When you have to leave your vehicle outside during winter, you’re likely looking for ways to make it as ready to go as possible.
One thing that a lot people do is to leave their windshield wipers up off the windshield when snow or ice is in the forecast.
The thought is that your wipers will remain relatively untouched by winter precipitation if left upright. Plus, if they’re not touching the vehicle windshield, the wiper blades won’t freeze to it and make it harder to clear the frozen precipitation when you’re ready to leave especially when you’re in a hurry.
If you’re someone who lifts up your car’s windshield wipers before winter weather strikes, it’s possible you’re doing more harm than good.
“The Drive,” a website featuring news, reviews, and guides about the modern automotive culture, reports that wipers aren’t built to stand up.
Wiper blades are designed to withstand pressure from the front, and without the support of the windshield, they could easily be susceptible to even a moderately strong gust of wind.
As a result, damage to the gearing that keeps the wipers and attachment hardware firmly in place. What’s even worse is that you might not even know anything is wrong until it’s too late since the damage could be hard to see and difficult to assess.
The consensuses among experts are to cover your entire windshield if you want to save time in bad weather. This will also prevent any potential damage to your vehicles wipers and associated gearing. An old rug or tarp will work as a windshield cover.
Other driving tips for winter weather driving include:
- Be sure your tires are properly inflated and have good tread.
- Never heat up a vehicle in an enclosed area.
- Do not use cruise control when driving on icy or snowy roadways.
- Keep your fuel tank at least half full at all times.
- Keep your car stocked with cold-weather gear, such as food and water, warm clothing, a flashlight, a glass scraper, blankets and medications.
For more tips like these, read our car repair blog.
