Auto Wipers are awful

[hgmichna]

If you have to complain about the auto-wipers, at least mention your software version. Wiper behavior has changed and generally improved with newer versions.

Then consider refraining from discussing the topic at all, because many people have religious feelings about what amount of wiping is correct. Therefore, auto-wiper discussions are always endless and fought with religious fervor.

I, for one, belong to the lucky ones who would manually wipe exactly as much as Tesla does it automatically. So I peep into these discussions briefly, eat some popcorn, then leave again.

 

[Pagemakers]

If you have to complain about the auto-wipers, at least mention your software version. Wiper behavior has changed and generally improved with newer versions.

Then consider refraining from discussing the topic at all, because many people have religious feelings about what amount of wiping is correct. Therefore, auto-wiper discussions are always endless and fought with religious fervor.

I, for one, belong to the lucky ones who would manually wipe exactly as much as Tesla does it automatically. So I peep into these discussions briefly, eat some popcorn, then leave again.

Disagree. Wipers for me were crap years ago and are still crap now. 2021.4.18

 

[Somex]

If you have to complain about the auto-wipers, at least mention your software version. Wiper behavior has changed and generally improved with newer versions.

Then consider refraining from discussing the topic at all, because many people have religious feelings about what amount of wiping is correct. Therefore, auto-wiper discussions are always endless and fought with religious fervor.

I, for one, belong to the lucky ones who would manually wipe exactly as much as Tesla does it automatically. So I peep into these discussions briefly, eat some popcorn, then leave again.

Irrespective of software version, wipers should not come on when it’s a dry, bright sunny day

 

[Pagemakers]

Or crazily wipe in drizzle or not wipe in heavy rain or not be predictable in what they’re going to do from one day to another.

 

[Artiste]

I've owned BMW's and Audi's costing 50kish since 1985 and the auto wipers were no better than my 2020 model 3 tesla.
I've no idea what you guys have been driving for the past 30 years but I don't believe you've had better behaved wipers.

I’ve been driving Audis for over 20 years. I have never once experienced wipers that go berserk on a sunny day, and I have never once experienced wipers that fail to come on in heavy rain. I can assure you I’ve had incomparably better behaved wipers, even when I used to drive a cheap and nasty hatch. In fact I haven’t even thought about wipers for years because they just work as intended.

The fact is that wipers on a £60k car should just work day in and day out, reliably and consistently. Anything else in inexcusable. But then a big part of the Tesla experience is excusing the inexcusable.

 

[Somex]

I’ve been driving Audis for over 20 years. I have never once experienced wipers that go berserk on a sunny day, and I have never once experienced wipers that fail to come on in heavy rain. I can assure you I’ve had incomparably better behaved wipers, even when I used to drive a cheap and nasty hatch. In fact I haven’t even thought about wipers for years because they just work as intended.

The fact is that wipers on a £60k car should just work day in and day out, reliably and consistently. Anything else in inexcusable. But then a big part of the Tesla experience is excusing the inexcusable.

Spot on! Absolutely valid an correct in all you say ( other than I would not have qualified it with a £60k car, ANY new car should have lights and wipers that “just work” all of the time

 

[Mrklaw]

Thing with my previous BMWs was that even with auto wipers you could fine tune the sensitivity in case their standard wasn’t to your personal preference.

tesla give you nothing. They have a stalk for it so how much would it have cost them for a simple twist for sensitivity?

 

[browellm]

Day 2, this time a cloudy day and they are still wiping a dry screen like they are possessed by a demented windscreen Djinn. I've just done a full reboot to see if that helps.

 

[Dilly]

It‘s really surprising that we effectively drive the same car and mostly have the same software (currently .4.18) and yet our experiences are worlds apart.
I cannot ever recall the wipers trying wipe a dry screen. In general they’ve behaved no better or worse than any other car. I have had to give them a nudge to start once or twice but that’s all. Ioniq and Outlander have also needed the odd nudge. I really feel for those who suffer such poor experiences with them. It makes you wonder where the problem truly lies. One wonders whether the lenses come with plastic protection and like a lot of plastic protection that get left on parts of these cars, is there some left on some lenses?

 

[Somex]

Thing with my previous BMWs was that even with auto wipers you could fine tune the sensitivity in case their standard wasn’t to your personal preference.

tesla give you nothing. They have a stalk for it so how much would it have cost them for a simple twist for sensitivity?

Now that would be too easy, and if you are like Tesla, stubborn and inflexible it’s not a solution Tesla would go for.
What! change camera for sensor, not us, we know better than most (if not all) the other car manufacturers in the world.

