What To Do When Windshield Wipers Stop Working In

It is pouring down rain during a thunderstorm, or worse during a snowstorm. All of the sudden, your windshield wipers fail. What do you do? This can be a very dangerous situation at best. For starters, lets back up to before the drive and the storm ever started. There are several products on the market that will help repel water, snow, and ice off of your windshield. The best known one is probably Rain X. What is Rain X? In layman’s terms (and with out giving away any proprietary secrets), it is a waxy liquid that will help prevent snow and ice from freezing on the window. The wax in it will cause water droplets to bead up and run off the windshield in the same manner that water beads on a freshly waxed paint job. The Rain X is something that has to be applied prior to the problem. That old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” comes into play. If you apply it when the weather is nice, the failure of the windshield wipers will be less severe of a problem. It is worth the time that it takes to put it on the windows. Now if you are driving in a normal rain storm and your windshield wipers stop, the first (and most important thing) is not to panic. Stomping on the brakes is a very bad idea. Of course your vision will be impaired but the airflow over the car will take some of the water off. This does not mean continue to drive as if nothing has happened. Using your side and rear view mirrors (which would work the same as before the wiper failure), make your way to a safe spot on the side of the road. Once you are out of immediate danger, turn on your flashers so other cars can see you in the rain, and do one of two things. 1. You can wait out the storm and continue once the rain has stopped. If this is not an option, then you can attempt number two. 2. Get out of the car (yes you will get wet), being very careful of other cars on the road and look at the wipers. Try and figure out what made them malfunction. They are not complicated devices. Many times it is just the blade (the rubber part that touches the windshield) that has come loose. If this is the case you may be able to reattach it. In a worst case scenario, you may be able to take the one off the passenger side and put on the driver side. This is a temporary fix to get you where you are going. If it is a mechanical problem, you probably won’t be able to fix it right then. Your only choice may be number 1, or if you are lucky call for a ride. Either way, driving in the rain with no wipers is not a good decision. If you are driving in a snowstorm, the same problems can occur. The same rules apply up to the point of fixing them. It may seem odd but it might be easier to fix them if the temperature is below freezing. Ice may build up on the wiper arms, blades, or motor. If this is the case, all you have to do is remove the ice covering once you are safely off the road. If the arms are frozen, many times they will work fine once you have knocked that ice off. The best course of action? Put a product like Rain X on before hand. When the failure occurs, keep your wits about you. The worst that will happen is that you will lose time waiting out the storm on the side of the road. If you panic, you may endanger yourself, your passengers, and other motorists on the road. Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society