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Auto Wipers - Work occasionaly

S

smooges

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Location
Kilkenny, Ireland
Car
7th Gen Diesel
Had to select my topic ***le carefully!!

My understanding of the auto wipers is that you set the stalk to 'auto' and then change the sensitivity with the dial. Yet my wipers when set to auto just work as standard intermittent wipers and the dial changes the frequency of the wipe.

The settings on the stalk are, mist-off-auto-lo-hi.

I was beginning to think I didn't have auto wipers til the other day when the auto feature began to work. As the rain intensified so too did the speed of the wipers and when the rain stopped so too did the wipers. Great I thought but this only lasted a few hours and now I'm back to the standard wipers.

I keep the windscreen clean.

As I was finishing writing this post I just checked the sensor from inside the car and have noticed that the black cover on the sensor is loose.

Could this be my problem? Any advice would be very welcome.

Eugene
 
a loose sensor might cause this. i think this has been discussed before.
 
As Dan said this has been talked about before and there is a quick fix.
Sorry but i cant find the thread at the min but im sure the fix is taken the plastic cover off and cleaning under the sensor.
But please wait until someone confirms this.
 
Start the engine, put wipers onto auto, stand outside and spray water onto the windscreen, in the area of the sensor, do the wipers operate? if yes then they are working, The dial will not make any difference unless you are under water. Best to leave in the middle or thereabouts. Just reread the post, as you come from Ireland maybe you have just worn the wiper motor out. LOL,
 
Thanks for your reply John. When I put the wipers on auto they operate immediately regardless of whether it's raining or not. I understand that when on auto the dial just changes the sensitivity of the sensor.

Brett and Dan if you could locate the older post where this was discussed I would really appreciate it. I have cleaned the sensor as best I could and have ensured that it's securely attached to the windscreen but it still doesn't work.
 
Eugene, when you first put them on Auto, they will work immediately for maybe 6 or 7 runs (possibly more). They are simply calibrating themselves. Just let them run, they will stop when the system is armed.
 
To be honest the auto wipers have a mind of there own. mine either don't sweep when i need them to (light drizzle) or sweep to often. I have never found a happy medium with the adjustment dial.
They work great in heavy rain though. :lol:
 
My Tranny's are somewhat random - I have always put it down to road grease upsetting the sensor.
 
Yes - my Transit van :p is fully loaded. Only missing CC - which I do regret not ordering.

Auto wipers, lights, electric windscreen & mirrors, Bluetooth and voice control. ABS, EBD, EPS, Traction control. Remapped, with reversing "anti Pizza delivery boy" camera. £3.5 custom racking system and false floor in the back.

Shame it is made out of old baked bean cans though :lol:

Rear suspension is still leaf springs on a solid axle too which makes speed bumps interesting :lol:
 
Dan Robinson said:
Yes - my Transit van :p is fully loaded. Only missing CC - which I do regret not ordering.

Auto wipers, lights, electric windscreen & mirrors, Bluetooth and voice control. ABS, EBD, EPS, Traction control. Remapped, with reversing "anti Pizza delivery boy" camera. £3.5 custom racking system and false floor in the back.

Shame it is made out of old baked bean cans though :lol:

Rear suspension is still leaf springs on a solid axle too which makes speed bumps interesting :lol:
Click to expand...


sounds ok to me. my renault traffic has wind up windows. :D
 
Had one of those as a courtesy van once. Broke it.


:lol:
 
Fahad, I left the wipers on for 5 minutes yesterday, on auto, in the dry and they never turned off (will probably need new wipers now!).

Must be a broken sensor, I think I'll give up on them.

Thanks for your replies.
 
Eugene - the sensor is obviously knackered then mate or just not mounted correctly..
 
I'll see if I can find the post later, but thinking of your last post - how fresh were your wipers to start with? Worn blades can cause issues as well.
 
Dan, the blades are brand new (bosch) but there is a score mark on the windscreen from previous owner.

I'd appreciate it if you could find the old post.
 
http://typeaccord.co.uk/forum/topic/2244-honda-accord-ctdi-rain-sensor-auto-wiper-problem/page__p__27680__hl__wiper+sensor__fromsearch__1#entry27680

Amazing what "wiper sensor" in the search box can bring up ;).

Hope it helps...
 
Thanks Dan but I'd already read that post which wasn't conclusive, I thought there was another post regarding how to clean the sensor.
 
No probs bud - let us know how you get on?
 
you sure the sensor is on properly as its a funny thing to get on without thinking you'll break it and make sure nothing is on/blocking the sensor, maybe disconnect the earth to the batt for 10mins that may reset it.
 
Just a quick update. While driving yesterday in the rain (as usual) I tugged on the wiper sensor and the auto wipers began to work again. Oddly I didn't feel any movement in the sensor and it feels very secure.

They are still working today so fingers crossed.

Thanks to all for your help.
 
When I first got my car (second hand) the auto wipers seemed to have a complete mind of their own. They just did not work correctly.

I looked up a few things about needing a new control unit and left it for a few months (it was summer). As autumn came on, I needed a new battery so I replaced that.

The wipers now worked. They've been working ever since (more than 2 years on). I think the act of removing the old battery and putting the new one in, basically resetting the car sorted out the problem, as Salim suggested.

As for the sensitivity setting, it is very variable depending on your windscreen. If the windscreen is spotlessly clean, polished, rain-Xed, etc then I find I need to be at the least sensitive end of the dial, whereas when the screen is a bit more scratched up (end of winter, etc), no rain-X and ***** screenwash (halfrauds are you listening?) then it goes to the most sensitive end. If you have never polished a windscreen now is the time to do so! Any windscreen more than 1 year or so old has very fine scratches in direction of the wiper arc. Even if you don't particularly perceive them as you look through the screen, they cause the screen to scatter light more (you'll notice it most at night when a car with headlights on comes toward you, and the light scatters into vertical lines). This light scattering causes problems for the rain sensor trying to detect the raindrops on the screen. Polishing the screen reduces the depth of these scratches, and rain-X reduces them further.
 
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