"Boxer_4" (Boxer_4)
05/20/2015 at 15:35 • Filed to: None
1
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"Boxer_4" (Boxer_4)
05/20/2015 at 15:35 • Filed to: None | 1
| 43 |
I’m in for state inspection today, and need a new windshield to pass. The reason, there is a nice long crack going right through my heated windshield wiper pads, which happened sometime in March. The replacement will only run $250 without going through insurance, so that’s not too bad.
Still, who thought these stupid things were a good idea? Especially coupled to the rear defroster. I have a bad feeling that problems like this are going to become more common, and that I’ll be longing for the days of modern cars with little complexity. Our old ‘90 Prizm (the best generation) never had a single issue apart from a little bit of fender rust in the 11 years we had it. The same cannot be said for any of our other cars, no matter how much I like them (though it’s too soon to tell for some of them).
In the mean time, I’ll be looking at the wiring diagram for the Forester, figuring out which fuse to pull to disable this stupid “feature”.
atrombs
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 15:38 |
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That sucks! And I’m kinda bummed because I thought those were a great idea. :-(
.jdb.
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 15:38 |
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I had an Outback Sport that had the same thing. I didn’t notice any appreciable difference in snow melting or defrosting vs. a car without it.
Jayhawk Jake
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 15:39 |
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As someone who has had wipers freeze to the windshield and get stuck, they are a very good idea
Party-vi
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 15:40 |
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Heated windshield wipers are awesome. No more stuck wipers in the freezing rain or snow.
nermal
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 15:42 |
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You must be a southerner.
In the winter, snow that melts on your windshield while driving collects on your wiper blades and freezes. That turns your wiper blades from highly effective squeegees to utterly useless blocks of ice. Then when you need to actually use them, they’re either frozen down, or don’t actually wipe anything.
The heated windshield pads melt the ice, thus insuring the wipers actually wipe in the winter.
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Boxer_4
> atrombs
05/20/2015 at 15:44 |
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To be fair, this was on a replacement windshield by PGW. I never had issues with the heater with the Subaru OEM glass, but that windshield didn’t hold up to stone chips.
spanfucker retire bitch
> nermal
05/20/2015 at 15:45 |
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Seriously, I wish my car had them. I have some friends with those heated wiper pads and they’re a god send. My immediate reaction upon reading
“Still, who thought these stupid things were a good idea?”
was somewhere along the lines of;
“The fuck you say?”
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Boxer_4
> .jdb.
05/20/2015 at 15:45 |
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I never noticed a difference either. The only reason I ever had them on was because they are tied to the same button as the rear defroster, which is actually useful.
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Boxer_4
> Jayhawk Jake
05/20/2015 at 15:49 |
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I’ve never had that issue just using the regular front defogger, however, we usually never see below 10F ambient in the winter around here.
BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 15:50 |
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The crack is probably not related to the fact that they’re heated; I’ve had two major Foz windshield cracks in the same place on my non-heated glass.
But $250 is a good deal.
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.jdb.
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 15:57 |
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Yup, same here. Side-mirror heaters? Now those are awesome.
Sethersm
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 15:57 |
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I want that stupid feature. I’d also like them up the sides near the frame where the wipers don’t quite get to. When driving during a snowstorm, un-melted snow can build up in those areas. Even if I crank the defrost to high and have to open a window lest I succumb to heat stroke, there is still snow/ice in those areas. Granted, this only happens 2, maybe 3 times per winter, so maybe it isn’t really worth it.
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Boxer_4
> nermal
05/20/2015 at 15:57 |
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Nope, PA. I can honestly say that I have never had my windshield wipers freeze on me in snowy or icy weather.
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Boxer_4
> Party-vi
05/20/2015 at 16:01 |
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I’ve never found that to be an issue, at least in Pennsylvania winters. Subaru has there’s set to shut off after 15 minutes be default, so it seems like more of a “cleaning the car off in the morning” thing anyway.
unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins)
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 16:02 |
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You’re in the same position as me. I need to spend $300 for the 7’s windshield. That’s the lowest price I’ve gotten.
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Boxer_4
> .jdb.
05/20/2015 at 16:02 |
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Yep! and I’ve never had an issue with those.
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atrombs
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 16:02 |
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Oh okay. That makes me feel a bit better about getting the wiper defrosters on a future car.
Burrito de EJ25
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 16:07 |
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Too much rally racing in the turbo pumpkin?
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Boxer_4
> BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
05/20/2015 at 16:13 |
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That’s interesting. Most of these failures I’ve seen and read about were from people with heated glass, so I didn’t even consider that as a possibility. That would be nice if the heaters were not really the cause.
