Auto Windshield wipers are Junk

[Mod3forMe]

I live in the rainy PNW and I have to say the auto windshield wipers are terrible, made worse by the requirement to take your eyes off the road to go to Manual wipers. I have to admit I am getting used to hit the "one wipe" button on my stock and then stabbing for the manual option on the screen when passing a truck in the rain, but this is by far not ideal.

Today I decided to see how long it would take autowipers to clean a very rainy windshield. It took 14 minutes! Here is a few shots from the 14minutes (first one was the start and last one is about 1 minute before it finally decided a wipe was needed and few to show in between)

AS you can see it silly that auto wipers would ignore this much rain on the windshield for nearly 15min.

 

[Knightshade]

What SW are you on? a number of folks have reported significant improvements in the last update or two

 

[Luudcrs]

14 minutes? Yikes!

Windshield wipers are horrible, and arguably dangerous

 

[RLC3]

I have noticed a significant improvement recently, although I would not call it good yet, and I can't pinpoint what software versions caused the improvement. What I notice now is slightly more prompt removal of low levels of water on the windshield, and better handling of really bad conditions. Now the wipers will go all the way to high speed wiping under conditions that are poor enough, and sad to say we do have those at times here in Portland.

I wish this feature had an adjustment for how aggressively you want water wiped away. Of course, probably everyone agrees it should be more aggressive than it is. I suspect the issues have to do with the camera not being able to see enough window area to average the amount of water properly.

 

[Eno Deb]

I agree. The most recent update solved some issues (it now sometimes works in the dark), but in other situations it's basically unusable. The worst is if there is a lot of spray from other cars in front of you. It often doesn't react at all to this, so you'd be driving blind without turning on the manual wiper. Then if the traffic in front of you clears so there is no more spraying, the wipers keep scraping on a dry windshield. So you end up constantly fiddling with the screen turning the wipers on and off. Just terrible. They really need to come up with a way to turn continuous wiping on and off using the stalk (e.g. double-press on the button or something).

 

[Mod3forMe]

What SW are you on? a number of folks have reported significant improvements in the last update or two

2018.50.6

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

I live in the rainy PNW and I have to say the auto windshield wipers are terrible, made worse by the requirement to take your eyes off the road to go to Manual wipers. I have to admit I am getting used to hit the "one wipe" button on my stock and then stabbing for the manual option on the screen when passing a truck in the rain, but this is by far not ideal.

The wiper speed selector comes on for a good five to ten seconds after you push the left stock button to manual wipe at the bottom left of the HUD where it would be if you swiped it yourself. Takes half a second to switch between speeds. No different than any other car as each car has their own way of adjusting wiper speed. Plus, Teslas (optioned) lane keeps and distance follows.

Next time you're in a different car and it rains. Can you honestly say you didn't briefly take your eyes off the road to adjust the wiper speed?

 

[Mod3forMe]

I agree. The most recent update solved some issues (it now sometimes works in the dark), but in other situations it's basically unusable. The worst is if there is a lot of spray from other cars in front of you. It often doesn't react at all to this, so you'd be driving blind without turning on the manual wiper. Then if the traffic in front of you clears so there is no more spraying, the wipers keep scraping on a dry windshield. So you end up constantly fiddling with the screen turning the wipers on and off. Just terrible. They really need to come up with a way to turn continuous wiping on and off using the stalk (e.g. double-press on the button or something).

100% agree. I am sure I would not be as annoyed with the wipers if I could control them manually from the stock. Having to complete a *two handed* operation that takes your eyes away from the road in low visibility/wet conditions is dangerous. *(bring up the screen wiper with your left at the stock and choose the manual mode with your right hand on the screen)*

 

[Shygar]

It's probably because they're using the cameras to determine when to run the wipers. To me it seems to be worse at certain types of droplets, like tiny but many of them.

 

[Eno Deb]

Next time you're in a different car and it rains. Can you honestly say you didn't briefly take your eyes off the road to adjust the wiper speed?

Uhm, yes. That was easy to do in every other car I've ever owned.

