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Design Flaw - wipers freeze up when driving in cold, wet conditions

33K views 121 replies 50 participants last post by  Doppleganger 
#1 · (Edited)
In addition to the issue with the remote start not defrosting this windshield, this morning I was "pleasantly" surprised to find myself suddenly driving with zero visibility when I tried to wash the salt from my windshield. I had to pull off the road - unable to see where I was going - to bang off my wipers.

I pre-heated the car for 10 minutes using remote start, but still had to clear the 1/2 inch of snow from the windshield before driving (because the remote start doesn't take care of the windshield). I banged all the snow & ice off the windshield wipers and turned them on & off to make sure they were wiping well. They were, so I pulled out and started heading to work. I kept the HVAC set to blow on the windsheild, with the temp set to "Hi" and the blower speed set to four bars. Note this - it was blasting the windshield pretty good with the maximum temperature setting.

After about 10 minutes at about 40 mph on a two-lane, it was time to wash the salt of the windshield. The sprayers covered the glass with juice and the wipers wiped, only they didn't remove anything! The wiper blades were frozen solid. I couldn't believe it. I had to pull over, unable to see where I was going, so that I could get out and bang the wiper blades.

It turns out that the wiper blades sit a few inches below the windsheild and do not benefit at all from the defroster. They are left in the cold, literally, and as such they freeze up when you're driving in these kinds of conditions. As a result, when you do need them, they do nothing.

I have a strong hunch that Chrysler engineers & marketing folks read this forum. I hope they do. If you're listening - this is going to get somebody killed. My guess is the wipers were tucked down low behind the trailing edge of the hood to help reduce drag and improve fuel economy. Well, fat lot of good fuel economy does when you can't see where you're going and you run head-on into a Brinks truck.
 
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#8 ·
The spider-type wiper blades do freeze up in the winter. That's just how they are. You'll need some winter blades (with a rubber boot over the spider) or just some beam-type ones (like the Bosch Icon).

I am a little annoyed that they sit so low that their resting position doesn't benefit from the defroster (neither is there any heating element there), but freezing up while driving is more a combination of the blade style and weather conditions than anything else.
 
#10 ·
I never had a problem with spider-type blades on my KJ Liberty. That's because on there the blades rested on the heated portion of the windshield. On the WK2, they do not. On my Tacoma, the blades sit low like they do on the WK2. Like the WK2, they do not benefit from the windshield defroster. I have been using beam-type blades on there for a few years (Bosch Icon) and have had them freeze up as well, but never like what happened to me this morning.
 
#13 ·
every car that I have owned/driven (from POS to luxury cars) has had the wipers freeze up on me when they are not use including today with my KK. If you want the problem fixed, buy winter blades.
As I mentioned above, it never happened once with my KJ Liberty, and I used nothing but spider blades on there. My tacoma has a similar design to the WK2 and it has had its blades freeze up a bit - even with beam-type blades - but nothing like this. The blades aren't the problem; the design is. The way the blades are tucked down behind the hood with no heating element means that cold air will swirl over the blades, freezing them. It doesn't matter what type of wiper arm is on there - the rubber blade, itself, is what froze.
 
#17 ·
Now that's a good idea for future design if any Jeep engineers read these threads. There's free heat right there, that just need proper venting toward the wiper rest zone.

But it won't help the current design. I use a beam type wiper (Reflex works well here) and use them periodically with washer fluid to keep them pliable.
 
#16 ·
The defroster won't thaw out the wiper blades super structure. Maybe the heat from a poorly sealed hood. That said a squirt or three from the washers and that may help. The real answer is a quality winter blade. The beam blades are really a 3+ season blade. No blade is a four season blade. Try being a hood ornament for 6 months and tell us how that works.
 
#18 · (Edited)
In addition to the issue with the remote start not defrosting this windshield, this morning I was "pleasantly" surprised to find myself suddenly driving with zero visibility when I tried to wash the salt from my windshield. I had to pull off the road - unable to see where I was going - to bang off my wipers.

