D4 windshield wipers

[olid4]

Hi All,

I have a 2012 D4 SDV6 HSE and have noticed lately that every time I start my car (or soon after), the windshield wipers go on once regardless of being wet or dry. They also come on very occasionally (again just once) at random times whilst I'm driving again when there is no rain in sight. There have been days of +35 degrees and it has happened.

Is this a common occurrence or can someone suggest what the problem is. It just had a service last week and the service guys found no faults but said they cleaned the sensors....Its made no difference.

Cheers

Oli

[discotwinturbo]

Maybe try and move the intermittent wiper dial/timer the other way....this adjusts the sensitivity.

Its hot here at the moment, and the wipers have not come on without rain.

Edit....did not realise you were in Perth too :-)

Brett.....

[PerthDisco]

Assume that was only when it was auto mode?

The function of the sensitivity control seems to be imperceptible.

However it works it is bloody amazing. I can get two spits of rain and it turns on. Before the last trip I went to Windex the windscreen and the wipers came on and scared the poop out of me.

I have never been able to work out that sometimes the rear wiper turns on when you reverse. It is obviously linked with the rain sensor as it does not do this on a sunny day.

Clever!

[SBD4]

Assume that was only when it was auto mode?

The function of the sensitivity control seems to be imperceptible.

However it works it is bloody amazing. I can get two spits of rain and it turns on. Before the last trip I went to Windex the windscreen and the wipers came on and scared the poop out of me.

I have never been able to work out that sometimes the rear wiper turns on when you reverse. It is obviously linked with the rain sensor as it does not do this on a sunny day.

Clever!

It will do one wipe of the rear when you select reverse if the wipers (front) are set to auto and they are triggered by rain and the rear wiper is OFF.

Definitely try reducing the sensitivity as Brett said, they can bee triggered by things hitting the windscreen too (bugs/grit). Also try cleaning the windscreen where the rain sensor is (up near the rear view mirror mounting).

Mine has done this in the past too and before I changed to the Bosch blades, the sudden sound of the LR blades chattering across the windscreen on a clear sunny day made me jump!

[BMKal]

Before the last trip I went to Windex the windscreen and the wipers came on and scared the poop out of me.


Glad to hear that I'm not the only one that this has happened to. :D

I use Rainex on all the glass on mine, and together with the auto function on the windscreen wipers, the system works brilliantly.

But it can be a bit disconcerting when you're halfway between Coolgardie & Southern Cross and almost in the land of nod - and the wiper does a single pass on a warm, dry sunny day. Certainly gets your attention. ;)

[Tombie]

It's because a bug has splatted and triggered the system...

[irondoc]

I guess i leave my wipers off unless it rains - not sure why you would always leave them on intermittent ????

cheers
lucas

[olid4]

So you're saying the intermittant wiper frequency dial affects the sensitivity of the auto wiper function? It doesn't seem all that logical to me but I'll give it a try. I figured there may have been some computer setting somewhere to adjust the sensitivity. Wipers on a dry screen just makes it dirty by smearing whatever is on it and it likely just wears out the blades prematurely....irritating.

[SBD4]

There is no intermittent wiper setting.

There is:
1. Off
2. Automatic (not intermittent)
3. ON - Normal Speed
4. ON - High Speed

In the automatic position the dial you are referring to as the "intermittent wiper frequency dial" is actually the "Sensitivity Dial". If you try fiddling with it during light rain you will notice that:

- the frequency of the wipe increases even to the point that it will go into a consistent wipe for the same amount of rain.
- If left alone on a particular setting you will notice that the frequency of the wipe will vary according to how much rain is falling on the windscreen - from completely stopped to full on high speed wiping for torrential rain.
- The frequency of the wipe increases as the speed of the car increases.

For normal (Non auto wipers) the intermittent wiper setting has to be manually adjusted - one setting one speed. With the auto wipers it is a set and forget - rain starts, wipers start, rain gets heavier wipers go faster, rain stops, wipers stop. All with no input from you other than to adjust the wipers sensitivity to the rain according to your liking.

If the auto wipers are left on high sensitivity you will find that very small events will cause them to trigger a wipe (a bug hitting the screen near the sensor etc).

