2002 OBW - wiper blades fail in COLD

Wiper blades are cheap enough it certainly wouldn't hurt to try.

Weird.

Make sure the blades can freely slide in the holder as they contract and expand.

jw milwaukee

Absolutely,

I have a '02 WRX wagon and it does that but only on the front Passenger side so it has not been an issue for me. Granted I'm not in the cold like you are, I just use mine to get to the snow on the California/Nevada line. I haven't found a solution for this yet, but definitely try better blades or changing the whole blade assembly to an aftermarket one.

Ed

ice/snow/removal

Would have to agree on the "slide freely" in the holder. If they are the wrong insert and is not allowed to expand. They will contract. $7 for replacement for the whole thing. There are TWO different sized too. 22 and 20 for the outback. Passanger is usually smaller.

ice/snow/removal

Get winter wiper blades like those found here.

I had the same problem on mine too Make sure the moving parts are free to move...try a multi purpose lub. (watch or protect the paint from over spray) Or Order Winter Wiper blades from Subaru. They DONT freeze up and work great with the base wiper heater, Hope this helps

OMG....I can't believe you are still using 2 year old wiper blades. I = change mine about once/every three months or so. They corrode. = Especially the cheap OEM ones that are on my 02 Outback. Change them! = Buy some good ones. You will certainly see a difference.

June

Whenever the temp is below about 35 degrees, the wiper blades seem to = "bow" outward away from the windshield, contacting the windshield only at the = top and bottom of each blade, leaving me with zero visibility right in front of = my face. It's almost as if the rubber is shrinking on the frame and = pulling away from the glass. Happens on the rear blade too. No amount of = ice/snow/removal or getting out of the car to press the blade flat to the glass improves = this in any way. Nor does using the heated wiper button or the defroster. When = the temperature goes back up, the blades are flat against the glass again = and clear as can be during your average rainfall or mist.

Needless to say, this is very dangerous. Once last year, I had to stop = on the Jersey Turnpike with trucks whizzing by me on the driver's side and = manually clean the windshield with paper towel and glass cleaner before I could = keep driving.

The blades are two years old, OEM.

Anyone else have this problem? Will new blades fix this?

You are not suppose to use summer blades (the OEM ones) in winter. Switch to winter blades (the ones wrapped in a rubber boot) as soon as the temperature gets close to zero.

-- Dominic Richens | snipped-for-privacy@alumni.uottawa.ca "If you're not *outraged*, you're not paying attention!"

What are "Subaru Winter Wiper blades"? Are these the same as the 14$ "Teflon" blades I get at Canadian Tire? (wrapped in a rubber boot to keep the mechanism from freezing up).

-- Dominic Richens | snipped-for-privacy@alumni.uottawa.ca "If you're not *outraged*, you're not paying attention!"

Nothing but the best for my baby - thanks, I'll order some. Can I keep them on year-round?

Thanks, it's good to know I'm not the only one. Today I looked and the issue was the opposite - the blade was contacting the window only in the center and the upper and lower end of each blade was standing away from the window. Until I get my new ones, it's time to start carrying the glass cleaner and paper towels again!

Wow - every 3 months? When I had my Corolla for 12 years, I only changed the blades two times, and they worked perfectly for ages. I guess they aren't making them like they used to.....

Thank you! I'll be switching ASAP.

Winter blades are the way to go. Change them at least once a year.

Yes they are like the ones you get from Canadian tire but are better made! They are proper length blades for the car. Some of the offsets (where the arm mounts to the wiper) are wrong that you buy from Canadian tire or other parts store. I know because i have tried the 3 parts store brands and all are very poorly made. The reason i went with the dealer is that they are the proper length to stay in contact with the wiper heater at the base of the windshield. The price from my dealer was very reasonable. For both wipers were under 30 bucks... and if they are not cleaning well in a month or two you can change the rubber blade insert. Hope this helps....

While I can't imagine every three months, June is right on target with her OMG comment. I really can't imagine not changing blades in 2 years. I'm in a very hot climate, but the rubber dries, hardens, brittle blades do a really lousy job where it is important to do a good job! Seeing is everybit as much a safety issue as good brakes, IMO.

Get new ones! Try the Winter blades, never heard of them myself, but may look for them on some northern travel.

The blades are not in right and will not slide in the holder. As the rubber shrinks it bows up. May need new wiper and holder ($7) a pair or so.