What inquiring Southerners need to know.
Its a sign that snow and ice is forecasted.
Frozen wipers not only impede snow removal, they are also at risk of being damaged when turned on.
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Raising windshield wipers is a practice that likely boggles those unaccustomed to winter weather.
But withtemperatures set to plummetacross the country, we have to know: should we do it too?
To Lift Or Not To Lift?
As such, experts often provide opposing recommendations.
Their website notes that without proper defrosting, frozen wipers may rip or break when engaged.
This can also stress or damage the wiper motor to a point that requires professional repair.
There are risks either way, Singh says ina company blog post.
But the risk is higher that youll tear the rubber trying to free a frozen wiper blade.
So leaving them up is probably your best bet, if you could do it.
Lifting your wipers too often or incorrectly can also decrease the lifespan on the springs that keep them functioning.
What Should You Do?
It all comes down to your comfort level.
Repeat for the driver’s side windshield wiper.
Do not continue to pull on the wipers once you feel resistance.
They should stand erect on their own.
After ensuring that your windshield wipers are off, turn your car on and set your defrosters to high.
It can sometimes take 10 to 20 minutes for the results to show.
Do not use anything hard (like a shovel) that can cause scratching.
Next, use a plastic (not metal!)
scraper to gently remove ice and frost from your windshield.
