MY and the Winter

[Mmackinnon]

So today was the first day of snow here in northern AZ.

Couple of questions came to mind.


1) Does everyone else think the auto for the wipers is all over the place? In the snow it was fast as hell for a bit when there was little coming down and then when i could barely see out of the window it was not wiping at all.... anyone else have these issues? What do you suggest besides manual? (while my ford raptor auto wipers was not perfect it was much better than this)

2) Like most people when i know it will snow or get below zero I usually lift the wipers off the windshield. I noticed with the Y you cannot do that even in maintenance mode they do not seem to lift off (or i didnt pull them back hard enough out of fear?). What do others do? I worry if they are on auto and i get in with them frozen to the window it will destroy them.

3) This being the first day of snow I noticed my read window heater element was not working at all. So i added that to the repair list.

Love any input!

 

[jcanoe]

In years past when I would park my vehicles outdoors and there was a possibility of snow and ice I used a fabric windshield cover that tucked inside the front doors. For the Tesla vehicle the wiper blades would have to be set to maintenance mode so the windshield cover could be installed underneath the wiper blades. When you need to drive the cover could be easily removed, shaken free of any snow or ice build up; the wipe blades would need to be cleaned by hand of any ice built up. Then I moved to a home that has a garage.

To tame the Auto wipes sometimes I will manually turn the wipers off and back on; I use the voice commands such as: "Set Wipers to Low" and "Set Wipers to Medium."

 

[Snow Drift]

1) the wipers are finicky. Some times they work perfect. Other times they are spastic. Overall I feel like Auto does a good job.

2) Nothing. It will be fine. Just clean them off if covered by snow or frozen. Run the defogger on heat (Red) to warm the blades. It’s annoying, I agree.

3) When you turned on the rear defroster was the icon Red? If not, you may have turned on the front defogger which will turn Blue or Red, depending on how much you click it.

 

[Mmackinnon]

hey

I had the rear one on for 45 min and touched the window in the back no warmth or change in fogging

• 1) the wipers are finicky. Some times they work perfect. Other times they are spastic. Overall I feel like Auto does a good job.

2) Nothing. It will be fine. Just clean them off if covered by snow or frozen. Run the defogger on heat (Red) to warm the blades. It’s annoying, I agree.

3) When you turned on the rear defroster was the icon Red? If not, you may have turned on the front defogger which will turn Blue or Red, depending on how much you click it.

 

[Koolio46]

I also just noticed number 2 the other day. So I guess the writers can’t be lifted off the windshield?

 

[Snow Drift]

hey

I had the rear one on for 45 min and touched the window in the back no warmth or change in fogging

It turns off after 15 minutes. Maybe try it again?

 

[Snow Drift]

I also just noticed number 2 the other day. So I guess the writers can’t be lifted off the windshield?

They can only lift a little as they will hit the hood. You have to put them in Service Mode to lift, but even then, they won't stay up.

 

[Koolio46]

They can only lift a little as they will hit the hood. You have to put them in Service Mode to lift, but even then, they won't stay up.

I put them in service mode and was only able to lift the driver side up about an inch....

 

[bchan911]

Just a word of caution. Tesla wipers don't act like regular ICE cars and are not designed to "bend" upwards. Doing so can cause damage to the wipers. So be careful. Lift them up only as much as you need to clean them of debris.

The recommendation for defrosting your blades if anticipating snow or ice buildup is to put them into wiper service mode prior to exiting the vehicle and using the windshield defrost prior to departure.

I've included excerpts from the manual below...

Happy defrosting!

 

[Snow Drift]

I put them in service mode and was only able to lift the driver side up about an inch....

Right, it is only designed for changing the blades. They will not stay in the up position.

I understand what you want to do. I do it on my Subaru to prevent the blade rubber from freezing to the glass and warping. Unfortunately, Tesla is from sunny California and doesn't think these nuances are important.

In 2 years of using the OEM blades (granted we park in a garage), we didn't have any issue with the blades warping, tearing or anything.

 

[Koolio46]

Right, it is only designed for changing the blades. They will not stay in the up position.

I understand what you want to do. I do it on my Subaru to prevent the blade rubber from freezing to the glass and warping. Unfortunately, Tesla is from sunny California and doesn't think these nuances are important.

In 2 years of using the OEM blades (granted we park in a garage), we didn't have any issue with the blades warping, tearing or anything.

Gotcha. So it was designed that way lol.

 

[mark95476]

Preheat your car remotely while you're getting ready. It'll melt the ice and snow from your windows.

Teslas have been sold all over the world for more a decade now. Whatever issue you have, it's not like you're the first person in the entire world to experience it. It's likely Tesla has thought about it and has a solution.