Broken Wiper Spring when in service mode

Michael M. · Oct 12, 2014

So I thought I would be smart today when washing my car. I put the wipers into service mode so that I could stand them up off of the windshield while I was washing the car. You know, just like you would do in snow country where you don't want them freezing to the windshield overnight. I pulled the driver's blade up and (with some resistance) it did stay up. I then tried to pull the passenger blade up and I guess I pulled too hard because at about the halfway point the spring and hook snapped off.

I have no way to reattach them and I am not sure if I broke anything or if it just popped off. The driver's side blade seemed to be scraping metal when going up and back. I guess I will take it in to be fixed in the morning. Hopefully this is a covered repair. Anyone else had this problem? Are the blades supposed to stay up once in service mode? Did I do something wrong here?

tga · Oct 13, 2014

Michael M. said:
You know, just like you would do in snow country where you don't want them freezing to the windshield overnight.

When I see people doing that, my first thought is "redneck". :smile: Wipers rarely freeze to the windshield, and when they do, a quick whack with a scraper will free them (you'll be up there scraping the frozen stuff off the windshield anyway). 99% of long time snowbelt residents don't even bother lifting the wipers; it's just a waste of effort.

It sounds like the spring that pulls the wiper against the glass came off. Post some pictures (possibly of the underside looking through the windshiled) and we can get a better idea. Or just take it to the SC.

Worst case, if you damaged the arm, they should be easy to replace (there's a bolt at the base where it attaches to the shaft).

Michael M. · Oct 13, 2014

Quick update. I'm at the SC and they are just going to replace the entire wiper arm assembly. The answer is "no" they are not meant to be stood up off the windshield.

BTW I agree with the "redneck" comment and I too laugh at people who do that when I'm in snow country. I just thought it would be easier when washing the car. Lesson learned.

MsElectric · Oct 13, 2014

Michael M. said:
Quick update. I'm at the SC and they are just going to replace the entire wiper arm assembly. The answer is "no" they are not meant to be stood up off the windshield.

BTW I agree with the "redneck" comment and I too laugh at people who do that when I'm in snow country. I just thought it would be easier when washing the car. Lesson learned. 

Sorry to hear about the incident and glad it is now resolved. Did they cover the repair under warranty?

I am far from a "redneck" but I do have a habit of standing up the vipers of our Volvo that is parked outside before it snows. It makes it easier to slide the snow completely after off of the windscreen and clear the vents that are located at the base of the windscreen as they'd be otherwise covered by the wipers. Wait, so does this make me a redneck?

iadbound · Oct 13, 2014

MsElectric said:
I do have a habit of standing up the vipers of our Volvo

I think this makes you a snake charmer.

Michael M. · Oct 13, 2014

The repair was done at no charge. Guess I was lucky there too.

MsElectric · Oct 13, 2014

Michael M. said:
The repair was done at no charge. Guess I was lucky there too.

They were very generous with you, as this was technically your doing

On the plus side when we get our P85D (with a tan interior...) we will know to not try to snake charm our vipers to stand up :tongue:

mknox · Oct 14, 2014

tga said:
When I see people doing that, my first thought is "redneck". :smile: Wipers rarely freeze to the windshield, and when they do, a quick whack with a scraper will free them (you'll be up there scraping the frozen stuff off the windshield anyway). 99% of long time snowbelt residents don't even bother lifting the wipers; it's just a waste of effort.

I should post a picture of my work parking lot next winter. About 75% of the cars have the blades lifted like this, and I used to do it myself (can't with the Model S). At least in my neck of the woods, wipers DO freeze to the glass, and if they are parked below the hood cowl, they will often not only be frozen, but blocked in with frozen snow. I've seen the rubber torn right from the metal by people trying to free them, and have seen blown fuses, or worse, blown wiper motors or gears, by people trying to start them up when they are frozen to the glass. It's not just the snow that falls during the day. On the drive to work with the heat and/or defrosters on, any snow turns to water on the glass. When you park in sub-freezing temps, that water turns to ice, bonding the blades to the glass.

I guess in this scenario, the rednecks got it right. :wink:

Brett · Oct 14, 2014

MsElectric said:
They were very generous with you, as this was technically your doing On the plus side when we get our P85D (with a tan interior...) we will know to not try to snake charm our vipers to stand up :tongue:

LOL. Thanks for breaking it for us, Michael. Now we know what NOT to do. Agree that TM was pretty cool to replace the parts gratis.

tga · Oct 14, 2014

The first person I knew who was adamant about lifting his wipers every time it got cloudy was a recent transplant from Central America. He kept trying to lecture me (a life long New Englander) that he was right and I was wrong.

mknox said:
I should post a picture of my work parking lot next winter. About 75% of the cars have the blades lifted like this, and I used to do it myself (can't with the Model S). At least in my neck of the woods, wipers DO freeze to the glass, and if they are parked below the hood cowl, they will often not only be frozen, but blocked in with frozen snow. I've seen the rubber torn right from the metal by people trying to free them

I guess "rarely" was the wrong term to use; I was tired during that post. Not trying to get into a "whose winters are worse" macho posturing contest, but I've manhandled quite a few frozen-to-glass wipers over the years, and never torn the blade. Maybe I use higher grade wipers than most. :smile:

mknox said:
and have seen blown fuses, or worse, blown wiper motors or gears, by people trying to start them up when they are frozen to the glass.

