Wipers!

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Dec 21, 2006 | 09:16 PM

eigenvector

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From: Seattle

Wipers!

As I was driving to the store this evening looking for something to eat I considered the windshield wipers as the rain came pouring down.

I really like the design of the Ranger's windshield wipers - some 11 settings. I've driven tons of cars where the only speed on the windshield wiper was on or off - modern cars mind you.

But as I'm driving to the store I also ponder that often unused high speed setting. I've driven in probably all weather conditions, from severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, blizzards, to good old Seattle drizzle. I've never had to use the high speed on the wipers, finding that simply pulling over is a better solution.

Which leads me to my question, does anyone routinely and/or occasionally actually USE that setting? I personally find that the motion of the windshield wiper obscures my vision almost as much as the water on the windshield. So that leads to another question, why bother including that speed?

Dec 21, 2006 | 10:13 PM

OSin86

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From: Racine county, WI

Can't say I use high speed much but when I do it does help more then it hurts.

What modern car have you found without intermittent wipers?

Dec 21, 2006 | 10:21 PM

thefarelaneman

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From: charlotte nc

high speed is there to give you power to break up snow.

Dec 21, 2006 | 10:37 PM

furball69

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From: Calgary, Canada

I use the high speed often (relatively), probably a handful of times a year.

And actually, on the work truck, a GMC 5500, where everything sucks, except the motor... The lame *** GM wipers leave so much fluid on the wipers that you ahve to use the high speed setting when you use the washer, to fling as much water off the blades as possible. And the lame *** GM wiper/cruise/signal lever sucks too.

Dec 22, 2006 | 12:48 AM

eigenvector

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From: Seattle

Breaking up snow, I just don't buy that.

I've gone over the pass during a pretty hard blizzard and all the wipers did on my truck was to climb over the snow forming on the windshield. I was pretty much reduced to an ever decreasing window size until I could safely pull over to break the snow off with my scraper.

Actually in that situation the wipers probably contributed to the snow compacting on the the windshield more than removing it.

Dec 22, 2006 | 12:58 AM

Torque1st

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I use the high setting in my vehicles half a dozen times per year also. Just for very heavy rain. I used my yearly allotment on one trip tho recently. Good thing this year is about over.

As far as snow and ice building up on the windshield. About the only thing that works is either pulling off the road or driving slow enuf that the defroster can keep the windshield warm. Unfortunately if you are driving into gale force winds that won't even help. You have never experienced real ice and snow buildup on a windshield unless you drove an old VW...