snow+wipers=hell:)

[specek]

hi , winter comes (scotland)

I spot funny(?) problem with Altea. Yesterday I was driving during nice blizzard(hell!) and wipers starts to push snow to pillars.The problem is that this snow is staying and gathering inside front pillars and after couple of minutes wipers cannot hide anymore because of blocked pillars. Conclusion? Altea wipers have very nice design and aerodynamic functions but they are pretty useless with heavy snow... (car designed in Spain, forgot

I wish You all Merry Christmas and trouble free with Yours cars.

 

[downiei]

wipers hell

Totally agree ,pure nightmare when travelling in a blizzard.

 

[Lauber]

Windscreen heating - really good thing I should say
No problem with snow and wipers...So, I like my freetrack

 

[Hampton Caught]

Don't the heated strips along the A pillars come on (i.e. heat) when the door mirrors are heating? If so, that would be the best bet for dealing with snow building up beween the wipers and the pillars. Of course, you should always clear the screen as much as possible before you set off!

I was thinking I'd use this technique when driving to the French Alps in February for a skiing holiday. Judging by the weather forecasts, I might be using the technique this week!

Steve

 

[squintsideways]

I just logged on to post the same problem. Don't have heated front windscreen (well don't think so, i will have to look) and the snow trapped in the pillars freezes to a nice strip of hard ice that can not easily be removed.
A long journey with the heating on will clear it but short trips around town mean it just gets worse at the moment.
I hope it does no damage, the wipers not being able to "park" properly.

 

[andycupra]

whole system is silly IMO.

 

[Hampton Caught]

Silly? I don't agree.

Although there are weaknesses/ limitations with the arrangement, as there are with any system, at least it normally provides a clear windscreen across its whole width. Just look at any Zafira in the snow and you'll see how much better the Seat wiper system is - no huge blind spots against the A pillar (so long as the windscreen is cleared to begin with.

If the wipers are parked against the pillars to start with and the windscreen is cleared before you set off, there shouldn't be a build up of snow/ ice unless it's falling very heavily. Keep the door mirrors on the de-icing setting and maybe you'll be OK?

Snow will build up anywhere on a windscreen in heavy snow but at least Seat has approached the problem in a unique way. Seems to work so far. I'll do an in depth investigation next month when I drive to the French Alps and report back!

Cheers, Steve

 

[specek]

hi
u saying "Keep the door mirrors on the de-icing setting and maybe you'll be OK" yeee.... I have refercence sport verision,there is NO heated mirrors with this version
I agree, when we are talking about rain altea wipers are the best I ever seen, snow is a different story....

 

[downiei]

The only way I could see to eliminate any damage happening was to stop the car put the wipers into the park position for changing the wiper blades and clear the channel by hand.
The next problem was the frozen snow at the wiper spindles that you can,t clear this stopped the wipers working, the cure was to get the bonnet up and clear this out by hand ..problem sorted.

Altea FR great car upgraded to this from the Altea Sport.

But this is a nightmare.

 

[CrispDust]

Odly even though our UK wipers are the "wrong" way round as Seat couldnt be arsed to change it over, in this cold/snowy weather I have noticed that drivers side clears better than passenger.....

 

[squintsideways]

Anyone else noticed that you can not open the front doors without getting snow on the seats? Any snow around the door or on the roof edge falls into the car.

 

[specek]

yep true, thats probably because I would say curved shape of roof.

 

[gaz258]

i posted a comment last year about the problem with snow and the wipers. no one gave a damn then including seat who said "thankfully it doesnt snow that often in this country" after i had taken the car to them as my wipers were knackered. my advice to others who have had problems this year is "GET ON WITH IT" or change your car because, yes you can clear all the snow of the windscreen but you cant clear where the problem lies and yes i am one of the unfortunates that dont have a heated windscreen would i buy another car with the same stupid design NO