Windshield wipers and de-icing

[agileone]

About de-icing / defrosting :

Anyone experienced defrosting the windshield and/or the rear window ? How efficient is it ?

 

[ToddRLockwood]

Also, it's critical to remember to turn off the wipers when exiting the car. Otherwise you could be looking at a blown fuse or burned out wiper motor if the wipers try to start up again when they're frozen to the windshield.

I believe this could be fixed with a software addition which deactivates the wipers when you exit the car, and upon re-entry, requires that you turn the wiper switch OFF and then back ON again to re-activate them. This would also prevent the classic wiper waterfall into the interior on re-entry if the windshield is wet.

As for the wiper park position - a possible fix, provided the hardware will allow it, is a software addition that offers two different wiper parking positions: Normal (behind the bonnet) and Winter (just above the bonnet).

 

[NigelM]

I believe this could be accomplished with a software addition which deactivates the wipers when you exit the car if the outside temp is 35F or less. Turning them on again would require the driver to turn the wiper control to off and then back on again. The same feature could be used if rain is detected on the windshield when exiting the car. This would prevent the classic wiper waterfall into the interior on re-entry.

Good news is that waterfall doesn't hit the interior, bad news is that it gets the driver just as you touch the door handle.

 

[Doug_G]

Good news is that waterfall doesn't hit the interior, bad news is that it gets the driver just as you touch the door handle.

That sounds almost comical... hopefully the next software update will resolve it.

 

[NigelM]

That sounds almost comical...

I was at the mall and waited till it stopped raining, then walked over to my car. Tapped the drivers door handle and swoosh....got the waterfall in my face. Comical now. Wasn't then.

 

[Nikoli]

In countries that are right hand drive it will be the passenger getting the waterfall.

 

[cinergi]

Good news is that waterfall doesn't hit the interior, bad news is that it gets the driver just as you touch the door handle.

Oh, it'll hit the interior. I got my door open and I was on the way into the car when mine decided to wipe. All over me, the door, and inside of the car. I suspect they'll change this behavior in a future update.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

Just what I was thinking. Would be cool if Tesla implemented a fix/workaround through a software option to place the the wipers in something like 'freeze prevention' mode when parking, with the software quickly jogging the wipers up before powering down the vehicle. I think that sort of thing would go over very well and could be billed as another cool feature of the S.

Come to think of it, they could just fix it by making the wiper's default power-down position slightly raised in order to clear the frunk lip.

Looking at the Model S Users Guide, it would appear from the illustration that it's possible to park the wipers midway into their stroke, although they don't explain how to do it.

By the way, for those considering a car cover I would think twice about it. Indoor car covers are great for long term storage when the cover and the car are perfectly clean. But if there is any dust or dirt on either one, it's a formula for scratching your nice finish. And while I'm on this thought, NEVER use a sponge to wash your car! Instead, use a wash mitt and launder the mitt after each use. (I suggest buying several of them. Just let them air-dry.) Use one of the new artificial chamois cloths to dry the car and launder it too! This is particularly important if your car is black. I've owned a couple of black Ferraris, and I can tell you from experience, you can't be too careful. By the way, touchless car washes are fine, but be careful about hand drying the car afterward. Those automatic washes rarely clean ALL the dirt off the car - another opportunity for scratches.

 

[NigelM]

Good points Todd. Also never launder your wash mitt or car cloths with fabric softener or bleach. Most of them are made with microfiber and fabric softener will make them hard, and you don't want any bleach residues anywhere near your paint job.

 

[mknox]

Looking at the Model S Users Guide, it would appear from the illustration that it's possible to park the wipers midway into their stroke, although they don't explain how to do it.

I think that might just be showing where the attachment point is. There was another thread where someone said that the Tesla Ranger even had a tough time wrestling the blade off of the arm because of the limited clearance to the hood. I looked at this last week at the Toronto store, and it is possible to lift the wiper partially off the glass (enough to unlatch the blade), but it is very tight. I wonder how it would be with the frunk lid open?

I think winter snow/ice is going to be a problem because the wipers are really tucked into a tight space there.

 

[Jeeps17]

I think winter snow/ice is going to be a problem because the wipers are really tucked into a tight space there.

+1 to that.

I looked at the wipers after doing my test drive in Florida, and if there is no way to stop the wipers mid-cycle, it will be a big issue in the winter.

It's not like an ICE car where you can shut off the engine mid-swing...

 

[ggr]

I wonder how it would be with the frunk lid open?

The driver's side (longer) one, having the frunk open helps a little by allowing it to lift further off the glass, but the frunk makes it awkward in a different way. The passenger side one angles differently, and opening the frunk doesn't seem to help, there still isn't much clearance.

 

[jerry33]

It's not like an ICE car where you can shut off the engine mid-swing...

Could you use the 17" display to shut down the car in mid-swing? I know there is control on the display to shut down the car, I don't know if you hit the button at the proper time if the wiper will just stop or if it will complete the cycle.

 

[Ceilidh]

Dawn dish soap diluted in a spray bottle. (Make sure you use one of the versions without bleach.). Melts ice.

I am assuming you either use polymer sealants instead of wax or perhaps are very careful to avoid your paint. Dawn is THE recommended soap if you want to remove your wax without paying a ton of $$ for a specialty auto product. It is talked about on over 50% of the car detailing pages I have read for the professional detailers.

Sounds like a great cheap way to defrost the windshield, but I would certainly worry about stripping my wax in the process (I layer wax over polymers).

Cheers.

 

[jkirkebo]

The usual way to position the wipers straight up in other cars (at least in VWs...) is to push the wiper stalk to "single wipe" after you've turned the car off. Have anyone tried this in the Model S (you'd have to get out of the seat first) ?