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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Last night we got about 1/4" and it froze the wipers to the windshield. Being careful to make sure they were off before turning the key, it took only about 10 minutes running it with the defroster on all the way to clear it completely. I learned my lesson years ago when I had to replace the wiper motor in a 1987 Aerostar after hitting the wipers when they were stuck to the glass. With fresh powder snow, it's easy enough to remove most of it with a broom, then do the same as this morning. leaving them up has some risk to the wipers when you clear them off, and the weight could bend the arms.
Interesting! I never knew wipers like that existed.
1998 Dodge Van B1500 same here. Take them off and leave them in the van....I get the brush and the wipers out and after brushing off the snow, attach and away I go...
Of annoyance to me recently is a new "Anti-Puffing" city ordinance that prohibits us from starting our cars early to warm them up.
Apparently this was causing many cars to be stolen but even those with remote starts are not allowed to "puff" at curbside or in the driveway.
Crazy! If you want to do it and your car is stolen....that's on you, right? But to deprive everyone who's spent money to get a remote start would be irritating as all heck!
1. most new cars have wiper defroster. Snoop around yours may have too.
2. it does not matter what you put onto windshield or if blades are silicone. Melting snow, after you parked, builds up around wipers creating a frozen dam around them. Also, even if they didn't stick, you end up with rather sharp dam that they actually run on, tearing them apart. Not sure how Alaska guy manages his as he claims.
3. Easy way is to pour room temperature water onto wipers and they defrost instantly. That's what we did back in the ol' country, where it'd reach 45 C below.
4. I encountered this once driving through KY I believe, in a total blizzard, right past Fort Knox. Going at FWY speed, cold air kept freezing blades solid to the windshield even with heater full blast. I ended with windshield crack across the lower section of it. I honestly believe it was due to very hot inside and very cold outside temp gradient, what twisted glass. Pop!
I leave mine down. My car has windshield wiper defrosters, but even on past cars that didn't, I always do the windshield last after turning the car on and by the time I get to it, everything just slides off.
Crazy! If you want to do it and your car is stolen....that's on you, right? But to deprive everyone who's spent money to get a remote start would be irritating as all heck!
More and more cars have factory remote start.
Mine does, and when temp is below a certain number, it will set the heat to 70, turn on the defrosters (mirros and rear window) and turn on the seat heaters).
Above a certain temp and the AC and seat coolers come on.
I'd be pissed to live in a city where I can't use such a feature!
I used to throw a blanket over my windshield at night. Pull it off in the morning and all the snow comes with it, leaving a clean, dry windshield. Of course if it's windy this could be problematic.
Wind, it sounds like a really good idea, but the winter wind takes everything I have thrown over my windshield.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xsboost
Down. I don't want to run the risk of them snapping back down and damaging the windshield. To reduce the odds of them sticking, I do two things:
1. Buy winter blades with a rubber boot
2. Use Rain-X
Rain-X does a pretty good job of reducing the amount of ice stuck to the windshield. It doesn't prevent it, but it makes it easier to scrape off.
Yes, how is this not a problem for other people? Even if they stick correctly, the winter wind always knock them back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlaskaErik
During a lifetime of living in Alaska I have never raised my wipers. Ever. And I've never had an issue with my wipers.
I don't know Alaska much, but I'm guessing that your winters are very, very cold. I could be wrong, but I imagine this is less of a problem in your area as the precipitation and your vehicle are very cold. Therefore, less melting and refreezing of the snow into ice. Form fitting your windshield and wipers. I figure this would be worse the closer you live to higher winter precipitation and closer to 32 degrees (or slightly underBut again, I could be very wrong.
During a lifetime of living in Alaska I have never raised my wipers. Ever. And I've never had an issue with my wipers.
same here in Minnesota...wipers freezing to windshield = urban myth
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