 

[ewoodrick]

I live in the rainy PNW and I have to say the auto windshield wipers are terrible, made worse by the requirement to take your eyes off the road to go to Manual wipers. I have to admit I am getting used to hit the "one wipe" button on my stock and then stabbing for the manual option on the screen when passing a truck in the rain, but this is by far not ideal.

Today I decided to see how long it would take autowipers to clean a very rainy windshield. It took 14 minutes! Here is a few shots from the 14minutes (first one was the start and last one is about 1 minute before it finally decided a wipe was needed and few to show in between)

AS you can see it silly that auto wipers would ignore this much rain on the windshield for nearly 15min.
View attachment 377661View attachment 377662 View attachment 377663 View attachment 377659

Interesting, I had no problems seeing the road or the traffic in any of the pictures. I'm guessing the camera could see as well.

 

[Luudcrs]

Next time you're in a different car and it rains. Can you honestly say you didn't briefly take your eyes off the road to adjust the wiper speed?

Emphatically, YES! Over 15 years ago, in a Honda, simple twist of a knob on the right stalk. It was simply second nature and never had to take eyes off the road. Just like activating the turn signal.

 

[angelman]

I don't know in most cars I would always end up confusing wipe speed with spray or rear wiper or rear wiper speed. So many different controls on one stalk with weird cryptic icons. Even after a couple of years I get confused in my Volvo. Personally I haven't had any real problems with the auto wipers even in the dark and with snow but each to their own. Also very possibly I am an idiot if I can't figure out traditional wiper modes!
Slightly off topic but re: UI and ergonomics, going back to a modern non Tesla car like a Nissan rental was a shock. The touch screen was a dangerous mess. Icons and information just thrown up on the screen, slow and un-intuitive. Simple things like changing radio station were extremely difficult and impossible to do without taking your eyes off the road. A confusing array or strangely labelled buttons, switches, stalks scattered everywhere completed the look. It has to be said though that android Auto made everything good. Tesla touch screen seems wonderful by comparison

 

[Knightshade]

I never had to take my eyes off the road to adjust the wipers in my previous car, because unlike Tesla the manufacturer actually spent $2 for a real rain sensor so the automatic setting worked perfectly 100% of the time for 11 years.

 

[Mod3forMe]

The wiper speed selector comes on for a good five to ten seconds after you push the left stock button to manual wipe at the bottom left of the HUD where it would be if you swiped it yourself. Takes half a second to switch between speeds. No different than any other car as each car has their own way of adjusting wiper speed. Plus, Teslas (optioned) lane keeps and distance follows.

Next time you're in a different car and it rains. Can you honestly say you didn't briefly take your eyes off the road to adjust the wiper speed?

Yes I can honestly say I have not had to take my eyes of the road to adjust the wipers on every car I have had in the last 10 years.* My old Audi and my wife Sante Fe work great on Auto wipers, but both are easy to change without looking to use manual wipers. Even on the Model 3 I of course don't need to look to hit the single wipe button or to spray window.

* the one exception is when I first bought the car or if I was driving a rental etc. as it take a bit of time to get used to the action required to control the wipers on each car.

 

[Mod3forMe]

Interesting, I had no problems seeing the road or the traffic in any of the pictures. I'm guessing the camera could see as well.

Yes I could still see the road through the rain drops, but I don't think anyone would argue that an auto wiper should not run on with that much rain built up on the windshield.

 

[Drizzle]

Agreed, they suck, are random and helped me ruin a quarter panel due to a happy "max speed for no reason" surprise . I got lucky and it was a low speed collision, but someone is going to get seriously hurt at some point.

 

[jaboki]

It’s complete trash. It’s probably the only thing I absolutely hate about the car.

 

[RED MDL3]

Frankly I’d prefer the wiper controls to have an “always displayed” mode rather than appearing for a few seconds after pushing the stalk button. On the positive side the wipes actually do a great job of wiping the glass.

 

[ORFish]

When I saw the headline, that wipers are junk, I was excited that there had been an upgrade! I tell others here in the PNW not to buy a Model 3 until they start putting in an autowiper that works, or wipers I can set to wipe without taking my eyes off the road (that I can not see anyway through all the rain on the windshield that the auto wipers are not auto wiping).