From the Manual:

"Move the wiper switch to position 1. The
wipers will operate for a single wipe and then
the interval between subsequent wipes is
controlled by the rain sensor.
The rain sensor detects the presence and
amount of rain/dirt/snow on the windscreen
and operates the wipers as required.
Rotate the collar clockwise to increase or
counterclockwise to decrease the sensitivity of
the rain sensor and therefore the frequency of
wiper operation.
Note: Increasing the wiper sensitivity will
operate the front wipers for a single wipe."

Sorry if this was overdone and you knew the differences...:)

[olid4]

Thankyou for that. I really just hadn't looked into it that detailed...just plain lazy I guess. So by that description, when I start the car with the wipers on auto, they will do one sweep and stop unless the sensor picks up something to make them continue. This is what happens in my car. Its the initial sweep that the irritating bit. I'll just turn them off. First world problems eh....

[Runnadude]

I haven't noticed the difference between the sensitivities!

[SBD4]

Thankyou for that. I really just hadn't looked into it that detailed...just plain lazy I guess. So by that description, when I start the car with the wipers on auto, they will do one sweep and stop unless the sensor picks up something to make them continue. This is what happens in my car. Its the initial sweep that the irritating bit. I'll just turn them off. First world problems eh....

If the wipers are already on auto when you start the car they should not wipe unless there is rain. They will wipe once if you adjust the sensitivity.

[Tombie]

If the wipers are already on auto when you start the car they should not wipe unless there is rain. They will wipe once if you adjust the sensitivity.

Or sap, moist dust, bug guts etc

[lpj]

Oops. Damned iPad! Double post

[lpj]

Slight tangent but I have tried 3 places to get the Bosch refills and none had them. Autobarn in Elizabeth street Melbourne, as well as the Eltham store- neither stocked Bosch at all.

Has anyone had success over the counter in Melbourne, or are you just ordering from the web?

LPJ

[phl]

when I start the car with the wipers on auto, they will do one sweep and stop unless the sensor picks up something

Mine does not do the single wipe on starting the car if there is no rain, and I leave it on auto all the time.

[discotwinturbo]

Mine does not do the single wipe on starting the car if there is no rain, and I leave it on auto all the time.

Same here. Will only do a swipe when you flick them to auto or adjust sensitivity. Rear wipers comes on in reverse if front wipers are going.

Brett.....

[olid4]

Well there is difinitely an issue with mine then. They will do a swipe upon starting after spending all night in the garage (when on auto). I checked the sensitivity when I got home yesterday and it was on minimum so cant blame that. Its possible the sensitivity switch is disfunctional.

[outasight]

Most other people have explained the NORMAL expected operation here well.

I can only ADD that just POSSIBLY there is a program choice either in the driver's vehicle setup menus on a HSE or by a LR Service Centre to perform the "sweep once when on auto" at vehicle start up or inhibit it (like most of us seem to have). My wife's SantaFe does that sweep once thing & it's just wrong IMHO :mad:

Also I wish to ADD that 100% definitely a certain sun angle will & DOES cause the random sweep occasionally. Each morning & each arvo this can almost reliably happen at least once if driving. Not bugs or anything else.:cool:

Regards,

Les.

[phl]

I can only ADD that just POSSIBLY there is a program choice either in the driver's vehicle setup menus on a HSE or by a LR Service Centre to perform the "sweep once when on auto" at vehicle start up or inhibit it (like most of us seem to have).

I wonder if it was an option in the past, as I can't see that option in my setup menu (MY13 HSE), or the dealer thought it was a good idea for some reason, or for a range of years, it was the default.

[PerthDisco]

Slight tangent but I have tried 3 places to get the Bosch refills and none had them. Autobarn in Elizabeth street Melbourne, as well as the Eltham store- neither stocked Bosch at all.

Has anyone had success over the counter in Melbourne, or are you just ordering from the web?

LPJ

I just bought some replacements from Supercheap Auto. $36 ea. as a complete blade. Fitted perfectly and seem work perfectly. They dont have the nice areodynamic look of the originals.