You can’t say I avoid the tough issues: My Monitor column today ponders whether to put your windshield wipers up when you park and a storm coming, or leave them down.
You can read it here and then tell me why I’m an idiot.
A vital winter question: Wipers up, or wipers down?
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Truly one of the burning issues of the day.
We don’t have a garage so this is a pertinent question for us. We normally do not put them up. I had not thought about the spring tension issue, that is a good point. We put them up on two occasions: 1) if freezing rain is in the forecast or 2) the car is warm and snow is forecast.
I can attest to the risk of forgetting to turn them off and having the wipers frozen to the windscreen. In my case it did not damage the motor but rather the nylon bearing in the pivot arm. Even repairing it myself it was an expensive lesson, not to mention not having windshield wipers until I fixed it.
Now if someone is able to tell me how to prevent door weatherstrip from sticking during freezing rain I’d be a happy camper.
It’s a little issue when you have a big truck. I can’t even reach the wipers when they are frozen onto the windshield. Putting them up is easier than fixing them later.