Anoying automatic wippers

[kart125]

I just hate the automatic intermittant setting for the wipper blades! In rain it is OK, but in snow, it does not seem to detect the snow flakes at the top of the windshield. At the bottom, where the defrost warms the glass, they melt and you can't see a thing, yet the wippers dont come on... I wish there was a way to just control the intermittant speed manually like in my old ride! Nad yes, I tried to play with the sensitivity settings and it does not change anything.

[DemiGuru]

I can relate. I wonder if that's why it's called 'rain sensor'.

[coldwake81]

These same thoughts were going through my head the other day! Welcome to the club!

[sqandspl]

at least your wipers are working in rain, my wipers have been "rain sense retarded" since the day I bought the car. Sometimes they just sit there..not wiping..then they take spells where they wipe constantly..with nothing on the windshield...should have complained about that before it went off warranty.

I don't think there is any shame in having just plain ol delay wipers...do you?

[kart125]

Originally Posted by sqandspl

at least your wipers are working in rain, my wipers have been "rain sense retarded" since the day I bought the car. Sometimes they just sit there..not wiping..then they take spells where they wipe constantly..with nothing on the windshield...should have complained about that before it went off warranty.

I don't think there is any shame in having just plain ol delay wipers...do you?

I should say that mine does the same thing in rain... sometimes they wipe at max speed for a minute before realizing the sun came out and the road is dry! I agree that regular wipers are better. I mean are we that lazy?

[jayarekay338]

I had a professor in College who patented the rain sensor windshield wiper in the early 1980s(too early to make much money off of it) and even he admitted that they were a complete waste of time and rarely worked well enough to trust.

[Kandiru]

All my rain sensor cars have been plagued by this problem.

An IR beam is broadcast at the bottom of the window and a sensor measures the "thickness" of the window. Flakes will first have to melt to allow the system to activate.

On the 2008 you can change sensitivity from the dash.

[xoxo4ever]

Originally Posted by sqandspl

at least your wipers are working in rain, my wipers have been "rain sense retarded" since the day I bought the car. Sometimes they just sit there..not wiping..then they take spells where they wipe constantly..with nothing on the windshield...should have complained about that before it went off warranty.

I don't think there is any shame in having just plain ol delay wipers...do you?

i have the same problem with my wipers
sometimes they go crazy and sometimes they dont move at all.
there seems to be a problem with the automatic sensing wiper on 9-3SS
anyone out there knows if this is the problem of the software and is there any solution?

Thanks

[rogan]

... or is it possible to downgrade to the standard wipers, and if so, what's involved?

-Rogan

[brickwalls]

Originally Posted by rogan

... or is it possible to downgrade to the standard wipers, and if so, what's involved?

-Rogan

Just rotate the switch one more click, then its all manual.

If you want to "tune" it go through the SID.

[Statler]

Tuning through SID makes no difference. They have a complete mind of their own. Only heavy rain with 0.5cm+ drops seems to see them working in a sensible way.
I went for them as the auto wipers on Mrs Statler's Nissan Pathfinder are absolutely superb and work really well.

Even my dealer admits that they are completely crap.... I'm going to start a conversion conversation with them after I've done some research on the parts CDs

Never again

[rogan]

Originally Posted by brickwalls

Just rotate the switch one more click, then its all manual.

If you want to "tune" it go through the SID.

What do you mean by rotate the switch one more click? I know you can juse leave them off and press down on the stalk to get the single spray wipe... but I was talking about perahps getting a new stalk or whatever it takes to get intermitant functionality back (make the car work like it never had the auto wipers in the first place).

-Rogan

[brickwalls]

Originally Posted by Statler

Only heavy rain with 0.5cm+ drops seems to see them working in a sensible way.

Dude that's what we call scotch mist here - but even in road spray mine works perfectly.

If your mechanic/auto electrician is unable to adjust the sensor and you can't find one that can - smash the windscreen and let the insurance company shout you a new one with a new sensor.

OK that's a bit harsh - but it seems to be a quality control issue.

I'd ask the mechanic questions like:

What voltages are presented with each level of misting?

Are there any other I-bus issues or is it just the rain sensor?.

Are there any optic integrity issues in the glass?

[Ridenbaugh]

Mine are hit and miss no pun intended. Some times they work perfect and other times they go once the precip has stopped. What I've found works good for me is once I start the car and it is misting or raining lightly I push the lever down once to clear the window and then flip it right back up to auto, tends to do the trick for me... But yes they are definatly a bit of a bother when I first got them I thought it was the coolest now, when I drive down the road with people with me they are like its not even raining anymore why are your wipers on full speed...

[kart125]

Originally Posted by brickwalls

Just rotate the switch one more click, then its all manual.

If you want to "tune" it go through the SID.

The manual options are "full time slow and full time fast" but no intermittant function, at least on the 2008 model year.

[brickwalls]

Originally Posted by kart125

The manual options are "full time slow and full time fast" but no intermittant function, at least on the 2008 model year.

Same as 2007 - now the first sweep on Auto gives the system a reference, which is why a quick wash sweep helps.

Also the amount of light also effects things e.g. day-night-black foreboding clouds-smog. If this changes dramatically a reset on/off will help. I'd have to delve into the murky depths of the WIS to be sure but I hazard a guess that light reference comes from the sun detector in the middle of the dash - you guys don't have dash-mats do you?