I pre-heated the car for 10 minutes using remote start, but still had to clear the 1/2 inch of snow from the windshield before driving (because the remote start doesn't take care of the windshield). I banged all the snow & ice off the windshield wipers and turned them on & off to make sure they were wiping well. They were, so I pulled out and started heading to work. I kept the HVAC set to blow on the windsheild, with the temp set to "Hi" and the blower speed set to four bars. Note this - it was blasting the windshield pretty good with the maximum temperature setting.

After about 10 minutes at about 40 mph on a two-lane, it was time to wash the salt of the windshield. The sprayers covered the glass with juice and the wipers wiped, only they didn't remove anything! The wiper blades were frozen solid. I couldn't believe it. I had to pull over, unable to see where I was going, so that I could get out and bang the wiper blades.

It turns out that the wiper blades sit a few inches below the windsheild and do not benefit at all from the defroster. They are left in the cold, literally, and as such they freeze up when you're driving in these kinds of conditions. As a result, when you do need them, they do nothing.

I have a strong hunch that Chrysler engineers & marketing folks read this forum. I hope they do. If you're listening - this is going to get somebody killed. My guess is the wipers were tucked down low behind the trailing edge of the hood to help reduce drag and improve fuel economy. Well, fat lot of good fuel economy does when you can't see where you're going and you run head-on into a Brinks truck.
Can you elaborate on the spare tire clunk resolution (I remember your post about it, but never saw a follow-up with the solution)?

I haven't noticed it recently, but it sounds like that could be the answer to the noise I described here: http://www.jeepgarage.org/showthread.php?t=14939

Thanks in advance and good luck with your truck.
 
#19 ·
I've never seen a group of people before who complain about the most littlest things. Its bloody winter you guys? What do you seriously expect??? Buy winter blades if you are in a cold climate. It's as simple as that. I live in Canada, and I switch from a summer blade to a winter blade every year.

Stop whining, my god...The WK2 forum is starting to look like 4 year old kids.
 
#20 ·
I don't ever recall having a vehicle that had a defroster that could clear snow and ice from windshield and wipers. At least not in PA, upstate NY, New England, and CO. Is this really the objective?

If the rig has been outside for any time in snow and cold, the only real solution is first physically clearing the windshield and wipers of snow and ice, and then heating the windshield interior. We also either flip the wipers up off the glass, or lay down a cover if the vehicles are going to stay outside in the winter.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Where did I say it didn't clear snow and ice from the wipers? Where did I say that was what I was expecting it to do? I said that I manually cleared the snow & ice from the car. I removed it all. Immediately after doing so, I checked the wipers' functionality and they worked fine. Then after 10 minutes of driving the rubber blade, itself, had frozen up. Read that again - the rubber blade, itself. Not the metal arm. Not snow or ice covering the wipers. The rubber blade, itself, had frozen. Let me say it again - the rubber blade, itself, had frozen up after I had removed all of the snow and ice manually. One more time - the rubber blade, itself, had frozen when there was no snow or ice on the car to begin with. You getting it? The rubber blade, itself, is what froze.

Now, this is the third new car I've purchased in the past five years and it's the first where this happens. I had an '06 KJ liberty and the blades did not freeze because they rested on a portion of the windshield that received heat from the defroster. In the WK2, the blades rest where they receive no heat and as such are subject to freezing up as a result of the tiny bit of road spray that hits the car when you're driving. It's not enough to warrant running the wipers because it immediately sublimates from the heated windshield. But it does not sublimate or evaporate from where the wipers sit, because that area is not heated. After 10 minutes when the road salt has built up and you need to run the washers, you find that the rubber blades, themselves, have frozen, are not pliable, and cannot clear the washer fluid from the windshield.

This happened at 22F; It wasn't extremely cold.
 
#21 ·
Man, if thats your biggest worry your life is on easy street.

