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Old 01-23-2013, 04:53 PM   #1
meissen
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For you "Northerners" driving your car in the winter -- couple of questions

It's been cold by Michigan standards the past few days and I've noticed the following things happening -- is this the same for everyone else?

1. When I start the car, all of the lights for the radio are off and the headlights don't turn on. It's like the car doesn't realize that it's dark out. I have to turn the car off then back on about 3 times before it "realizes" it's dark out and the headlights turn on and all the lighting on the radio works.

2. Are your windshield wipers COMPLETELY useless? Regardless of if I'm parked (less of a wind chill) or driving on the freeway after the car has warmed up to operating temperature, if I pull the wiper stalk back and it sprays the windshield fluid on the windshield, my wipers just skim right over the fluid and don't wipe it off. I thought my windshield wipers were just old so I went out and bought the top of the line ($50 for the pair) wipers from O'Reilly Auto and it made no difference. I'm talking about a very serious safety issue - I was driving when it was -3*F out and I was getting a ton of misty gunk spraying up from the cars in front of me onto the windshield so I pulled the stalk back to spray wiper fluid on the windshield and clean it off and my windshield was immediately covered in fluid, the windshield wipers weren't doing jack shit, and I was completely blind driving 40mph on the road... When I got home from work today after driving for an hour (so the car was definitely up to temp and the windshield wiper fluid should have been warmer), plus it was 19*F out, I pulled the stalk back and my windshield was covered in fluid and the wipers weren't doing anything. I just can't tell if it's the wipers I bought that are useless or if it's the design? I don't really remember it being this cold last winter so I don't have any past days to compare to.
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Old 01-23-2013, 05:03 PM   #2
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Old 01-23-2013, 05:10 PM   #3
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It could be that its just so cold that the rubber on your wipers are too stiff to conform to the windshield as it makes it's pass. I had this same problem in Chicago on Monday (rental Cruize). I don't use the wipers on my Camaro unless its raining. mostly because I don't have a windshield washer reservoir.
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Old 01-23-2013, 05:22 PM   #4
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This is my third winter in my Camaro..... both you issues sound like they may be warranty, I have never had to turn my car on and off to get the light to work, occasionally when it's really cold -33C or -27F I have had my HUD display read HUD warming up.

As per the wipers something is wrong there I have never had a visibly issue

looks like you have a 2012 so all should be under warranty
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Old 01-23-2013, 05:23 PM   #5
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i drive a jeep in the winter that seems to adress most of my issues with driving in the winter
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Old 01-23-2013, 05:24 PM   #6
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I live in NW MN and there isn't a car that I have owned that the wipers ever worked when the temps went below 10F to 15F worth a damn. My last car, a Monte Carlo, when the wipers were in the rest location they rested on a blocked that lifted the wiper off the windshield. It was nice that they never froze to the windshield but when you turned them on they would never conform to the windshield and were pretty much useless because they were frozen into an arc. It has been to cold here to melt anything to get onto the windshield fro the highway and what little I have used them they don't work very well either when trying to get the frost off when the defroster is melting it.

Dean.

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Old 01-23-2013, 05:40 PM   #7
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There are windshield wiper blades made specifically for the winter, and in your location and as cold as its been it might be worth looking into. Just like tires, winter wiper blades are made of a softer rubber compound that stays softer and more flexible at lower temperatures.
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Old 01-23-2013, 05:42 PM   #8
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Yeah the blades I bought were all seasons and at $50 for the pair I figured it would work well, boy was I wrong! Guess I'll have to see if they'll allow me to return the blades and get winter-specific ones. I figured if it was an issue with the design of the wiper arms in general that maybe others would have the same issue, but if it's just me then I know it's the blades suck and I just need to return them and get a different pair.
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Old 01-23-2013, 07:10 PM   #9
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Related but not answer; Does the rear defogger come on automatically at a certain temp? We've been under 40 the last few days and each time I start the car the rear defogger comes on.
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Old 01-23-2013, 07:22 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomlink View Post
Related but not answer; Does the rear defogger come on automatically at a certain temp? We've been under 40 the last few days and each time I start the car the rear defogger comes on.
mine does that also, anytime it is close to freezing.

gramps
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Old 01-23-2013, 08:59 PM   #11
meissen
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Really? My rear defrost never turns on by itself?
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Old 01-23-2013, 09:07 PM   #12
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Meissen, I live in Northern Iowa. I don't have any issues with the problems you have been having and I have had two 5th gens and drove them both through winter. The stock wiper blades, and I also used the Rain-X latitude wipers, work well for me in the winter. The radio and head lights are definitely an issue. I would take you car into the dealership ASAP. My rear defrost also turns on by itself. Just my experiences with my cars.
Good luck.
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Old 01-23-2013, 09:16 PM   #13
meissen
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Interesting - guess I have more wrong with the electronics than I thought. Well, since my wife works at the dealership I guess I'll be stopping by tomorrow on my way home.
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Old 01-23-2013, 09:18 PM   #14
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I had an issue with the auto lights on my car yesterday as well. Of course it was -25 with the wind chill so I just figured it was a cold related issue. When I first started the car up the headlights, door trim lights, radio, hud, and dash didn't pop on like normal when it is dark outside in the morning. The DRL lights came on and the rest was off like it was a sunny day out. Got the HUD warming up display on the windshield, said what the hell, and by then the lights all came on like they normally do when it dark out. I have never had that before but its never been this cold since I had the car. The stock wipers worked fine for me.
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