wiper trough

[icarusi@hotmail]

The wiper trough is beginning to annoy me this snowy weather. I seem to spend more time digging snow out of it than clearing it off other parts of the car. If you try and scoop it from the centre it wedges toward the corners. I doubt it can be doing the wiper motor much good either, to compress the snow under the arm, especially with the current thaw/freeze cycles turning it to ice. I'm thinking of fixing a baffle over it when parked. Don't know if there's anything ready-made?

[dstev2000]

Its not hugely practical but can't you lift the bonnet and scoop the snow out that way? at least you'll get the snow out from under the wiper arms and most importantly from around the air intake grille. Failing that, pour some warm water in there which will clear it in no time.

Either that or stick something over it the night before but that carries a risk of freezing to everything in the process

[JLindsayW]

I've read in the manual that you can adjust the wipers to run in a winter setting. I think that means that they wil not return as far down the screen. I've not tried it myself though!

[icarusi@hotmail]

Its not hugely practical but can't you lift the bonnet and scoop the snow out that way? at least you'll get the snow out from under the wiper arms and most importantly from around the air intake grille. Failing that, pour some warm water in there which will clear it in no time.

Engines and snow/water don't often mix well in my experience, so I try and avoid them contacting each other. The last thing I want to do when snow's about is lift the bonnet!

Either that or stick something over it the night before but that carries a risk of freezing to everything in the process

That's a possibility, but right now the trough is filling with ice from previous 'semi-thaws' and it's building up around anything close to the trough. Even the wipers parked 'at attention' are being coated. The whole car is like ice pebbledash coated. Luckily I didn't need to go any where today so I left it. I'm considering removing them overnight. Just need to remember not to start off without them.

The trough on the Octy (and presumably the Jetta/Bora) seems to be larger than on other cars. Even the current Golf has a 'curvier' profile to its trough. Whether it makes a difference I don't know.

Edited 3 January, 2010 by icarusi@hotmail

[icarusi@hotmail]

I've read in the manual that you can adjust the wipers to run in a winter setting. I think that means that they wil not return as far down the screen. I've not tried it myself though!

I read that but I think it just refers to the vertical position. You can park the wipers at any angle by turning off the ignition during the sweep but I think the vertical position is probably the best. It's easiest to clear the trough, just need to know in advance what weather will come, which isn't so easy.

[Octavia1Z]

Turn off the car, pull the key and then move the wiperlever down once - this makes the wipers go up into their vertical parking position where they can be lifted up.....

Advantage: Cleaning of the area is much easier that way.

Disadvantage: Areotwin blades can be removed and thus thieved.

[ChrisRs]

Warm water

Really simple!!

[icarusi@hotmail]

Even the wipers parked 'at attention' are being coated. The whole car is like ice pebbledash coated. Luckily I didn't need to go any where today so I left it. I'm considering removing them overnight. Just need to remember not to start off without them.

I decided to remove the wiper blades a couple of nights ago as they were icing up and it seemed like a quick way to de-ice them. They were *very* easily removed, such that I'd always remove them now if I leave the car with them parked vertically. The only problem remaining is the arm end joints still ice up, especially the pivot pin, so I need something easily replaced to shroud them.

I did accidentally find something to clear the trough. I was taking out various scrapers and dropped one on the kitchen floor. It was a long handled brush with a scraper at the end. After I'd dropped it, the scraper part broke off, just leaving the brush. Without the scraper it fits into the trough and doesn't get wedged into the narrow trough corners.