Auto Wipers disabled in cold weather?

[plisken]

My previous can had auto wipers and in cold weather, below 3degC or something, if previously left on auto, they would not wipe when starting the car until they were manually operated. This was naturally to prevent possible damage should they become stuck to the windscreen. A neat feature I had forgotten about, well until a couple of days ago, it dropped to around that same temperature in my new car, same brand (not a Tesla) and to my astonishment they started up as soon as I started the car and ripped the rubber completely off one of the wiper blades. Now to be fair this car doesn't have auto wipers and I had left it in intermittent mode or whatever, but regardless...

So, my question is, does the M3 deal with such things in the way my older car did or???

Thanks

 

[M109Rider]

The wipers will try to come on even if they are frozen to the windows.
You need to leave them off, when there is a risk like that.

 

[MrBadger]

There have been a number of winter changes made over the life of the Model 3. Early ones that we benefitted straight out the box here in UK is dropping the windows fractionally when it gets cold (I think around 4C) which can help reduce the occurrences (but not eliminate) of doors getting stuck - Gummi Pfledge aslo helps a bit. So the car can handle temperature drops in a very basic way - note the above only occurs when returning from a drive and temp below around 4C, so if its warmer at end of drive or car left sitting, no action and you will end up with potentially stuck windows. I think a recent change may be to stop wing mirrors auto folding. But I am not aware of anything to do with windscreen wipers. What I have done is put wipers into maintence mode when leaving prior to a freeze which raises them up the screen which will hopefully defrost quicker from air vents if preconditioning. Other winter tips in the manual, such as WD 40 on the door handles - another item that can freeze solid and may need a 'punch' to free up.

 

[SR-Plus]

I guess you would de-ice the windscreen before jumping in the car and turning the car on? OOORRRRRRRRR use the heat the cabin from the app 10 mins before your journey!?

 

[Peter 224]

I have started pre-warming the car before getting in.
Yes, it uses a bit of power, but the delight...
I assume that by doing this the wipers will not be frozen to the screen.
Time will tell!!

 

[MrBadger]

I assume that by doing this the wipers will not be frozen to the screen.

I found that they benefit greatly by putting them in maintenance more the night before a freeze - they normally sit quite low right at the bottom of screen - much better airflow further up the screen where maintenance mode will position them.

Windscreen is least of your worries if you can't even get inside due to door rubber or handles frozen. Spoiler alert - 10 minutes pre condition wont sort that and most energy used will come from peak electricity if plugged in. If frozen, before opening a door, make sure that the window drops to clear the trim. I think newer MiC cars might have a heated charge port - one less thing to worry about if it is effective. Hopefully that also allows a frozen charge port to close - occasionally they will stick open.

We find damp nights with a sudden freeze to be the worse - the water droplets get everywhere (including in the door handles) then freeze the surfaces like glue. Our climate in UK is damper than many other locations - so we get freezing damp where as many other countries just get dryer freezing conditions and do not suffer quite the same.

 

[Js1977]

Heavy frost, give it 15-20 mins pre-heat to defrost in the morning. Disable mirrors from folding in and last but not least you will have to throw some warm/tepid water on the headlights if its dark when you leave since the frost has now left a diffuser layer that will render them useless and it won't get any better since unlike halogens or hid's, they won't get warm as to defrost.

 

[init6]

Mine survived last year's winter without frozen wipers, doors, etc. You'll likely be fine.

 

[Js1977]

Mine survived last year's winter without frozen wipers, doors, etc. You'll likely be fine.

Wow... I wish I could say the same. Makes me want to move up North now

 

[init6]

Wow... I wish I could say the same. Makes me want to move up North now

Lots of different climates in the UK. I bought Gummi Pfledge in anticipation of cold winters, esp when folks down South were experiencing frozen windows. I didn't get a chance to use it and none of my Windows froze despite my tardiness. Maybe the difference in temp day/night isn't that extreme.

 

[Js1977]

Lots of different climates in the UK. I bought Gummi Pfledge in anticipation of cold winters, esp when folks down South were experiencing frozen windows. I didn't get a chance to use it and none of my Windows froze despite my tardiness. Maybe the difference in temp day/night isn't that extreme.

