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There are many ways to turn a simple morning commute into a difficult ordeal on winter mornings. It’s enough that you get outside, hoping to get into your vehicle, turn on the ignition, and just drive off, only to discover your entire windshield caked in snow and frost and your wipers frozen solid against the glass. While this is a very common sight in the coldest corners of the country with many vehicles, with ice on top of them and wipers fused under layers of ice parked in driveways and in parking spaces, numerous drivers take precautions by raising the windshield wipers away from the surface of the glass when a storm is due.
The rationale here makes sense: a small amount of the snow, ice or freezing rain can melt into water on the windshield. As the temperature cools overnight, the water freezes and adheres to the windshield with remarkable tenacity. The bond formed can actually result in stuck windshield wiper blades to the glass, which can, at best, tear and ruin the rubber or, at worse, cause the wiper motor and the whole mechanism to burn out. For many drivers, pulling the blades up on the windshield before a predicted winter freeze is an obvious, no-cost step in order to avoid potentially costly repairs and lost time.
But lifting your wipers this winter is a more complicated topic than you might realize. While certain drivers and mechanics suggest it is a great way to safeguard the wiper blade against damage, other vehicle technicians warn against keeping them elevated, or “lifted,” on your windshield for too long. While it might shield the rubber on your wiper blade from becoming a solid block of ice, lifting it could put unnecessary pressure on components within the wiper mechanism designed for their usual orientation. Both the pros and cons of keeping wipers up or down in winter offer insight for vehicle owners to decide which approach best protects their vehicle.
1. Why Drivers Lift Their Wiper Blades During Winter
Where does the practice of flipping up your wiper blades come from in the winter? It is a common sense way to avoid damage. When temps fall below the freezing mark, any water that sits between your wiper blade and your windshield can freeze into a solid piece of ice. It will be difficult to pry the wipers from the windshield and can be damaged if forced off.
Reasons Behind This Winter Habit:
- Prevent frozen wiper blades
- Avoid rubber blade damage
- Simplify ice removal process
- Protect windshield surface
- Improve winter morning preparation
Some people can probably relate to the annoying process of clearing an icy windshield early in the morning. Trying to turn on your windshield wipers without making sure that they aren’t frozen and will just scratch and scrape against the glass can even break your windshield wiper blades and leave you with an impromptu repair job just to start driving.
The biggest factor is ease and quicker preps for drivers on a snowy day. Because of the snow, if your wipers have stayed down against your windshield, it’s possible snow and ice could actually freeze the wipers against your windshield and the result is an additional bit of effort required to lift them out of a snowdrift. For drivers who face frequent winter snow storms, it’s pretty commonplace to lift the wipers prior to freezing.
2. Frozen Wipers Can Lead to Expensive Repairs
It’s not just the blades: Drivers typically only concern themselves with damaged rubber blades when frozen. What they forget is that the wipers are more than just two pieces of rubber. There are a number of interconnected parts that go into the entire wiper assembly that can take some abuse if the blades stick to the windshield. Driving a car when your wipers are frozen will make your motor and the entire wiper system work hard against a huge amount of friction due to the ice and will put wear and tear that you’re not intending to put on.
Risks of Frozen Wiper Operation:
- Wiper motor overload issues
- Linkage system damage risks
- Expensive repair possibilities
- Increased winter maintenance costs
- Avoidable vehicle damage concerns
A wiper motor is built to wipe the blades back and forth over a wet windshield; it is not engineered to cut through a thick sheet of ice in which the blades are stuck. Trying to force the motor through this can cause the motor to become stressed, which can lead to the blowing of a fuse or damage to the motor itself and any number of wiper system components.
The truth sometimes only comes after you receive a shockingly large bill to fix what you thought would just be a broken piece of rubber. The innocent mistake of leaving the wiper blades down in a cold winter morning may cost you much more than a new blade, but may instead cost you for repairs to your wiper motor and mechanics. Therefore many vehicle owners will choose to leave the wiper blades up as a protective measure against this needless cost in the winter.
3. The Convenience Factor Behind the Winter Habit
In addition to avoiding any mechanical wear, raising the windshield wipers can also simplify and speed up the winter cleaning: if you have experienced a heavy snowfall overnight, you might find your wipers stuck under layers of ice and snow, requiring extra time and caution to shovel out around them without damaging the rubber blades.
