Anyone else's wipers not work the way you'd like them to?

[KMeloney]

Hey all,

My intermittent wipers are... Well... Crappy. The wipers themselves work well -- it's just that even on the highest (fastest?) intermittent setting, they still allow plenty of water on the windshield before they make a pass.

It seems to me that the higher settings ought to be more sensitive. Doesn't really seem to be the case.

I know I'm not the first to complain about these, but I also don't know if there's a sensitivity setting that I can mess with (or if there's a TSB or anything out on them). They just don't seem to work like I'd imagine they should (certain not as well as on my mom's Caddy sedan, that's for sure).

Thoughts? Thanks!

/< / /2 /<

[Nfamous60]

yeah to me it seems more sensitive but i guess it depends on the size of the rain drops (if that makes Sense) meaning if it's like drizzle or mist it hard for the system to determine the glass actually needs wiping hence the delay but if it's raing and pouring i notice that it moves faster i keep mines on the 4th setting. if it gets to annoying put it on the consistent wiping motion.

also i brought some Rain X wiper and these SOB's dont fit i had to take em bac and go to the dealer. but the dealer was actually cheaper then autozone (STRANGE)

[rogersinsel]

Mine work fine. The rain sense option was new to me, but now it is not such a big deal. Perhaps if I knew how they do not work for you, I might understand if mine do the same thing or not.

[KMeloney]

Mine work fine. The rain sense option was new to me, but now it is not such a big deal. Perhaps if I knew how they do not work for you, I might understand if mine do the same thing or not.

Please check my first paragraph again.

On the last setting before putting them on "constant," the wipers sometimes allow a decent amount of water on the windshield before they sense that they ought to make a pass. In some cases there is too much water too see well before the wipers move. I can understand them allowing this much water on the 'shield before moving if I had them set on a SLOW setting. But the higher setting should react much more quickly than the slow setting (and more quickly than it does).

Thanks!

[rogersinsel]

Sorry, a re-read of your original post I understand now. Mine do as you've described, but only when I have just activated them and am sitting still. At speed I never have an issue. I checked the owners manual and it makes no mention that speed might be involved in the calculations, but I think it is. I have noticed on occasion that more water is on the wind screen than I'd like. In that situation I just adjust the control up one notch and the system kicks in after that. I do feel an adjustment is warranted.

[KMeloney]

Thanks, Roger. You might be on to something with the speed sensitivity -- which isn't good when you're driving around town at relatively slow speeds. And, of course, reaching to adjust the wiper speed knob pretty much defeats the purpose of having a system that's supposed to keep you from needing to adjust anything. Kind of silly, huh?

[007fl]

I'm gonna take a wild guess here.

I always keep mine on the lowest setting (just before off). The wipers always adjust their speed according to how much rain is on the windshield. When I pass a truck (even in a drizzle) and get "washed" they go like crazy.

Perhaps (and I do say perhaps) when you turn the speed up higher the sensor is bypassed and you're back to regular intermittents?????

[nc6600]

I am glad i dont have the rain-sense ones.

[KMeloney]

I'm gonna take a wild guess here.

I always keep mine on the lowest setting (just before off). The wipers always adjust their speed according to how much rain is on the windshield. When I pass a truck (even in a drizzle) and get "washed" they go like crazy.

Perhaps (and I do say perhaps) when you turn the speed up higher the sensor is bypassed and you're back to regular intermittents?????

Perhaps! LOL I'll give it a whirl.

[Nfamous60]

guess its safe to say the amount of water and speed of the trucc determines the action of the wipers. and the knob adjust the speed of the wipers not the sensitivity. today i rolled thru a hydrant that was spraying in the air and the wipers work normally then around my grand mothers block i went thru a hydrant that they were blasting with a open ended can and the wipers went crazy as the water hit. but on highways i never had to adjust or reach during the rain. so my stated may be the key. (I'm Guessing)

[DFWTahoe]

I had a similar issue, mine also would sometime times not turn on automatically. They replaced the sensors and now it works great. Service adviser at Huffiness in Plano said sensors act up more often then not.

[KMeloney]

I had a similar issue, mine also would sometime times not turn on automatically. They replaced the sensors and now it works great. Service adviser at Huffiness in Plano said sensors act up more often then not.

Ah-ha... Ok, thanks for this info. Now, would you say that yours just wouldn't turn on at ALL, or were they just SLOW to turn on? I'm wondering if the sensors can slowly go bad and not work "as well," or if they either work or don't work with no in between. If they can start to not work well, then maybe mine was never very good.

[rogersinsel]

Once or twice, mine just come on while they're dry. I just figured it was having a fit or something.

[KMeloney]

Anyone know where the sensors are, and how many there are? (If I end up taking it in to the dealer, I'd like to know as much as I can about the system.)

Thanks!

[Nfamous60]

thought the sensor was tha ball looking thing on top of the dash by the front defroster??

[rogersinsel]

Anyone know where the sensors are, and how many there are? (If I end up taking it in to the dealer, I'd like to know as much as I can about the system.)

Thanks!

I think it is located up by the rear view mirror.

[hoserty]

The sensor for the wipers is just behind the rearview mirror if you want to test this out leave them in the lowest setting and clean your windshield with the squege at a gas station. the wipers will turn right as you go over the mirror area

[zach2011]

I also keep mine on the highest sensitivity before "constant", and they wait too long to come on. So when I need them, I just turn the knob down 1 setting and back up 1 setting.

So no, they don't really work the way I'd like them to. My mom thinks her Escalade has "ghost wipers" that come on and spray the windshield randomly...but it's actually her purse hitting the Heated Windshield Fluid button, haha.

---------- Post added at 11:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 AM ----------

thought the sensor was tha ball looking thing on top of the dash by the front defroster??

I think that's the sensor that tells your headlights/dash lights to illuminate when it detects a low brightness level.

[DFWTahoe]

Ah-ha... Ok, thanks for this info. Now, would you say that yours just wouldn't turn on at ALL, or were they just SLOW to turn on? I'm wondering if the sensors can slowly go bad and not work "as well," or if they either work or don't work with no in between. If they can start to not work well, then maybe mine was never very good.

wipers worked sometimes, most of the time I had to turn them on manual.

[BlizzardX23]

I kinda know what your talkin about....


I changed the blades on my truck 2 1/2 weeks ago...they were PHUCKED.... I got Rain-X and did the ENTIRE windshield...TWICE...and put the Rain-X blades on...now after treating the windshield...I dont even have to use my windshield wipers in the rain anymore! :D

try it out...its definitely worth it!