As the rain clouds and summer rains make their way to us, it's worth taking the few minutes to check the condition of your windscreen wiper blades. Getting caught in the first storm of the season with wonky wipers is a sure-fire way to ruin your day - at best. Faulty or damaged windscreen wiper blades are a safety hazard to both you and the other users on the road. A smeared windscreen or one that cannot be effectively cleared of water and dirt hinders your ability to see the road and the other road users.
Windscreen wiper blades are created from rubber and silicone compounds that are susceptible to UV damage. Even if your car parks in a garage most of the time, it still gets exposed to UV rays which can cause the compounds to become brittle, perish and crack. Even if you don't see any cracks, an oxidized wiper blade is less effective than a fresh, new one. It's for this reason that we recommend you change your wiper blades every season to ensure the best possible visibility in rain.
Here's how you can change the wiper blades on your Mazda CX-5 in a matter of minutes.
Related: How to choose the right wiper blades for your car
You will need:
- A new set of wiper blades in the correct length for your model. The Mazda CX-5 uses an 18- and 24-inch wiper blade set for the front of the frameless, flexible variety.
- 5-minutes to spare
How to:
1. Raise your windscreen wiper arms. Sometimes it is easiest to briefly start the wiper motion and stop it when the arms are in the upright position.
2. Locate the retaining clip and, using your finger, lift it up.
3. The wiper blade can now be detached from the arm by pushing the blade down towards the base of the arm.
4. Unhook the old wiper blade and discard.
5. Open the new wiper blade, check the size against the old blade, and install in the reverse of the removal.
6. Ensure the retaining clip is replaced and test the system.
Watch the Felix Dan video on how to change the wiper blades here: Changing wipers on a Mazda CX-5
Watch our video on changing wiper blades here:
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How to change wiper blades on your car