 

[AnthonyLR]

Mine do occasionally start wiping a dry screen. I assume it is pollen or something else that the cameras mistake for rain. I just switch them off at that point and when it next rains switch them back on again. I agree it's irritating the auto wipers don't work as well as a VW, BMW, Merc or Audi.

 

[Somex]

Mine do occasionally start wiping a dry screen. I assume it is pollen or something else that the cameras mistake for rain. I just switch them off at that point and when it next rains switch them back on again. I agree it's irritating the auto wipers don't work as well as a VW, BMW, Merc or Audi.

It’s not only the wiping a dry screen, it’s the frantic wiping (sometimes) in light rain, the (sometimes) occasional wipe when there is horrific rain. It just doesn’t work (all the time) as most people expect.

 

[Yachtsman]

Hopefully they fix the latest version (as in limited 2021.4.15.x line) before it goes general release as my experience was that they were totally blind to road spray in no rain conditions. Others on that line also commented similar experience. Someone commented that the behaviour may have been optimised for autopilot vision use - its certainly not a pleasant experience for the occupants. I ended up constantly pressing the stalk - those were the sort of driving conditions where you don't want to be taking your eyes off the road, even if its limited visibility and car 'driving itself' - as for voice command, meh, I wouldn't even devote any mental capacity trying to see if it was understanding me.

It‘s really surprising that we effectively drive the same car and mostly have the same software (currently .4.18) and yet our experiences are worlds apart.
I cannot ever recall the wipers trying wipe a dry screen. In general they’ve behaved no better or worse than any other car. I have had to give them a nudge to start once or twice but that’s all. Ioniq and Outlander have also needed the odd nudge. I really feel for those who suffer such poor experiences with them. It makes you wonder where the problem truly lies. One wonders whether the lenses come with plastic protection and like a lot of plastic protection that get left on parts of these cars, is there some left on some lenses?

That's a good point Dilly. I don't understand why there's such a difference kn operation.
I've never had phantom braking either, hesitation yes, & I've travelled a few hundred miles on the m6, m5, m42 during rush hour with loads of hgv's, so I don't get it why many have found it a huge problem.

 

[MrBadger]

Hopefully they fix the latest version (as in limited 2021.4.15.x line) before it goes general release as my experience was that they were totally blind to road spray in no rain conditions. Others on that line also commented similar experience. Someone commented that the behaviour may have been optimised for autopilot vision use - its certainly not a pleasant experience for the occupants. I ended up constantly pressing the stalk - those were the sort of driving conditions where you don't want to be taking your eyes off the road, even if its limited visibility and car 'driving itself' - as for voice command, meh, I wouldn't even devote any mental capacity trying to see if it was understanding me.

Probably not the best example of different behaviour to quote - the 2021.4.15.x line was a very limited release that lasted around 20 days before reverting back to general release. The 2021.4.15.x apparently had the next general rain detection that wasn't in any other public release, ie 2021.4.18 that replaced it reverted back to the standard auto wiper detection. So not surprising that this experience is not wide spread.

It looks like most people didn't get those versions and therefor the auto wiper functionality. I don't know if @Dilly got that version, but if anyone was not driving in situation with no rain but lots of spray they never would have encountered the issue. Our cloud bursts we got in May were perfect conditions to cause this. Like wise, heavy showers, bright sun, occluded roads. Perfect conditions that in the past had caused issues with auto wipers for me.

But yes, there is an apparent large variation in peoples experiences, but I bet if you looked at the circumstances and software versions there will be more correlation than may otherwise be apparent. My experiences of poor behaviour are in very predictable circumstances, but if those circumstances are not prevalent then they work fine.

I've owned cars from several manufacturers (mostly BMW and VAG) with auto wipers for over 20 years and never have I been regularly talking to the car telling it "you can stop now".

That's a good point Dilly. I don't understand why there's such a difference kn operation.
I've never had phantom braking either, hesitation yes, & I've travelled a few hundred miles on the m6, m5, m42 during rush hour with loads of hgv's, so I don't get it why many have found it a huge problem.

 

[Somex]

I've owned cars from several manufacturers (mostly BMW and VAG) with auto wipers for over 20 years and never have I been regularly talking to the car telling it "you can stop now".

Pretty much my gripe, agreed different experiences will vary dependant on software version but certain things (like wiping in dry conditions) should NEVER happen IMHO
Tesla crow that they are a software / tech company but it seems apparent that that’s what is letting them down… just read the criticism of FSD threads

 

[Yachtsman]

Probably not the best example of different behaviour to quote - the 2021.4.15.x line was a very limited release that lasted around 20 days before reverting back to general release. The 2021.4.15.x apparently had the next general rain detection that wasn't in any other public release, ie 2021.4.18 that replaced it reverted back to the standard auto wiper detection. So not surprising that this experience is not wide spread.

