Cars are a collection of thousands of parts and components working as harmoniously as possible to provide you with sound transportation. Unfortunately, that means thousands of little opportunities to make expensive, even embarrassing mistakes. Like this little gem from a tenured mechanic who admits to making a simple, albeit costly, mistake with windshield wipers.  

A seasoned mechanic demonstrated how installing windshield wipers incorrectly could cost you big time

Windshield wipers. They’re one of those vital consumables that you simply can’t afford to neglect. And this mechanic at Royalty Auto Service took to TikTok to remind car owners to replace them the right way, or face an expensive repair.

“It doesn’t matter the car,” the experienced mechanic said as he approached a bright blue Subaru. He reminds owners that they can get replacement windshield wipers bought (and installed) at an auto parts retailer. 

“I’ll give you this from personal experience. Do not leave that [assembly] up like that,” he said, gesturing to an upright wiper assembly without the wiper element.

“There’s a possibility that this is going to fall and hit that windshield.” He even went as far as to advise techs and auto parts retailers not to forget to mind the spring-loaded stalks. 

It’s more than enough to crack or break an expensive windshield

So, what can you do to avoid a nasty crack or break? Simple: place a protective layer like a cardboard slab or blanket between the stalk and the windshield. Also, don’t leave the assembly upright without securing it. 

“If you want to know how I know that, I bought a $1,200 windshield on a Volvo once because that thing was sitting up,” the Georgia mechanic added. “It fell down and cracked the entire windshield.” That little arm is more than enough to crack a windshield.

It’s a common, pricey mistake

“You notice I’m not taking my hand off of it,” he half-joked as he demonstrated the practice to his son behind the camera. “That was a very painful experience.”

Maybe not physically painful, but financially so, and just as embarrassing. He’s not alone, either. “Done it myself,” one viewer admitted.

Another TikTok user responded, saying, “Learned it the hard way. Cracked the windshield. And that surprised me, so I dropped my phone. Cracked that too.” Yikes.

Admittedly, dear reader, I made this same mistake on a patron’s car when I was new to wrenching. I left a windshield wiper stalk upright without a pad or cardboard boundary just long enough for the springy mechanism to come smacking down.

The impact, while not too violent, was focused on a small, precise area. Think window-smasher tip on an unsuspecting pane. It left an instant and embarrassing crack in the otherwise pristine glass. It really is an expensive lesson to learn the hard way. 

MotorBiscuit reached out to @royaltyautoservice for comment via TikTok.