Ice build up on wipers

[MiddKid]

I have a 2018 Expy Platinum which I picked up mid-January of last year. Didn't have any really cold snowstorms to finish the winter last year, but have gotten hammered a few times this year. I'm a skier and run Blizzaks on my rig so driving in snowstorms is the norm.

In the past month I've had two major storms where it was below 25 degrees and both days I had massive ice build up on my wipers. I've attached an image from today that we snapped with burst mode. Five minutes before I took this picture I reached out the drivers window and knocked the previous snow off the wiper with my hand. Over the course of 5 minutes it re-built back up to what you see in the picture. This is happening on both the driver and passenger sides.

I've been driving through snow like this for two decades for skiing and I've never had the persistent build up problem that I'm having here. My other SUV has a wiper heater...does the Expy have it? Is mine not working? Am I missing something?

Thanks.

 

[rumline]

The Expy does have wiper heaters. Just look for the horizontal defroster bars embedded in the bottom of the windshield. However at least on mine the wipers do not sit on top of these wires...maybe 1cm above them. I've spoken to my dealer about it and they told me the wipers' resting position is not adjustable. Nice.

 

[dlcorbett]

Havent had this problem in my expy but i always knock the snow off. Even the one time i didnt knock the snow off, the wipers pushed the snow and ice off. The de icer does wrk, but i think its only meant to melt the snow and ice and you have to turn on the windshield defroster.

 

[MiddKid]

Havent had this problem in my expy but i always knock the snow off. Even the one time i didnt knock the snow off, the wipers pushed the snow and ice off. The de icer does wrk, but i think its only meant to melt the snow and ice and you have to turn on the windshield defroster.

Both times this has happened this winter (including this picture today), the car started the journey dry in a garage. The snow/ice builds up from nothing.

 

[rumline]

Do you have your hvac set to front defroster? I find that this helps immensely to prevent build-up on the windshield, although I've never experienced the specific issue you're asking about. The angle of the Expy windshield is steeper (closer to vertical) than other suvs I've owned.

 

[dlcorbett]

I think The build-up is because your wipers are melting the snow but the temp is outside is so cold its refreezing it. Looking back it, i do remember that happening. I was like, "why is the snow extra slushy on the edge of my windshield?". If its rele as cold where you r, if anything melts on your winshield, its gonna refreeze fast, especially due to the extra wind effect of driving.

 

[Meeker]

Do you have your hvac set to front defroster? I find that this helps immensely to prevent build-up on the windshield, although I've never experienced the specific issue you're asking about. The angle of the Expy windshield is steeper (closer to vertical) than other suvs I've owned.

I do the exact opposite - I try to maintain the windshield below freezing so that the wipers brush the snow off without sticking. So, select the foot vents only, no rear defrost, no front defrost. Obviously if the windshield fogs I have to do something, but I try to get colder air blowing at the windshield rather than hot air. YMMV!

 

[ag4wake]

I had this problem on mine. I replaced the blades with Bosch high end units, but still those aren't working too good. I am definitely disappointed in the wiper system in cold weather. I tried both the cold windshield and hot windshield tricks. Hot seems to work better for me. But still it's not great.