Automatic Wipers

I'm not 100% on this but.............. If you have the wiper auto-on set then the sensitivity of the sensor is adjusted by the (for the sake of another name) "intermittent frequency" adjustment settings, if you don't have the "auto on" selected then the settings are for variable intermittent. Speed activation is activated by the dealer in the car's setting up functions that they can do, not all cars have had this enabled and I don't know how you can tell whether or not it is enabled. Reading the manual it appears that if you have the speed activation enabled then you loose the rain sensor (at least that's how I read the attached page from the owner's manual)
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Tim you’re right it’s a little confusing regarding the wording of the manual especially section 4

4. In this position intermittent wipe is
controlled by either a rain sensor or vehicle
speed. The rain sensor located at the upper
edge of the windscreen becomes active
and will determine when the wipers are
required to operate. If the rain sensor is not
enabled by your dealer, intermittent wipe
will operate in conjunction with the setting
of control (1).
This function can be
enabled/disabled by your
Dealer/Authorised Repairer.

To me this is confusing as if the rain sensor is not configured by the dealer then it will operate on the setting of control 1 (the collar on the stalk). Where does the vehicle speed come in? Does this collar then adjust the sensitivity of the vehicle speed sensor or is it a direct control of wipe frequency. If it’s the former would this not lead to some erratic operation of the wipers? For example if you set this to mid-way at 30mph for the required wipe frequency then enter a 40mph zone and speed up the frequency then increases with no input from the driver.

Maybe I’ve got this completely wrong after all my car is not delivered yet. so have no first hand experience of the wipers.

Thing is Ed, I asked for speed sensitive to be enabled by Lookers Park Royal........... But the rain sensor still switches on the wipers when it rains or a squashed fly is detected in a corner of the sensor!

thats weird!

I have no idea why these things are dealer settings. why can you not just change it in a menu so you can experience both and choose which you feel is more appropriate without having to go to the dealer.

Even more confusing.

Mine is definitely not speed controlled as this morning I was driving in stop start traffic and the wipers were pretty consistent with the amount of rain. However, as soon as I turn the stalk to min, the swipe speed drops noticeable, anything above min works the same.

(11-10-2012 02:10pm)wavey.dave Wrote:  Even more confusing.

Mine is definitely not speed controlled as this morning I was driving in stop start traffic and the wipers were pretty consistent with the amount of rain. However, as soon as I turn the stalk to min, the swipe speed drops noticeable, anything above min works the same.

that would be the kind of behaviour i would expect if its set to rain sensor. if you turn the control to minimum you are selecting the lowest sensitivity so it should swipe less for a given amount of rain.

(11-10-2012 02:28pm)eddkawasaki Wrote:  that would be the kind of behaviour i would expect if its set to rain sensor. if you turn the control to minimum you are selecting the lowest sensitivity so it should swipe less for a given amount of rain.

I can understand this logic, but this morning, even on notch one from min had the same effect. The speed of the wipers doesn't seem to change from notch 2 to max.