ASE Parts Specialist Test Preparation: Windshield Wiper Display & Product Knowledge

If you were asked, what would you say was the percentage of vehicles with damaged wiper blades? One in 10? One in 20? How about one in five?

If you were to answer the latter, you would be correct. In a recent survey of U.S. consumers, 21% of vehicles inspected showed that they had damaged or broken front windshield wipers. In addition, some 14% had broken or damaged rear window wipers.

At first glance it may seem paradoxical that people would take better care of their rear wiper than their front, but the reality is that wear and tear are to blame and rear wipers simply do not get as much use.

To put it into perspective, these U.S. inspections showed that 90% of vehicles failed one or more aspects of the inspection, which underscores the need for consumer education, according to the U.S. Car Care Council. There is little reason to suspect that Canadian figures would diverge from this reality.

The inspection lanes, conducted throughout the United States by sponsoring local organizations and businesses, are part of the U.S. automotive aftermarket industry’s ongoing public awareness campaign, “Be Car Care Aware.”

Volunteers across the country conducted the events. Coordinators reported their activities to the Car Care Council by returning inspection forms for compilation.

“The fact that nine out of 10 vehicles inspected required some maintenance reinforces the need for the motoring public to become more aware of the maintenance needs of their vehicles,” said Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council. “The potential effects on highway safety, air quality, cost of operation, vehicle performance, and vehicle dependability are self-evident from these results.”

In terms of display tactics to improve visibility products sales, such as wiper blades, there are a number of avenues.

Since they are seldom thought of for purchase when it is not actually raining, which also happens to be the least likely time to change the wiper, they should be considered an impulse sale.

Consequently, a counterperson should consider placing wiper blades in a high visibility location. This can be in a variety of places, such as near the door or near the cash. The common denominator is the high traffic the location gets.

Displays should be clearly marked. One possible option is to communicate with signage in a way that can prompt the consumer to consider the purchase. A sign that says “Wiper Blades” is good for information, but one that says “Wiper Blades Okay?” is more likely to get the customer thinking. Manufacturers of wiper blades have many resources at hand to educate you and the consumer about wiper blades.

See how you do in the sample questions.

1) Parts Specialist A says that wiper blades should be changed every six months. Parts Specialist B says that the area near the front window is a high traffic location. Who is correct?

A) Parts Specialist A only

B) Parts Specialist B only

C) Parts Specialist A and B

D) Neither Parts Specialist A nor B

2) All of the following are parts of a wiper blade EXCEPT:

A) Claw

B) Vertebrae

C) Superstructure

D) Pinion

3) Parts Specialist A says that most consumers have an easy time installing wiper blades. Parts Specialist B says that each Parts Specialist should take time to ensure the consumer has the right wiper. Who is correct?

A) Parts Specialist A only

B) Parts Specialist B only

C) Parts Specialist A and B

D) Neither Parts Specialist A nor B

4) When installing a wiper blade, the consumer should do all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Refer to the instructions

B) Clean the windshield

C) Adjust the wiper arm

D) Install additional clips

5) Parts Specialist A says that when a wiper fails to clean a windshield, it could be due to a weak spring. Parts Specialist B says that a windshield wiper that fails to clean properly could be contaminated with wax. Who is correct?

A) Parts Specialist A only

B) Parts Specialist B only

C) Parts Specialist A and B

D) Neither Parts Specialist A nor B

6) Parts Specialist A says that a wiper blade will last indefinitely if it isn’t used. Parts Specialist B says that the longer a wiper blade is, the longer it will last. Who is correct?

A) Parts Specialist A only

B) Parts Specialist B only

C) Parts Specialist A and B

D) Neither Parts Specialist A nor B

7) Using the illustrations, which wiper shows the effects of sunlight and ozone?

A) A

B) F

C) C

D) D

8) Using the illustrations, which wiper shows the effect of physical damage?

A) A

B) D

C) E

D) C

9) Using the illustrations, which wiper shows the effect of excessive use?

A) A

B) B

C) C

D) D

10) Parts Specialist A says that winter wiper blades clear snow because their rubber covering acts like a shovel. Parts Specialist B says that refill rubber can prolong the life of a wiper arm indefinitely. Who is correct?

A) Parts Specialist A only

B) Parts Specialist B only

C) Parts Specialist A and B

D) Neither Parts Specialist A nor B

Answers: 1)A; 2)D; 3)B; 4)C; 5)C; 6)D; 7)D; 8)C; 9)C; 10)D.

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IMPACT LED TO BIRTH OF THE WIPER

It should come as no surprise that the wiper blade had its genesis on a rainy night. Or did it?

When a bicyclist and a National Roadster car collided on a Buffalo, NY, street late one rainy night in 1917, it was an impact felt around the world. Although the cyclist was not seriously injured, the driver, theatre owner J.R. Oishei, committed to making sure it didn’t happen again.

He created the Tri-Continental Corporation, which introduced the first windshield wiper, Rain Rubber, for the slotted, two-piece, fold-down windshields that were popular at the time. And he is largely credited with inventing the wiper.

However, there is dispute.

There is an account that Mary Anderson of Alabama invented the wiper in 1903 when she noticed that the streetcar motorman had to continually get out to wipe the snow and ice from the windshield.

After making a quick drawing in her sketchbook, she came up with a solution to the problem that she patented a year later, but, alas, never profited from the invention.

Regardless, the first wiper system was manual–of little help when in a driving rainstorm, not to mention the workout your arm would get–but a number of different methods were tried before the motor-driven wiper systems we are familiar with today came about.

The first automatic design was powered by a vacuum driven pump. Unfortunately this design was plagued by the fact that its speed of operation changed with the speed of the vehicle. This failure finally led to the attachment of a motor to the wiper arm, which is essentially the one still in use today.