How to change wiper blades and save money

Change your wiper blades yourself and save money.

Changing wiper blades is easy, even for the least skilled DIYer. Although there are several different styles of wiper arms and blades, they all have one thing in common: the blades snap off the arm by releasing a latch. All wiper blades come with instructions and adapters to fit a wide range of car brands. I’ll cover the most common styles here. Once you learn how to change wiper blades yourself, you’ll never have to pay shop prices again.

There are several styles of wiper arms

The wiper arm is what moves the wiper blade across the windshield. Over the years, carmakers have used six different wiper blade attachment methods. The “J-hook” is the most common type on late-model vehicles.

How to change wiper blades on a J-hook style wiper arm

CAUTION: You will be lifting the wiper arm off the windshield and removing the wiper blade. The wiper arm is spring-loaded. Once the blade is removed, the J-hook is exposed. If the spring-loaded wiper arm slips out of your hand and hits the windshield, it can crack the glass. Always place a towel on the glass to prevent accidental glass breakage.

Step #1 Lift the wiper arm off the glass

Step #2 Lay towel on glass to prevent breakage

Step #3 Locate the wiper blade release tab and latch

Step #4 Use a key to pop up the latch (if equipped)

Rotate latch to full open position

Step #5 Depress tab and push wiper blade down to disengage from J-hook

Step #6 Align new wiper blade with J-hook and push up into the hook until it latches in place

Install winter wiper blades for best snow removal

Winter wiper blades have a flexible rubber boot surrounding the structure to prevent ice from forming and causing streaks.

©, 2020 Rick Muscoplat and Alex Steil