Ever walk outside of work or the mall on a winter night to see that the car next to you has taken on some new windshield aerodynamics?? For those of you outside of the snowbelt, this is not a major sight or concern for you.
But for those of us that are fortunate enough to experience mother nature's winter wonderland first hand, we get to see it and live it every year.
When winter weather presents itself, is this a silly practice or smart act on the behalf of our fellow car owners?? The rationale for raising the wiper blades is not a sign of distress or done for attention.
The vertical salute is done to avoid issues with the wiper blade freezing to the windshield.
Why should you care? The blade can be damaged during the removal process as you pull or chip at the frozen wiper.
(Yes, I can hear those of you with remote starters laughing at me from your warm window view while your car and wipers heat themselves.
) Most wiper blade manufacturers note the damage that can be done to a wiper blades when it is exposed to or used to combat ice on the windshield: "Always use an ice scraper to remove snow and ice.
Using your wipers to de-ice your windshield can damage the blade as well as the entire arm and wiper motor.
" - Trico Rain-X and Anco further recommend: "Avoid these common problems and extend the life of your wiper blades by following these simple steps:...
Pull your wiper blades away from the windshield during winter months to prevent ice build up on the rubber squeegee and to prevent them from sticking to the windshield.
" - Rain-X Smart it is then.
If you want to extend the life of your blades and maintain their longevity, ice can be one of the enemies.
You will want to exercise whatever means necessary (i.
e.
remote start and defrost, defrost and wait, hot water, scraper, etc.
) to avoid damaging the smooth and pliable rubber blade on a freezing cold winter day.
As some side maintenance advice, do not forget to keep up with your wiper blades in the warmer weather.
Blades are intended to be a clean, solid, pliable surface.
Clean the blade with a non-abrasive formula like glass cleaner or windshield fluid.
Inspect the rubber for cracks or missing rubber.
Also inspect the rubber to ensure it is pliable and smoothly moves forward and back across the glass surface.