It’s a somewhat odd, but increasingly popular sight in parking lots these days: windshield wipers pointed towards the sky.
A KARE 11 viewer recently asked us whether pulling your windshield wipers away from the windshield is really as smart as it seems, or if it actually can harm your car. We set out to Verify.
To start, we spoke to AAA Minneapolis. Some driving instructors have discussed the potential benefits of pulling up your wipers during class.
"AAA does not have an official stance on this issue," said Meredith Terpstra, a spokesperson for AAA Minneapolis. "But we do like to point out that if you put them up, you have an easier time clearing lots of snow off of your windshield."
But there is a potential downside to the technique, depending on the weather conditions. Tyler Dolch, with Bobby and Steve’s Auto World, says pulling your wipers up can put extra strain on tension springs, which can lead to streaky, uneven wiping.
"Let's say the wind is pushing on the wiper all day long, that could cause some damage after a while," said Tyler Dolch, a service manager at Bobby and Steve's Auto World. "If it's going to be extremely windy, I'd leave them down personally. If it's not, go ahead and leave them up."