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Fixing wiper issue with snow

dyeager535

dyeager535

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Does anyone else experience the problems I do when snowing where the snow piles up in the middle bottom of the windshield, eventually to the point the wipers don't work anymore because the snow won't allow them to complete their travel?

I looked at the defrost vents and the closest are the drivers, and they do not provide any direct heat to that area.

I'm running wiper blades that are about an 1" longer than stock, is there any chance that contributes to the issue? It is right where the passenger wiper "dumps", with shorter blades where the passenger wiper dumps perhaps the drivers wiper wouldn't touch it. I know I'm not the only one who is running the longer wiper blades, perhaps I'm not the only one with this issue.

We don't deal with snow much out here, but the two times I have, it's been a pain. When on the freeway, it's downright dangerous.
 
dyeager535 said:
Does anyone else experience the problems I do when snowing where the snow piles up in the middle bottom of the windshield, eventually to the point the wipers don't work anymore because the snow won't allow them to complete their travel?

I looked at the defrost vents and the closest are the drivers, and they do not provide any direct heat to that area.

I'm running wiper blades that are about an 1" longer than stock, is there any chance that contributes to the issue? It is right where the passenger wiper "dumps", with shorter blades where the passenger wiper dumps perhaps the drivers wiper wouldn't touch it. I know I'm not the only one who is running the longer wiper blades, perhaps I'm not the only one with this issue.

We don't deal with snow much out here, but the two times I have, it's been a pain. When on the freeway, it's downright dangerous.
Click to expand...


Best thing to do would be to get your defrost working. Since the blend doors are all vacuum controlled, start looking for loose/missing vacuum hoses and check out the control assembly.
 
All my defrost stuff works great, and i have this issue.

I have always thought to spray PAM or something across the vent cowl, to see if the snow would stop piling up.

Besides that, i have no ideas, and want to hear what others say
 
that happened to me last year,I plan on laying a towel over the vents and hold it on with magnets to keep it out.other wise get a heat gun to melt it when it does happen
 
Kain said:
that happened to me last year,I plan on laying a towel over the vents and hold it on with magnets to keep it out.other wise get a heat gun to melt it when it does happen
Click to expand...

My issue is that the snow piles up, and doesn't allow the wipers to continue to be effective. There is no where for them to push the snow to.

Not sure what you are talking about covering the vents in this area. This wouldn't help my issue at all.
 
Yeah, my defrost works fine, I don't have AC. The vents may not be the real problem, when it's cold out I'm not sure they are hot enough to keep the windshield ice free when it starts to get into the 20's, but look where the vents dump...they hit the windshield about in the middle of the wiper blades when they are at rest, this problem happens almost dead center of the windshield at the base, where the vents provide almost no heat due to where they are placed.

Anyone else that has had this problem, do you have the stock length wipers, or have you gone with the longer ones? I tend to think the smaller wipers would pick up less snow per swipe, which might leave less of a pile at the base, and a shorter drivers blade might be less likely to hang up on it. I've always wondered why they spec'd a blade as short as they did, when longer ones easily fit.

Only solution I can think of that MIGHT work, would be something like the handlebar heaters I bought for another project. Same idea as the defroster grids, just laminated in plastic. I think it would be ugly, but I can't think of a way to make the truck work as-is. Thermostat is 195*, has no problem staying at temp, but the vent outlet heat IMO could be hotter.

Which also makes me think about the heater core...IIRC there was a discovery that some newer heater cores for our trucks are substantially less effective than the original cores. Wonder if that could be part of the problem. I don't have any temp/comfort problem internal to the truck in cold weather (it's got the HD heater setup), just the windshield.
 
Think a cowl induction hood would help? Not one that fits perfectly over the air intake but lets the engine heat out.
 
jc whitney use to sell a front window defroster for jeeps. looks like a rear window defroster only it has 2 or 3 strips for the bottom of the windshield instead of covering the whole thing. worked good on a wrangler i used to own.
 
Happens to me every time it snows. Here's what I do:
I've used rain x in the past on the window and it helps a bit.
Park facing downhill to try and reduce what collects.
Heated windshield washer jets.
Only run wipers when driving to try and get it to blow off.


Take a look at the tacky aisles at the auto parts store or on JC Whitney and get a supplemental defroster. I had one on my CJ years ago and it helped.
 
An old plow truck drivers trick was to put some rubber or wood wedges (or books of matches back in the day!)--under the rear of the hood where it meets the cowl,so it would leave a gap ,and allow hot air from the engine compartment to blow onto the bottom of the windshield..

You might try some Rain-X stuff,that may prevent the snow from freezing to the glass--on the cowl a good coat of wax helps a lot...

My G-10 van had the best heater out of any GM vehicle I owned,it had a "heavy duty heater" on the options list...but looking up a heater core for it,I only saw 2 choices,with or without A/C...I did notice the blower motor on it has the longer cased permanent magnet type ,with a vent pipe on the housing like many A/C equipped vehicles had VS the usual brush style motor...it revs a lot higher than the one in my '82 pickup does...
 
I have that problem on the Frankenliner. I keep a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol to spray on the pile up. Dissipates it quickly. Don't have the issue on the Blazer or the Jimmy.
 
I'd love to help, but I have no idea what the heck you people are talking about.........:dunno::D
 
This is not a good photo of the actual problem (nor my truck), but I at least can illustrate where the problem happens, thin red circled area:

picture.php


Snow piles up right where I circled, *on the windshield only* because the passenger wiper dumps and the drivers wiper picks up the snow that the passenger wiper dumped. It then piles up right at the end of the drivers wiper, eventually enough that the wipers won't work anymore. Can't easily be reached on my truck, and again, when going down the freeway with bad visibility, not really the time to pull over and start screwing with it.

Wipers that opened out from the center (dumping at each pillar) would not have the same issue.
 
The best solution i've come up with in my head is the heated washer fluid systems.

But, thats $100 i dont' really need to spend.
 
It would have to be HOT to melt that ice off, but I'm sure with enough fluid it would work.

I don't get much chance to deal with snow, but one of those lower window defrosters would be pretty cheap and easy to test...if you had snow. IMO the window would have to get quite hot to keep up with a good volume of snow. Something along these lines...it would be better if they were not quite so tall, but I guess one wouldn't be TOO obtrusive at the base of the window http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-A...Parts_Accessories&hash=item566bed0140&vxp=mtr
 
Had some really wet heavy snow this last weekend, snow would cover up the headlights but had no issue like you are describing. My defrost barely works, and I was worried that it was going to be an issue, but with wipers on high, never had a problem.

Do you have a bug visor or visor above the windshield? I had a bug visor for awhile, and it sucked for winter driving,winshield was always dirtier, and the side windows would get to where you couldnt see through them really quick. Removed visor, problems gone.
 
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