Because 90% of our driving decisions are based on visual information, unobscured vision is paramount. Which brings us to the topic of today's TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires article: wiper blades. While this isn't the most exciting automotive subject, it's important. You wouldn't drive at night in Royal Oak with your headlights off, but a dirty or streaked vehicle windshield can catch the glare of the sun or on-coming headlights and make it just as difficult to see.

Most of us in Royal Oak replace our wiper blades when they no longer do the job. They are so worn, hard or brittle that they can't clean the windshield. They may even be falling apart. In other words, we deal with our wiper blades from a failure perspective. We address them when they no longer function. The theory, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," doesn't apply here. Instead, we should think about wipers blades as an important safety system that we should maintain rather than repair.

Michigan automotive experts recommend that we change our wiper blades twice a year, in the spring and fall. That way you have functional blades for those Royal Oak spring showers and winter storms.

When we use our wipers a lot, they get worn from the Royal Oak road grime and bug juice. Even if we don't use them very often, they're exposed to the sun, heat and cold, and air which cause them to dry out, become brittle and break.

And of course, you need a good windshield washer fluid in your vehicle to help the wipers do their job. Always use washer fluid because plain water doesn't work as well and it can freeze in the reservoir. If you're driving where there are a lot of bugs in Michigan, you can pay a little more and get fluid that does a better job of clearing them. If you live where you have extremely cold winters, you can get fluid that resists freezing.

Like everything else in the automotive world, there've been some big advancements in wiper blades, both in terms of the design and the materials from which the blade is made. If you are a local Royal Oak driver that has a need for better than average windshield wipers, you can pay some more for an upgraded wiper. And if you live where there's a lot of snow and ice in Michigan, they make special winter blades that don't clog up and freeze like standard blades.

At one of your fall and spring oil changes, ask your TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires service advisor which is best wiper blade for your driving conditions. Replace your blades on schedule so you never have to struggle with your vision when you switch on your wipers.

TLC Custom Exhaust Brakes & Tires
1735 N Main St
Royal Oak, Michigan 48067
248-541-8300
http://www.tlcautocareroyaloak.com