I get you. Its the same as 30 degrees here is hotter than 30 degrees in spain for example due to less moist in the air. Furthest North Ive ever been in the world was Newcastle hence please excuse my lack of knowledge

 

[Adopado]

Mine survived last year's winter without frozen wipers, doors, etc. You'll likely be fine.

Also depends if you routinely need to leave early in the morning. If it’s mid morning by the time you’re driving it can make all the difference. WD40 in the door handle mechanism works well. In the past 2 winters I think I only had one morning when I had to really thump the handle but after using the WD I haven’t had to do that.

 

[plisken]

Disappointing reading some of the real answers in here, kind of hoped it would be better equipped, definitely thought it would have inhibited the auto wipe for sure.

I'm a developer and systems engineer by day (won't say what I do at night) but I can think of so many software, as in OTA tweaks that would help in cold weather, maybe I'll drop Elon an email

I suppose a serious question would be, how is the actual heater, how hot is the actual air from the vents?

 

[MrBadger]

If the in car thermometer is anything to go by (its pretty close to the air flow as the moment you turn heating off the recorded temperature drops back to real ambient temperatures) its just under 30C. At peak defrost, the non heat pump cars draw around 13kW, most from the charge point if connected. Unfortunately, there is a lot of thermal mass to heat, including the batteries, so not all going to cabin comfort. In fact, if you stop preheating too early, cabin temperature drops off rapidly so the nice and toasty looking high 20's that the car interior is reporting whilst pre conditioning, is down to low figures by the time you go to sit in it. But the screen will clear pretty quick in most conditions, just not when its full of snow!

 

[Katic1972]

Heated wiper blades would be a nice addition. Doesn’t polestar have them? Living north of the haggis and heart her line we do get regular frosts in winter. I have had a friend whose wipers froze (non Tesla, I think Nissan) solidly to the windscreen (as I’m sure most have up here) but their girlfriend tried to turn on the wipers repeatedly and their wiper motor stopped working (not sure if it fused or if the motor died).

 

[init6]

It's not really a problem. As others have said if it's cold enough to freeze the wipers to the glass then it's cold enough to freeze your bahookey. You'll be preheating the car before you get in and before the wipers are even started.
I'll need to test this, but I'm pretty sure the auto wipers don't come on until you're in drive. Almost certain that's what happened to me on Thursday when the rain was heavy. Will do more tests and report back - assuming it rains again

 

[init6]

Just had a chance to check. Sat in the car while it was raining and windscreen totally soaked. Wipers didn't come on even though the blowers started when I got in the car. Entered my PIN - still the wipers didn't come on. Went into drive and the wipers started to wipe. I waited for a good 4 or 5 minutes before I put it into drive, so I don't think it's a timing thing.

 

[MrT3]

Heated wiper blades would be a nice addition. Doesn’t polestar have them?

No, you get heated washer nozzles with one of the option packs but there was a lot of noise from owners who's vehicles turned up without heated wiper blades when the brochures stated it was included. The literature was then updated to remove reference to them.

 

[Nick77]

That's good as you don't want the wipers trying to wipe as soon as you get in the car if you haven't defrosted it enough yet.

 

[Adopado]

Heated wiper blades would be a nice addition. Doesn’t polestar have them? Living north of the haggis and heart her line we do get regular frosts in winter. I have had a friend whose wipers froze (non Tesla, I think Nissan) solidly to the windscreen (as I’m sure most have up here) but their girlfriend tried to turn on the wipers repeatedly and their wiper motor stopped working (not sure if it fused or if the motor died).

I've been through 2 previous winters with my Model 3 and never had a problem with wipers if pre-heating the car. Burning out wiper motors due to wiper frozen to the screen has been a thing ever since wipers were on cars ... having said that ... in my long driving history I have had plenty of times when the wipers have been frozen but I've never managed to actually blow a fuse or burn out a motor as a result. (And there have been no such reports of this happening to a Tesla on the UK/Ireland forum.)