Windshield Wiper Cowl / Cover / Blocker Thingy? - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Sean T. · 02-15-2009, 02:06 PM

SCROLL DOWN TO POST 21 (PAGE 2) FOR PICTURES!

Well, I FiNALLY installed a wiper cover, something I should have done a loooooooong time ago... but I never realized how easy it was. It basically hit me like a brick today. All I needed to do was cut a rectangle of cardboard and wedge it under the hood!

Haven't driven with it on yet, but I have to be to work in an hour, so I might have an update tonight around 8pm when I get home. Hopefully there won't be anything negative to update about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWbaH3qyLao

groar · 02-15-2009, 02:28 PM

Damn, so more secure than my test : http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...test-6155.html

Does your wipers are always functional at high speed ?

Tell us about your feeling : longer coasting, noise...

TIA,

Denis.

ChrstphrR · 02-15-2009, 06:14 PM

Don't forget -- does the snow wedge under there and make cleaning out by the wipers a pain?

winkosmosis · 02-15-2009, 06:35 PM

Does it need to be so big? Isn't it blocking your view?

Sean T. · 02-15-2009, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by groar

Damn, so more secure than my test : http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...test-6155.html

Does your wipers are always functional at high speed ?

Tell us about your feeling : longer coasting, noise...

TIA,

Denis.

Yeah, I had seen your thread and had never thought of attaching it UNDER the hood until today. I have never had the problem of my wipers losing function at high speed.

So far, I have only driven to work and back with it on (15 minutes each way) and didn't notice anything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrstphrR

Don't forget -- does the snow wedge under there and make cleaning out by the wipers a pain?

Luckily, we have been having several warm days, then it lightly snowed yesterday. Hopefully we won't get much more for the rest of the year. When it is snow season, I always park with my wipers all the way up (shut off the car in mid-wipe) so I hopefully won't have that problem. If I do, I can just open the hood and take the airblock out to remove the snow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

Does it need to be so big? Isn't it blocking your view?

Yeah... it is pretty big. I'm going to cut it down either tonight or tomorrow. I don't want to cut it down at the ends, but I am going to cut it down towards the middle. It has a very heavy curve to it because the passenger side wiper is mounted pretty far out and pushes the airblock out quite a bit.

gascort · 02-15-2009, 09:08 PM

Have you given any thought to just removing the passenger wiper?
I took mine off and then readjusted my drivers' side one to sit on the very bottom of the windshield. I have photos here:
Scientific Method meets Fuel Economy: Changes, Changes...

Sean T. · 02-15-2009, 09:26 PM

I use my wipers A LOT though... I doubt I would be able to make it with only one. Plus my windshield is cracked which causes gaps in the wiper run of the driver side. Luckily the passenger side doubles over most of the gap.

Sean T. · 02-18-2009, 10:35 PM

Did some... no, lots. Yes, did lots of highway driving today and it kindof flaps in the wind. Does this mean it's causing drag?

TestDrive · 02-18-2009, 10:41 PM

Assuming it flips up (???), each upward flip probably disrupts laminar flow over the windshield (???), so my guess is yes, it's causing drag at those times.

ConnClark · 02-18-2009, 10:52 PM

Any thing that flaps causes drag.

Note: My car is a Mercedes Benz 300SD which has the w126 body style. It was designed with windshield wipers that were stowed below the hood when not in use. Strangely its the only car body designed to do so.