Its winter & if you choose to live where it snows, deal with it. Just the same as i do when its winter here.
 
#24 ·
^ Got it, or should I say, don't got what you are experiencing. Even at 5-10F.

Perhaps the suggestions for winter blades, covering your wipers, or flipping them off the glass could help.

Or maybe some DECAF.
 
#27 ·
I initially misunderstood OP too - I was under impression that snow/ice freezes over the wipers. Now it is clear that rubber itself hardens and has diminished ability to clear the glass. If this is the case I don't see flipping them off the glass or covering them is an option while driving. Winter blades would only be helpful if made from rubber that doesn't harden at low temperature.
 
#25 ·
No need for decaf. The is the internet. When people challenge you, you have to fly way the hell off the handle. If you don't, you're doing the internet wrong.

I agree that a different style of blades will help here, but I maintain that it's a design flaw that the OEM blades freeze up in this way when they don't on other cars, even other cars made recently by Jeep.
 
#36 · (Edited)
jpsmith - I believe this is a real concern. I'm also amazed at half the comments in this thread; not the people who get the problem, but don't agree with it, but the people who are out in left field. Do people not read before they post? Do they not get it? This is a very painful thread to read at no fault of your own.
 
#37 ·
If there is a design issue we should talk about it. We should not have to by aftermarket stuff to fix the problems. Maybe on the $20K truck but not on the $40K one. I am in Wisconsin (single digids deg F) and my WJ is perfect with regular blades. Chrysler engineers should read the forums and work on the problems.
 
#38 ·
You guys bought a Jeep, not a bmw, not a benz, not a porsche.... a jeep. Stop trying to claim that since you guys paid 40k for a car that the car should act like a bmw etc. 40k for a car is beans.... most cars on the road today is near or above 40k now and days. Number 2 crying about the wipers freezing up is normal of any car. If you want it fixed, buy winter wipers just like you buy winter tires for the snow. Or do you guys think that your 40k trucks should already come with a set of both snow and winter tires too.
 
#41 ·
You guys bought a Jeep, not a bmw, not a benz, not a porsche.... a jeep. Stop trying to claim that since you guys paid 40k for a car that the car should act like a bmw etc. 40k for a car is beans.... most cars on the road today is near or above 40k now and days. Number 2 crying about the wipers freezing up is normal of any car. If you want it fixed, buy winter wipers just like you buy winter tires for the snow. Or do you guys think that your 40k trucks should already come with a set of both snow and winter tires too.
You can not buy BMW for $40K, maybe for $55K.
If we think this way let change the lift gate with winter one, because standart does not work when cold.
Jeep is nice truck and I also drive one, but discussing problems we may help to make it better.
 
#42 ·
It seems like the front defroster will indeed kick on with remote start, but only if it was on prior to shutting the car down prior usage. Anyone else getting this to happen?

Meanwhile, we've spent the last 4 days in very cold weather with a good 18" of snow. High elevation driving and a ton of road slop from other cars. The truck has been outside day and night. Never once had a wiper problem when they are flipped up off the glass while parked. No tailgate challenges either.

This rig is doing it for me as a winter vehicle. It handles as well as any other we've had in the high alpine snow.
 
#43 ·
jpsmith,

Instead of listening to some of these guys foolishly tell you what you should or shouldn't expect out of your WK2, consider a possible way to fix or improve the issue yourself.

Wiper arms are indexed on a splined shaft. That means they can be removed and re-installed at a different angle than they are now. You should consider adjusting your wiper arms so that they are higher and sit against the heated windshield in their "parked" position. The only possible problem adjusting them is that you'll have to ensure that the higher parked position will not allow the driver's side wiper to contact the A-pillar when it gets to it's full travel. In other words, don't adjust it so high that it goes all the way to the end of the glass on the driver's side.

And try not to pay much attention to the guys telling you that you shouldn't be complaining about such a problem. I'd be beyond pissed if my wipers froze up every time I was driving in freezing/wet weather.
 
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