Benefits of Raising Wiper Blades:
- Easier snow removal process
- Faster winter morning preparation
- Reduced blade handling risks
- Less ice buildup difficulty
- Added driver convenience
How the Blades Help in clearing Snow Since the blades are already elevated, it’s easier to get the ice off the windshield. You won’t have to slowly coax away frozen rubber, or be worried that you’ll nick a blade during the process. A little saved time can add up, especially when it’s your busiest morning of the week.
Because this approach is so convenient, it’s something a lot of drivers use to prepare for the snow before they’re even aware that the storm is coming. A few seconds devoted to propping the wipers up for people generally seems a lot less difficult than wrestling with snow and ice on them. That’s not too much of a fuss and goes a long way in reassuring someone about their driving experience.
4. Automotive Experts Who Support Lifting Wipers
According to some car enthusiasts, lifting the wiper blades can help out during the winter under particular conditions. These individuals acknowledge that wipers that have frozen can cause real issues and keeping the rubber from binding can potentially spare the car’s windshield from preventable damage. This is particularly seen as a beneficial measure in areas that commonly experience cold temperatures and heavy snow.
Expert Views on Wiper Protection:
- Support for winter preparation
- Reduced blade damage risks
- Protection against freezing issues
- Helpful cold weather practice
- Preventive vehicle care approach
However, Brian Smith, who serves as a territory sales manager at Bosch Mobility Aftermarket, has advocated the method of lifting wiper blades when the weather is cold. Smith mentioned that an older or nearly end-of-life blade will be more prone to tear if they freeze to the windshield. Smith’s views are supported by vehicle experts around the globe who argue that keeping the frozen rubber from the windshield can prevent short-term damage to the blade.
Drivers who frequently contend with severe winter conditions will likely see expert assistance reinforces the notion that raising windshield wipers has potential benefits. Making a slight effort to save a critical vehicle component can, at least, help make icy mornings just a little more bearable. While most technicians agree there is some value in the practice, they caution that some potential risks can be associated with raising your wipers carelessly.
5. The Hidden Stress on Wiper Arm Springs
Although turning the wipers up will prevent them from freezing up and becoming damaged in icy weather conditions, other automotive experts have noted an additional concern that lifting wipers can contribute to. Within each wiper arm there is an actual tension spring, which is in place to press the wiper blades down against the windshield. This pressure helps the wipers clear water, snow and grime to maintain safe and clear visibility while you are driving.
Possible Spring Stress Concerns:
- Wiper arm tension changes
- Long-term spring pressure effects
- Reduced wiping performance risks
- Uneven blade contact issues
- Visibility problems during storms
When the wiper arms are raised away from the glass, the spring inside will be stretched in a way that was not designed for the springs to be held indefinitely. Extending the wipers and keeping them out in the cold for a few hours or days of a winter could slowly have an effect on the strength of the springs, causing them to have less of a push down onto the windshield when placed back down.
Poor spring performance impacts how well your wipers work and the level of pressure your wiper blades can apply to the windshield. When a spring is weakened, you can notice the wiper blades chattering, leaving streaks on your windshield, or not clearing certain sections of glass. This visibility problem becomes even more crucial in foul weather conditions where people often rely on the windshield’s clarity as they drive through snow, rain, and ice.
6. The Risk of Wind Damage and Cracked Windshields
Perhaps the greatest fear from automotive specialists of driving a car and not to turn off wipers from windshield (in other words, not to put in service mode) on the winter is the threat of breaking due to wind strong winds. Left vertically, they are very unprotected against strong winds. And if the gust of wind and gets to raised by an arm with a squeegee, a stronger than anticipated speed can force to be back on the windshield that many drivers simply not considered.
Wind-Related Damage Risks:
- Strong gust impact concerns
- Possible windshield cracking issues
- Increased winter weather exposure
- Expensive repair possibilities
- Unpredictable storm damage risks
However, the danger could be amplified in seriously cold temperatures because cold temperatures could soften and increase the chances for the glass to fracture. If a lift of a metal wiper can hit a frozen windshield with sufficient force, it is possible to have a chip, or even a cracked windshield, in your hands. You could do it just trying to keep you wiper blades safe, and have a big repair job on your hands instead.
While rare, that’s a risk that explains why many professionals advise against it. Replacing or repairing a windshield is likely to be a much bigger expense than replacing a broken wiper blade. And for those living in parts of the country with high winds, lots of storms or volatile winters, that sort of risk might easily cancel out any perceived upside of keeping the wipers up.
