Ice and Snow Removal for Soft Top Windows

Cold temperatures, ice, and snow can all wreak havoc on a Jeep Wrangler soft top. You need to be especially careful with your plastic/vinyl windows in the winter months, and take the following precautions:

• Don't raise or lower the soft top when the temperature drops below 41 degrees. The material is a synthetic which loses some of its resiliency at low temperatures, and it can actually become damaged if it is flexed in too cold temperatures.



• Never attempt to roll-up the vinyl windows or even open them at the zippers during the winter months. Believe it or not, they can shatter like real glass when they are cold.



• Before you even TOUCH your vinyl window -- from the inside or outside -- make sure you give them enough time to warm up and become supple first. Otherwise, you are likely to crack them.



• Never "smack" the vinyl window hoping that the snow and ice will bounce off!



• Never remove snow from your vinyl windows by hand (or by any other means, for that matter). With a soft top, patience is a virtue... You should just wait for the heater to warm the vehicle from the inside, causing the snow to slowly melt off.



• Until the snow/ice thaws and falls off the Jeep windows itself, you may have to get used to using the 2 side mirrors.



• You could use a ceramic heater with a timer (available at most hardware stores), and run it a half hour prior getting in the Jeep. The snow & ice will melt off, allowing you to see through your windows as soon as you get in.



• Some people point a hair dryer toward the windows (but not for too long). However, by the time you're finished, the Jeep's own heater would likely have had the same effect -- from the inside.



• Never pour water on your vinyl windows in an attempt to remove ice or snow. Your windows may crack.