Frozen Wipers

Q: During cold winter mornings my husband turns on the wipers to push the snow off the windshield. Is this bad for the wipers?

A: Turning the wipers on before clearing snow could burn out the wiper motor, strip the wiper arms, or blow the wiper fuse. Anytime it is below freezing outside make sure the wipers are not frozen down before turning them on. Lift them up carefully so you don’t rip the rubber blade or bend the wiper arm. If the wiper is really frozen down hard and you are unable to break it free, you should turn on the defrost to melt the ice on the windshield. It is also a good practice to always allow the wipers to go to the “park position” before shutting off the ignition.