7. Experts Warn Against Leaving Wipers Raised Too Often
The debate about this habit during the winter is due to the valid points of each argument. Opponents bring up freezing blades and damage while defenders discuss not needing to worry about broken parts. However, the concern is not in lifting the wiper blades from time to time, but in raising them and letting them rest in that position for extended times.
Concerns About Frequent Use:
- Long-term spring pressure effects
- Reduced blade performance risks
- Excessive habit concerns
- Wiper system maintenance issues
- Balanced winter preparation approach
Kristine D’Arbelles, a senior director at the Canadian Automobile Association, cautions that this practice can weaken the spring mechanism inside wiper blades. After time, if you routinely leave your blades elevated, they won’t put much pressure against the windshield, and you could experience less effective wiping in nasty weather.
Although the experts that we’ve quoted can see the upside of raising the wipers there are still concerns that over-doing it could potentially cause a few problems. Brian Smith is the one who has hinted that springs could have an issue if wiper arms are left up for too long too often.
8. Finding the Right Balance Between Protection and Risk
The wiper lifting debate has less to do with whether it’s entirely right or wrong, and more to do with what conditions when lifting your wipers can actually help and when another tactic may be more beneficial and safe. The environment, vehicle model and driver’s personal driving habits all factor into the decisions of lifting your wipers and drivers have multiple things to think about before committing.
Balancing Winter Wiper Use:
- Weather condition consideration
- Temporary protection benefits
- Vehicle design factors
- Avoiding unnecessary risks
- Practical winter maintenance approach
If your car is stuck dealing with serious snowfall overnight and frigid temperatures, lifting your blades can be extremely helpful. Not only does this method help stop the annoying battle of pulling the rubber right off the glass when you drive off but it can also avoid damage to your wipers soon after you leave. In cases of heavy winter precipitation, the benefits of this tactic may exceed the negatives.
Just remember to factor in how long the wipers have been left up in their positions and the type of weather forecast. Leaving the wipers elevated in this manner for days on end through persistent gales or storms will create unnecessary stress on the mechanism. Strike a balance and reap the benefits without adding your own unwanted complications.
9. Safer Winter Practices for Protecting Wipers
There are numerous things a driver can do to keep their wiper blades protected that go beyond merely lifting them during the harsh winter months. Taking a moment or two before driving off will stop many of the everyday wiper problems that often arise during extreme cold and low temperatures.
Winter Wiper Protection Tips:
- Check frozen blades first
- Remove ice carefully
- Avoid heavy snow pressure
- Maintain older wiper blades
- Reduce system strain
This includes brushing away snow and ice gently in the first place. Do not use the wiper system to try and take off heavy amounts of snow the motor is simply not built for the pressure involved, nor the wiper blades. Manually brush off your windshield prior to trying to use the wipers.
Proper upkeep is also a key part of getting your car ready for the cold. The older the wiper blades are, the more susceptible they’ll be to freezing temperatures and damage that causes cracks, tears, or loss of pliability. Replacing wiper blades can give you greater confidence when you encounter harsh conditions whether you opt to leave them on your car or lift them before a snowstorm.
10. Making the Best Choice for Your Winter Driving Routine
Whether to lift the wiper blades during the winter all comes down to the preferences of the driver, weather in the local area and their specific driving circumstances. For some, lifting the wiper blades prior to a snowfall simply provides an additional benefit, along with the fact that it makes a person less likely to deal with some of the typical freezing concerns that they may face otherwise. Other, though, find that the possibility of a problem to the wiper system and the windshield outweigh some of the benefits.
Choosing The Right Approach:
- Consider local weather conditions
- Understand possible wiper risks
- Evaluate personal driving needs
- Follow careful winter preparation
- Protect vehicle performance
Above all, it’s essential to understand the risks and rewards of this technique. Raising the wipers will help protect them from freezing and ease snow clearing efforts. On the other hand, keeping them in this elevated position for an extended period may weaken the spring’s strength, resulting in added exposure problems. Ultimately, as with much of vehicle care, the optimal approach varies depending on the context.
We all know winter driving can already be tricky due to ice, snow, and reduced visibility. Being thoughtful with your windshield care could potentially help avoid unneeded issues, and give you smoother morning commutes during these months. Either lifting your blades or having them set against your windshield can help your car out this season.