"Doctor, it hurts when I do this!"

I'm not sure I have a lot of sympathy for people who don't properly clean off their windshield and free and clean their wipers prior to driving off.:wink:

mknox · Oct 14, 2014

tga said:
I'm not sure I have a lot of sympathy for people who don't properly clean off their windshield and free and clean their wipers prior to driving off.:wink:

Oh, I agree completely. My wife often just pulls in with her car and turns it off with the wipers in mid-sweep. Gets back in later and even if the switch is turned to "off", they will still try to "park" when the car is re-started. When I find it like that, I'll free them from the glass and stand them up.

tga · Oct 14, 2014

mknox said:
Oh, I agree completely. My wife often just pulls in with her car and turns it off with the wipers in mid-sweep.

I've done that more than once and left the switch on (misc ICE). Then I come back later to a few inches of snow on the car, carefully brush around the door with my gloved hand so I can open the car and get the brush. Reach in and start the car only to have the wipers do a sweep and dump snow all over the inside of the open door. :cursing:

mknox · Oct 14, 2014

tga said:
I've done that more than once and left the switch on (misc ICE). Then I come back later to a few inches of snow on the car, carefully brush around the door with my gloved hand so I can open the car and get the brush. Reach in and start the car only to have the wipers do a sweep and dump snow all over the inside of the open door. :cursing:

A very early Model S software version would cause the wipers to do a single wipe right as you opened the door if you'd left the switch in Auto. If the glass was wet, you'd get soaked getting in to the car. I'd forgotten about that!

LetsGoFast · Sep 4, 2015

Wish I would have seen this thread before I super-cleaned my windshield today. Guess what I did? I was having trouble reattaching the spring and figured I'd come read and find out what I was doing wrong.

Oh well, I'm just about at my 12,500 service interval anyhow. :redface:

- - - Updated - - -

Also, for future searchers this thread says that you can reattach the spring and hook if you pull the wiper arm assembly off the car first and use some elbow grease. I may give that a go, because I have the two parts and I can see how they are supposed to connect, but I cannot get nearly enough leverage to reattach it where it is.

Roaddkill · Sep 5, 2015

*Snow Anxiety*

Wonder if there could be an option to pre-heat wipers on phone app?

MsElectric · Sep 5, 2015

Or you can just get this. Much cheaper than the Tesla Cold Weather Package

http://www.amazon.com/SnowOFF-Winds...910&sr=8-3&keywords=windshield+snow+protector

electrish · Sep 5, 2015

MsElectric said:
Or you can just get this. Much cheaper than the Tesla Cold Weather Package

http://www.amazon.com/SnowOFF-Winds...910&sr=8-3&keywords=windshield+snow+protector

... however, it's more difficult to drive with those! :wink:

- - - Updated - - -

Michael M. said:
I then tried to pull the passenger blade up and I guess I pulled too hard because at about the halfway point the spring and hook snapped off.

I always wondered what the fulcrum on the wiper blades was for, but was afraid to pull because they didn't budge. Now I know why!

murphyS85 · Sep 6, 2015

MsElectric said:
Or you can just get this. Much cheaper than the Tesla Cold Weather Package

http://www.amazon.com/SnowOFF-Winds...910&sr=8-3&keywords=windshield+snow+protector

The magnets are not going to work.

travwill · May 31, 2016

Dang, wish I would have saw this thread earlier. We were washing our X5 and MS at same time. Popped the X5 wipers back to wash under, no problem, come out to a nice angle and lock. Put the MS wipers in service mode and pull out just a couple inches or so and SNAP, the driver side spring/hook breaks and wiper won't sit flush to window anymore.

For anyone new, notice that your MS wipers have a bad design and you can't really pull them back that far at all. There is a little hook that breaks and spring typically pops out.

Mine is in the SC to be fixed right now and they are stating they will toss on a new wiper arm. So seems this yet other bad design is another $$$ maker for Tesla :-/ We'll see what the charge is...

nambrosch · Oct 2, 2017

i just did the same thing when doing my first wash on a new model s.. i didn't even the arm terribly hard, the spring is just so tight that it popped right off.

i found this thread looking to see if it was customer-repairable. our service center is three hours away so i'm taking it to the local service king tomorrow. lesson learned.

Broken Wiper Spring when in service mode

Member

Active Member

Member

Active Member

Member

Member

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Roadkill

Active Member

I Sing the Body Electric

Member

Active Member

Member

Similar threads