
- How
does graphite coating on rubber help?
- Will
the graphite leave black marks on the
windshield?
- Are
written/schematic instruction sheets provided
with ClearPlus product?
- How
is ClearPlus wiper blade frame structure
superior in quality?
- What
size range do ClearPlus wiper blades cover?
- How
does the ClearPlus application guide help?
01.
What makes a high quality wiper
blade?
There
are three distinct attributes that contribute
to the performance (quality) of wiper
blades. These are frame, rubber and adapters.
Frame should be robust
for durability (primary and secondary
links should be durable so they do not
break in snow and icy conditions even
if yanked or hit with snow scrappers,
or while going thru car washes etc). The
frame should also be designed to prevent
wind lift and provide a good wrap around
the windshield. Finally, the frame should
be corrosion resistant and provide a good
locking mechanism for rubber and stainless-steel
spline used to support the rubber. Not
having a good frame structure not only
compromises the quality of wipe but also
scratches or damages windshields, causing
accidents.
Rubber should provide
good quality of wipe and be reasonably
durable. Compound of the rubber, surface
finish and the cutting mechanism (for
the wiping edge) are all key contributing
factors to quality of wipe, which takes
the form of smooth, low noise, chatter-free,
streak-free, and smear-free wipe. These
qualities should last through extreme
cold and heat conditions. Durability comes
from the compound and the curing process
used for making rubber.
Adapters should be quick
and easy to install and not break easily.
As there are multiple types of arms, historically
there used to be several adapters packaged
with each blade. In recent years, the
trend has been towards reduction in the
number of adapters. This is accomplished
by redesigning the adapters to make them
universal fit.
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2.
How often should wiper blades be
replaced?
We
recommend that in North American driving
conditions, wiper blades be replaced every
six months to maintain optimum driving
safety. The change can be matched
with seasons that typically present the
most hazardous of driving conditions —
fall and spring.
Wiping
quality and safe driving is also compromised
with deterioration in rubber element and
wiper frame.
Conditions
causing rubber deterioration are extreme
temperatures, sunlight, ozone, road tar
and chemicals. Signs of rubber deterioration
are cracking or hardening of the rubber
surface, tear in rubber and discoloration.
Wiper
frame should be checked for bends in superstructure,
secondary links or stainless steel flexors
that back the rubber element. Ice scrapers
or car wash equipment can cause these.
If you notice such signs, replace blades
immediately not only for safety reasons
but also to prevent scratches to the windshields
as a result of rubber element slipping
out of its claws.
Replace
wiper blades when you notice:
Smearing - Thin
screen of water left on windshield
Streaking
- Line
patterns left unwiped
Chattering
- Blade making jumpy or skipping
motions and noise during wiping
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3.
Do
ClearPlus wiper blades fit all cars?
Yes.
ClearPlus
wiper blades come with adapters for use
on almost all cars and light trucks on
the roads in North America. Also see Adapter
Reference Charts. The adapter reference
chart shows the arm types in use by size
of wiper blades.
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4.
Should
I replace the whole wiper blade or just
the rubber?
It
is much easier and equally cost-effective
to replace the whole wiper blade. There
are too many different types of rubber
elements in use by different wiper blade
manufacturers, which makes it difficult
to identify the right replacement for
rubber element only. Replacing the whole
wiper blade is the problem-free option.
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5.
Can
I replace my own wiper blades or is too
difficult?
You can replace wiper blades with our
easy-to-follow installation
videos and easy-to-fit adapters.
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6.
How
do I know which adapter (connector) to use
from the package?
Please
see Adapter
reference chart. ClearPlus wiper blades
come packed with instruction sheets that
indicate the adapters to use with each
type of wiper arm. Our fastest-selling
product line, ClearPlus Premium blade
has a preinstalled adapter that works
with almost 98% of the cars on the road,
making it really easy for motorists to
install wiper blades on their cars.
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7.
How
long will it take for me to replace my wiper
blades?
10
mins for first-time installers. Professional
installers (mechanics) usually replace
wiper blades in 5 minutes or less.
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8.
What
is the difference between plastic and metal
wiper blades?
Plastic blades are usually lighter than
the premium quality metal blades. Consequently,
they wobble or lift from the windshield
on high speeds. Additionally, plastic
blades do not provide a perfect wrap around
the windshield, specially the larger and
curved windshields of today's vehicles.
This compromises the windshield contact
and even pressure distribution required
for a perfect wipe. Plastic blades also
break and warp easily in severe weather
conditions like snowstorms and extreme
heat. ClearPlus blades are all metal blades.
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9.
Which
rubber is better quality — natural
or synthetic?
Natural rubber is softer and usually provides
a good quality wipe. Synthetic elastomers
are typically added to provide durability
and longer life. ClearPlus uses dual compound
technology which helps achieve a perfect
balance between quality of wipe and durability.
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10.
How
does graphite coating on rubber help?
ClearPlus rubber is coated with graphite,
a powder chemical which functions as a
shield to the rubber element by preventing
the sunrays, ozone and road chemicals
from penetrating the rubber element. This
feature adds to the life of the rubber
and keeps it softer for longer.
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11.
Will
the graphite leave black marks on the windshield?
Graphite is dark gray in color and if
touched directly, will leave some black
stains on your fingers (washable with
soap). However, it leaves no marks on
the windshield and wears off from the
rubber only gradually even in wet conditions.
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12.
Are written/schematic instruction
sheets provided with ClearPlus product?
Yes.
Every package contains an instruction
sheet. Please see installation
guides under Support.
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13.
How
is ClearPlus wiper blade frame structure
superior in quality?
All
ClearPlus wiper blades have an aerodynamically
designed all-metal frame structure.
- ClearPlus
Signature blade for instance uses 1.2
mm galvanized steel for the frame superstructure
(primary bridge.) This provides heavy
metal structure and wider spaced wind
channels, making it more aerodynamic and
wind-lift resistant. These wiper blades
are proven to have no wind lift up to
75 mph.
- Additionally,
not just the superstructure but also all
links are made with metal. All metal-to-metal
links are riveted for security (vs. plastic
injection molded locks used in many competing
products) and use copper for riveting
material, which provides better corrosion
resistance.
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14.
What
size range do ClearPlus wiper blades cover?
ClearPlus
covers the full range between 11 –
28 inch wiper blades. Sizes 12, 14, 23
and 25 are not included. As 12 and 14-inch
blades are used only with small pin type
arms, provision has been made in 11 and
13 inch blades to work with this arm.
This way, 11 and 13-inch product can be
substituted for 12 and 14 inch blades
respectively. Size 23 inch is used only
in some Mercedes cars. As the volume for
this part number is relatively low, it
is currently not included in ClearPlus
line. No cars currently use a 25-inch
wiper blade.
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15.
How does the ClearPlus application
guide help?
Updated
regularly, ClearPlus application guides
define the adapter to be used at level
of car make, model and year. They are
available free with orders worth $50 or
more to trade customers. Other customers
can see the same information online.
(Note:
Trade customers, please refer to FAQS under
Member areas for trade-related technical
FAQs)
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