Change wiper blades

[jerry33]

Why would you want to change them ? This is included in the yearly service fee, if I understand correctly ? No extra cost for wiper blades, wiper fluid, cabin filters, brake pads/discs etc. ?

That assumes you are satisfied with the supplied wiper blades. No doubt some folks will want better ones to cope with winter conditions.

 

[tezco]

I was looking closely at the wipers, clearances etc. with both the frunk open and closed and do worry a bit about snow/ice build-up and the difficulties in being able to clean it out without lifting the wipers up.

I had the same concern since the wipers in my Audi can get trapped in an iceberg that forms in their hidey hole and it is impossible to get them freed up unless you pour hot water over the ice. Fortunately you can goose the wiper switch for just a second when you park and the blades will come up about 4", which is enough to allow cleaning out of their hidey hole when you are expecting a snow. In this position they also will not actuate when you get back in to start the car, so you can warm up the car without breaking the mechanisms, while you clean out the hidey hole.

The worst case scenario happens when the car is warm and unexpected falling snow turns to slush, slides down the windshield and then freezes over the wipers down in their hole during the night. Hot water works, but I always worry about cracking the windshield, so I start with cool water and work my way up to hot over several minutes.

I had some e-mail correspondence about this with Walter Franck when I got my S in November, and he wrote:

"The first solutions is the Smartphone app that will allow you to remotely precondition your Model S. Just turn on the defrosters 20-30 minutes prior to driving and any ice should be melted away.

The second solution is a software update that allows the windshield wipers to stop at a high position. This will allow you to extend them from the windshield to mitigate the potential of freezing. I don’t have an ETA on this software functionality yet, but it is something Tesla intends to add to the vehicles."

I sent him a photo of a 45 mile trip I took with the defrost in my Audi set on high. After driving for an hour the iceberg trapping the Audi wipers had only melted to the extent that there was a 1/8 inch slit next to the windshield, but the wipers were still inoperable, so I'm not too sure that option #1 will work in the same situation with the S.

 

[mknox]

That assumes you are satisfied with the supplied wiper blades. No doubt some folks will want better ones to cope with winter conditions.

Yes, I always put on winter blades at the same time I swap out my carpet floor mats for the winter rubber ones and put on the winter tires. I did look at the Model S wipers, and they slide off the end of the arms and so shouldn't be that difficult to change.

 

[jkirkebo]

Yes, I always put on winter blades at the same time I swap out my carpet floor mats for the winter rubber ones and put on the winter tires. I did look at the Model S wipers, and they slide off the end of the arms and so shouldn't be that difficult to change.

Weird. I live in Norway and have never heard of winter wiper blades. What is the difference ?

Maybe we always use the winter kind here, like we use the rubber mats all year....

 

[mknox]

Weird. I live in Norway and have never heard of winter wiper blades. What is the difference ?

Maybe we always use the winter kind here, like we use the rubber mats all year....

Here's an example of one style. The traditional winter wipers (like this one) have a rubberized boot over the wiper suspension mechanism to prevent snow and ice from jamming up the works. There are other styles now coming on to the market which are teflon coated and are often of a one-piece flex design with no springs or other mechanisms that can get clogged up.

Lots of people here use rubber floor mats all year too. I just don't like the look of them and in summer, put in my good carpet mats. I prefer WeatherTech winter floor liners.

 

[tezco]

I haven't heard many complaints about winter operations with the current standard blades. Maybe they will be OK in most situations. What's the skinny on the street?

 

[derekt75]

I had some e-mail correspondence about this with Walter Franck when I got my S in November, and he wrote:

"
...
The second solution is a software update that allows the windshield wipers to stop at a high position. This will allow you to extend them from the windshield to mitigate the potential of freezing. I don’t have an ETA on this software functionality yet, but it is something Tesla intends to add to the vehicles."

but even when stopped at a high position, the wipers will not extend from the windshield. It might be easier to unstick them when stopped high, but no software update will allow you to walk away from your car with the wipers away from your windshield.

 

[tezco]

but even when stopped at a high position, the wipers will not extend from the windshield. It might be easier to unstick them when stopped high, but no software update will allow you to walk away from your car with the wipers away from your windshield.

Yes, that would be even better, but would require a hinge in the wiper arm that was further from the rotation point. Of course the hood might be damaged if the wiper motor came on with that mod, while the blades were folded out.