It looks like most people didn't get those versions and therefor the auto wiper functionality. I don't know if @Dilly got that version, but if anyone was not driving in situation with no rain but lots of spray they never would have encountered the issue. Our cloud bursts we got in May were perfect conditions to cause this. Like wise, heavy showers, bright sun, occluded roads. Perfect conditions that in the past had caused issues with auto wipers for me.

But yes, there is an apparent large variation in peoples experiences, but I bet if you looked at the circumstances and software versions there will be more correlation than may otherwise be apparent. My experiences of poor behaviour are in very predictable circumstances, but if those circumstances are not prevalent then they work fine.

I've owned cars from several manufacturers (mostly BMW and VAG) with auto wipers for over 20 years and never have I been regularly talking to the car telling it "you can stop now".

I've owned cars from several manufacturers (mostly BMW and VAG) with auto wipers for over 20 years and never have I been regularly talking to the car telling it "you can stop now".
That copy didn't quite work as intended.
My last 2 bmws, a 330d xdrive and an m3 both suffered from spasmodic fits when clearing light rain. They'd go full pelt as though i was inside a hurricane & would repeat after being cancelled & restarted.
Often they'd not start with light rain & would need a nudge. A couple of dealerships claimed it was normal & no fault.
I see Tesla wipers as hardly different, not perfect but liveable.

 

[Dilly]

Probably not the best example of different behaviour to quote - the 2021.4.15.x line was a very limited release that lasted around 20 days before reverting back to general release. The 2021.4.15.x apparently had the next general rain detection that wasn't in any other public release, ie 2021.4.18 that replaced it reverted back to the standard auto wiper detection. So not surprising that this experience is not wide spread.

I went from 4.12.2 to .15.6, 15.8, 15.10 & 15.12. Then to 15.18. 15.8 lasted 24 hours and the car didn’t move. 15.10 & 15.12 lasted 5 days each and I covered about 80 miles in that time But it was pretty much dry weather as I recall. At some point during that time, there was a very meagre drizzle which needed the merest of wipes and it did that perfectly.

 

[Somex]

Often they'd not start with light rain & would need a nudge. A couple of dealerships claimed it was normal & no fault.
I see Tesla wipers as hardly different, not perfect but liveable.

I've owned cars from several manufacturers (mostly BMW and VAG) with auto wipers for over 20 years and never have I been regularly talking to the car telling it "you can stop now".
That copy didn't quite work as intended.
My last 2 bmws, a 330d xdrive and an m3 both suffered from spasmodic fits when clearing light rain. They'd go full pelt as though i was inside a hurricane & would repeat after being cancelled & restarted.
Often they'd not start with light rain & would need a nudge. A couple of dealerships claimed it was normal & no fault.
I see Tesla wipers as hardly different, not perfect but liveable.

I believe your experience, but I find they are a LOT different, my VW cars were not perfect either, but the big difference I find was that a SMALL adjustment would correct the issue. My Tesla often requires MAJOR intervention as the wipers often wipe / don’t wipe when required

 

[MrBadger]

I see Tesla wipers as hardly different, not perfect but liveable.

The thing with the Tesla wipers is that they are, as in my quoted experience, at times dangerous if you are not aware how to override. I've had this far too many times in 18+ months of ownership - thankful passenger around to operate wiper controls leaving driver to concentrate on the poor road conditions. Things do occasionally improve - before 'deep rain' it was a right mess that finally got EM's attention via someone's Twitter video.

Most cars its pretty obvious how to control wipers - most people will have hired a strange make model of a car and found the wiper controls almost by instinct. With the Model 3, at best, you will be overriding wipers by pressing end of stalk every second or so (but you need to know that pressing end of stalk causes a flick wipe in addition to the normal washer mode), at worse, you end up looking down at the screen at the precise moment when you need maximum concentration on the road ahead. I'll ignore voice, as most of the time it needs as much mental and visual input as looking at screen to operate wipers.

 

[Iain]

Auto wipers, auto headlights, phantom braking, I'm not sure which is worse, the fact people get these problems or the fact it seems so variable between owners, some saying they never get the issue, others saying the features are unusable. Even allowing for a bit of exaggeration at both ends of the spectrum there seems to be very different user experiences. The one thing you want, especially if self driving is to be a thing, is consistency and arguably the lack of consistency is as big an issue as the issues themselves

My guess is the truth is very personal. One person might get a phantom brake where they lost a few mph and think they are in mortal danger while others might just find it a little annoying. My wife doesn’t care for the late braking but she trusts me to monitor the car, while I totally understand someone not feeling comfortable in the exact same situation.