However, this will be the second replacement windshield in 5 years, and I’m getting tired of replacing glass in this car, so I don’t mind being a bit cautious where the heaters are concerned.
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Boxer_4
> Burrito de EJ25
05/20/2015 at 16:13 |
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I wish. Mine’s neither turbo, nor pumpkin.
(I grabbed the first relevant picture I could find).
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Boxer_4
> atrombs
05/20/2015 at 16:15 |
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Perhaps I should change my rant to complaining about non-OEM parts?
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Boxer_4
> unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins)
05/20/2015 at 16:20 |
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I guess it’s a fairly common part. $300 isn’t too bad, either.
If you need a good price shock, you should see what an
SVX windshield
goes for. It makes the Forester windshield seem like the deal of the century.
Glass is the one hangup I have for ever getting an SVX.
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Boxer_4
> Sethersm
05/20/2015 at 16:23 |
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I could see where it would be useful further north. It hasn’t been much of an issue for me during Pennsylvania winters. I don’t mind the feature, though it hasn’t really explicitly helped me. I’m just not willing to spend $250 every so often to keep that feature.
settsu
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 16:24 |
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Look at the position of these wipers in relation to the defroster vents though...
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Boxer_4
> settsu
05/20/2015 at 16:34 |
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That’s no worse than the Forester.
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BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 16:35 |
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I’m also on my second windshield in five years. I feel your pain.
0-100realquick
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 16:39 |
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I have them on my 15 wrx, here in new England, they are pretty awesome.
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0-100realquick
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 16:41 |
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the time intervals are adjustable on the 15wrx. if I want it to run with or without the rear and for how long
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Boxer_4
> BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
05/20/2015 at 16:42 |
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This latest crack was just the icing on the cake, so to speak. A retread found me last October...
...tempered glass is surprisingly strong. Somehow, I made it ~80 miles like this.
This new windshield makes 3 pieces of glass replaced on this car so far. Needless to say, I believe I’m developing a phobia of glass.
boxrocket
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 16:47 |
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I like the concept of the heated section, but I like Land Rover/Ford’s execution better with the whole windshield being heated, as it melts all the ice, and keeps fog at bay better. The color of the Subaru heaters look like something from the 1980s.
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Boxer_4
> boxrocket
05/20/2015 at 16:59 |
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The concept is nice, but the execution (at least with Subaru) seems fragile. I wonder if Land Rover’s implementation would reduce the likelihood this type of failure.
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Boxer_4
> 0-100realquick
05/20/2015 at 17:02 |
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My 09 Forester isn’t that fancy. It can be set to continuous, but I believe it requires some dealer trickery, unless I missed something.
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boxrocket
> Sethersm
05/20/2015 at 17:05 |
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Land Rover (duh) and Ford have a wire mesh in the windshield that does what you describe. If noticed, it takes a little time to get used to, but soooooo worth it in the winter.
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Burrito de EJ25
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 17:20 |
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Oh, my bad. I thought you were one of the other (countless) Subaru dudes on here.
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Boxer_4
> Burrito de EJ25
05/20/2015 at 17:44 |
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There are plenty of us here, and my picture didn’t help matters.
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unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins)
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 20:48 |
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That and the bricklin sv1 glass is super expensive.
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Boxer_4
05/20/2015 at 21:01 |
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I had a crack in the spot. it wasn’t a big stone, but i think instead of deflecting I think it hit the wiper/windshield and just stopped.
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Sethersm
> Boxer_4
05/21/2015 at 09:07 |
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A) I’m in Minnesota, so...
B) Can you get a replacement windshield that doesn’t have it? Can you just ask them to leave the wires disconnected so it doesn’t work?
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0-100realquick
> Boxer_4
06/03/2015 at 17:37 |
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In new England, these minuscule features help out a lot and come in clutch in the worst moments. if a block heater came stock and you lived in mexico it would be useless right?
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Boxer_4
> 0-100realquick
06/05/2015 at 09:07 |
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This miniscule feature just cost me $250 plus installation. Maybe it was a defect (my glass supplier changed brands on this new windshield, perhaps for a reason), however, I seriously distrust this feature now.
I would find a block heater to be useless if it had enough of a chance of cracking the engine block, regardless of where I lived.
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0-100realquick
> Boxer_4
06/05/2015 at 12:27 |
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you personally have a glass supplier?
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Boxer_4
> 0-100realquick
06/05/2015 at 12:51 |
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I probably could have worded that better. They are a father and son-in-law team that work on location. As a result, I don’t really consider them a glass shop. They both supply and install.
Although, with the amount of glass I have needed replaced, I could stand to have a personal glass supplier.
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0-100realquick
> Boxer_4
06/09/2015 at 17:19 |
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cool beans