# Wiper blades up or down



## hammer (Feb 1, 2011)

Seeing all of the cars in the parking lot with their wiper blades up had me thinking...do you put yours up when it snows or do you just leave them down?


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## Grassi21 (Feb 1, 2011)

Up


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## WJenness (Feb 1, 2011)

up, only so they don't freeze to the windshield...

Had it happen once and it was a bitch.

-w


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## gmcunni (Feb 1, 2011)

depends on the storm.. mine are up right now. expecting some ice so it will be easier to clean.


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## Glenn (Feb 1, 2011)

Down. I've never had them freeze while at work. 

I had to send out the "all users" message today about closing early. I said that anyone who backed in and put their wipers up, owes me 10 raffle tickes to next year's Christmas raffle. If you just put the wipers up, it's only a 5 ticket charge. :razz:


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## bvibert (Feb 1, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> depends on the storm.. mine are up right now. expecting some ice so it will be easier to clean.



Same here.  Only for when icing is expected, if it's just snow they stay down so I don't look like a dweeb...


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## drjeff (Feb 1, 2011)

I checked in with a ice dependent up


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## o3jeff (Feb 1, 2011)

I have mine up today.


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## wa-loaf (Feb 1, 2011)

I park in a garage home and at work, so down is the answer.


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## jaywbigred (Feb 1, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> depends on the storm.. mine are up right now. expecting some ice so it will be easier to clean.





bvibert said:


> Same here.  Only for when icing is expected, if it's just snow they stay down so I don't look like a dweeb...



What they said.

They are up today, but not always! Poll needs 3rd option!


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## RootDKJ (Feb 1, 2011)

Down, with a liberal coat of deicer.


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## o3jeff (Feb 1, 2011)

Anyone else using those new fancy new types without the metal frames? I got some Goodyear ones, they don't seem to freeze up as bad driving, but they did still freeze up some this morning.


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## bvibert (Feb 1, 2011)

jaywbigred said:


> Poll needs 3rd option!



That's why I didn't vote.


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## Warp Daddy (Feb 1, 2011)

Down they are garaged , but if we're traveling i have a windshield nylon tarp in both vehicles that i use for icing conditions only


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## Glenn (Feb 1, 2011)

o3jeff said:


> Anyone else using those new fancy new types without the metal frames? I got some Goodyear ones, they don't seem to freeze up as bad driving, but they did still freeze up some this morning.



Bosch Icons here. I love them. They work great year round. A little spendy, but a small price to be able to see where you're going.


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## snowmonster (Feb 1, 2011)

Keep your tips up.


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## ERJ-145CA (Feb 1, 2011)

I chose down.  I tried the wipers up thing a couple of times and it didn't seem to make a difference in the ease of cleaning the windshield.  Even in ice I'll usually start the car and have the defroster on full blast while I clean the rest of the car.  By the time I get to the windshield the wipers aren't frozen to it anymore.


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## abc (Feb 1, 2011)

Up if I remember to. 

To clean the windshield, the wiper need to be pulled up just for that anyway. So why not leave it up to start with?  It might just make life a lot easier if it happen to be ice falling. 

There's no downside to leaving it up. Only reason for not doing so is forgetfulness.


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## skidmarks (Feb 1, 2011)

Down! I move them up when I start cleaning the windshield. I do overnight in my garage.


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## billski (Feb 1, 2011)

Prefer up, since pulling them up while still iced can damage the blade rubber.
My Audi however does not allow that, except in service mode.


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## mlctvt (Feb 1, 2011)

Down. 
My Subaru Legacy has de-icer coils under the wipers and it takes less than a minute to de-ice them once you hit the switch. 

The car was covered in ice after work today took a few minutes to get it off all of the windows.


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## Greg (Feb 2, 2011)

o3jeff said:


> I have mine up today.



+1


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## ctenidae (Feb 2, 2011)

Mine are up only if I talk dirty to them.

Garages at home and work, but never put them up, anyway, even street parking in Boston. Like others have said, don't see the advantage, and the heater takes care of it by the time I get to the windshield. Useful, I suppose, for those people who do the bare minimum of car leaning, though- I can see how saving a few seconds is useful when you're trying to minimize the time spent clearing off your car. In which case it should be a 30 raffle ticket charge.


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## Glenn (Feb 2, 2011)

I'm living on the edge. It's icing out and my wipers are down. Take that!!!


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## deadheadskier (Feb 2, 2011)

Up - one less thing to clean.


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## dmc (Feb 2, 2011)

up so they don't get frozen into the well they sit in..


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## jaywbigred (Feb 2, 2011)

bvibert said:


> That's why I didn't vote.



Me too!


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## Johnskiismore (Feb 3, 2011)

Up, much easier to clean the windshield and break ice off the blades


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## ZYDECORICH (Feb 3, 2011)

up.. and then sometimes i'll stuff a couple rags in the wells so that their clean, unless there is ice expected then I don't use the rags.


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## caddis (Feb 9, 2011)

I leave them up so after a big dump it gives me better odds of finding which truck is mine.


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## Bumpsis (Feb 9, 2011)

Down, mainly beause I'm concerned about spring fatigue in the wiper arm. If the spring gets weaker due to being streached (arm up) for hours at a  time, I'd think that the whole wiper arm may thus exert less pressure on the wiper blade against the window. 
Then, regardless of the actual state of the wiper, I'll be getting less than optimal wiper action.

This is all speculation, but I just don't think that wipers were designed to be in up postion for long. 

Besides, getting the ice and snow cleared out is not really such a big deal. Just warm up the car and blast the defrost.


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## bigbog (Feb 9, 2011)

Another helpful part of the survival act is to have some HD-40 along, to spray on the wiper arm's springs.  Once the glass is warm you're ok.  What I really would like to find is a battery-driven heat gun...has to be one/some out there.


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## dmc (Feb 9, 2011)

Bumpsis said:


> Down, mainly beause I'm concerned about spring fatigue in the wiper arm. If the spring gets weaker due to being streached (arm up) for hours at a  time, I'd think that the whole wiper arm may thus exert less pressure on the wiper blade against the window.



Spring fatigue...
wow... thats a new one..


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## jrmagic (Feb 10, 2011)

bigbog said:


> Another helpful part of the survival act is to have some HD-40 along, to spray on the wiper arm's springs.  Once the glass is warm you're ok.  What I really would like to find is a battery-driven heat gun...has to be one/some out there.




I've never seen a battery one. I think you would need to convert too much energy for them to be of much use but there is or at least was a butane gun you could get which doesn't need a cord.

As for the OT mine go up on the occasion I remember. I tihnk this seaosn they have been up once


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## billski (Feb 10, 2011)

bigbog said:


> What I really would like to find is a battery-driven heat gun...has to be one/some out there.


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