Auto windshield wipers first experience in Oregon - they suck!

[eprosenx]

We had the first serious rains of the seasons here in Oregon today which required major use of the windshield wipers.

I have to say I am vastly underwhelmed. The auto mode was way too slow during heavy rain and too fast during low amounts of rain.

The UI for selecting them sucks. I am constantly having to adjust wiper speed in Oregon (on other cars) and so if I have to do it on the Tesla because the auto speed mode sucks then this is not going to be a good long term experience.

I love the flat panel display and all, but frankly, physical controls that you can operate manually without looking are a better user experience for many functions.

I hope Tesla can make some improvements here in software as otherwise this vehicle might not be fun to drive here in Oregon many months out of the year.

Anyone else have feedback on the wipers?

 

[pilotSteve]

Are you referring to Model 3? S and X have interval wiper control on the stalk.

 

[eprosenx]

Are you referring to Model 3? S and X have interval wiper control on the stalk.

Yes, the Model 3 (sorry I did not specify, but I did post in the Model 3 forum). ;-)

 

[bradhs]

It uses AI code... Give it some time to learn what Oregon rain looks like.

 

[Aieukl378]

Yes, the Model 3 (sorry I did not specify, but I did post in the Model 3 forum). ;-)

The S(never had an X) has better auto wipers but I wouldn't say the 3s are horrible. Also, I didn't think the interface was bad...I mean it's right there in front on the bottom left screen. My main gripe is when its misting or drizzling the auto wipers don't seem to detect this very well. My work around is pressing in the left stalk to clear the windshield. And don't fear, I'm sure these will get better over time with software tweaks.

 

[CCIE]

I’ve been happy with my auto wipers. Though, I tend to prefer less wiping. I do wish I could set a max wiper speed so the auto setting will never switch to high speed. Unless the car gets splashed by a passing or oncoming vehicle, I would never need high speed. And, in that case, I’d trigger the wipers with a manual button.

I’m on v2018.32.6

 

[Shateam]

I've noticed they are fairly effective with large rain drops. As the drops get smaller (i.e. mist and drizzle) they are less effective...they've definitely gotten better since the initial release (AP2+ cars) and hopefully that will continue.

 

[brobinson]

The only issue I have with them is in a fine mist or drizzle. I will periodically press the stalk in those cases.

I do agree that they can be sporadic, but once heavy rain starts it doesn't seem to be an issue.

We drove almost 400 miles from baltimore to cleveland this past weekend and it rained the entire time. I noticed that the aerodynamics of the car tend to keep the sensors clear, while the bottom 3rd of the windshield gets more wet. This was especially prevalent with water being kicked up from the road.

 

[scottysize]

We've had a lot of sprinkling and rain in Texas this past week, and I'm of the same opinion. They need to work on the code for auto. I end up either hitting the button on the stalk every 15 seconds, or set it to Delay 1 or 2. Auto isn't ready for prime time yet.

 

[DeusExMachinist]

Huh, I was remarking yesterday how well they performed for me in varying rain from drizzle to all out downpour.

 

[mongo]

Out of curiosity, next time you have a misting rain where the wipers don't work well, would you mind taking a look at the windshield from the outside where the cameras are? I'm wondering if the the defrost/ defogger elements cause the mist to evaporate so that the cameras never get to see it.

 

[trm2]

It uses AI code... Give it some time to learn what Oregon rain looks like.

So, who programmed it?

 

[Nocturnal]

They are a little fast IMO, but work well. My only complaint is that on low speed they can stutter, though that may just be new blades on the glass.

 

[iwannam3]

I got the same rain in Vancouver and the wipers worked great. They cover a higher percentage of the glass than most other cars too.

 

[eSpiritIV]

Regarding the wiper controls, cant you also adjust them from the steering wheel scroll wheels now? I dont have my car yet so i cant confirm.
I recommend that you "submit a bug report" and describe your issue. The more people that talk about percieved issues, the more they will bump it up in the software que. I also am in Portland. As you know we have rain 2/3rds the year and this is very important.

 

[WileyTheMan]

What is this rain thing you speak of? I have wiper blades?

I have a feeling the wiper blade UI will improve dramatically before I ever see rain in my area.

 

[eprosenx]

I got the same rain in Vancouver and the wipers worked great. They cover a higher percentage of the glass than most other cars too.

To be clear- I am complaining about the auto speed control and the soft buttons for manually controlling them that require taking your eyes off the road.

The wipers themselves seem to have good coverage, although they don't seem incredibly robust. I suspect when we get snow (or worse yet ice) they may not do very well.

 

[eprosenx]

Regarding the wiper controls, cant you also adjust them from the steering wheel scroll wheels now? I dont have my car yet so i cant confirm.
I recommend that you "submit a bug report" and describe your issue. The more people that talk about percieved issues, the more they will bump it up in the software que. I also am in Portland. As you know we have rain 2/3rds the year and this is very important.

This would be logical. I will have to check, though I don't think so. The left scroll wheel does volume normally and the right does autopilot control.

This is one of those situations where the drive to make everything software controlled has gone a bit too far.

I actually also dislike the lack of physical feedback for the turn signals. I still don't like that the turn signal stalk always returns to the center position even if the blinkers are on.

 

[stayfocus18]

agree they are terrible and stutter.. im on 34,1

 

[WhiteMountains]

I don't find the auto wipers to be very useful in their current software (21.9). They seem to do OK with large droplets, but are way too slow with small droplets, even when it is pouring rain. My windshield will be completely covered over and then, a moment or two later, the wipers will decide to do a lazy sweep. I find myself using the manual modes almost every time it rains. That is annoying because they are not easily accessed (multiple taps on a touch screen where you have to watch what you are doing) plus the intervals offered are very coarse. However, the auto wipers will likely improve with software updates and it doesn't rain very often, so it's only a minor annoyance. The auto headlights work great, however.