Car-wash plastic for rear wiper

[175gt]

It's always bugged me, what protection is the wee plastic sheath they give you at a car-wash meant to give the rear wiper that the front wipers don't need? Just can't work out what it's for?

[Pints]

Never been given anything.

[175gt]

It's just a wee plastic bag that you put over the wiper. Don't see what benefit there is, though. And, if there was any, why only the rear wiper?

[HellDiver]

Wash your car yourself, you lazy bugger.

[Petrolhead_Rich]

only the rear wiper because of the shape, they stick out from the tailgate and the front wipers are protected by the incline of the windscreen.

As for the protection of a silly plastic bag, feck knows!

[Jazoli]

Its to stop the brushes/tendrils of the car wash wrapping themselves around your wiper and pulling it off.
The front ones are generally protected by the lip of the bonnet as already mentioned.

So I was told

[175gt]

HellDiver said:

Wash your car yourself, you lazy bugger.

I do normally. Was just thinking of putting it through a car wash to get the underside sprayed to get rid of some of the no doubt accumulated salt.

I can kind of see the thing about the wiper being exposed. Not sure I see how the bag stops the the brushes ripping the wiper off

I'm very reluctant to put cars through a car wash, each of my last 3 cars went through one only once. I never put the plastic bag on and each went on to new owners with intact rear wipers...;)

[Nickyboy]

They are to stop the new foam style brushes from snagging and ripping on the wiper

[littleredrooster]

175gt said:

Was just thinking of putting it through a car wash to get the underside sprayed to get rid of some of the no doubt accumulated salt.

I used to think this was a good idea until a couple of years back. I put the daily driver through one of these 'conveyor' car-washes which wash the underside.

Unfortunately, the high-pressure wash got into the handbrake cables and, that night, froze them solid for the next three days. Handbrake would not release for love nor money.