Auto Wipers Triggered by Specific Types of Street Lights

[MikeeUK]

Have been meaning to post this for a while but while driving at night along the Kent section of the M25 and also the Essex section of the A13 last night, the auto wipers triggered yet again at the same sections where the street lights changed to a more orangy/yellowish hue.

It happens every time without fail. Both these sections have slightly different types of lighting but they project similar coloured light (definitely not white-ish light).

Does anyone experience the same issue at specific places and also think it's related to street light colour?

Not sure if my windscreen is unique in refracting the light in such a way as to fool the cameras into "seeing" spots of rain and triggering the wipers. Either way, it's 100% repeatable for me.

All I can think of doing is report it in the Tesla app but no idea what could be the solution.

 

[shahryaran]

How many times can you replicate the issue?

 

[WannabeOwner]

All I can think of doing is report it in the Tesla app but no idea what could be the solution.

is it still possible to report things like that "whilst driving"? (IDK but used to be) That would give them time / place / data (to improve the algorithm / whatever)

 

[Kansalis]

while driving at night along the Kent section of the M25

I drive that same section quite often at night in both directions & have never had the issue you describe. I don't recall having any dry wipe issues at night. It happens for me occasionally when the sun is low in front of the car, but very very rarely to be honest.

From your description of it happening repeatedly, it sounds like you may have some kind of streaky residue on the section of screen over the camera that is refracting the light from above. I'd suggest cleaning the camera area with some alcohol. It's worth cleaning the wipers themselves too, to help with streaking (not with alcohol). Not something we should need to do of course, but with the vision only system being on the outside arc of the wipers, it doesn't stay very clean.

 

[Blokie]

I have the exact same issue on sections of the M62 - happens every single time I am in that same area when the lights are on.

I ended up getting some S3XY Buttons so I can continue to use AP but disable the wipers.

 

[MrT3]

I have the exact same issue on sections of the M62 - happens every single time I am in that same area when the lights are on.

Did you report the issue? Having a consistent problem would be much easier for Tesla engineers to understand and fix the issue compared to the inconsistent reports they mainly get.

 

[timnd]

Same issue for me driving out of London on the M4 at night - I can't engage TACC until the lighted part of the motorway ends.

I drive this regularly on the way home from football games and it is always the same.

 

[MikeeUK]

How many times can you replicate the issue?

Literally happens every time I pass the same section of street lights when it's dark.

I'll try cleaning the windscreen as suggested and will also report to Tesla.

 

[Blokie]

Did you report the issue? Having a consistent problem would be much easier for Tesla engineers to understand and fix the issue compared to the inconsistent reports they mainly get.

I have zero confidence in Tesla reacting favourably, so didn't bother and went down the S3XY buttons route as the alternative was getting rid of the car as I'm not paying £50k for a car that I can't even use cruise control on the mororway in....

 

[CountvonC]

Same issue for me driving out of London on the M4 at night - I can't engage TACC until the lighted part of the motorway ends.

I drive this regularly on the way home from football games and it is always the same.

Exactly the same here, it is a pain! Lots of lit areas of motorway where mine does this.

 

[hgmichna]

The wiper automatic doesn't work well at night. Too much wiping with any bright light, too little when it's dark.

But we know that and hope for a software improvement, which is bound to come our way one day, so why even discuss this issue?

I use voice control commands for the wipers at night, when they misbehave. Works fairly well.

 

[Tony Hoyle]

We've been hoping for a software improvement to wipers since 2019. It isn't going to happen.

 

[Blokie]

The wiper automatic doesn't work well at night. Too much wiping with any bright light, too little when it's dark.

But we know that and hope for a software improvement, which is bound to come our way one day, so why even discuss this issue?

I use voice control commands for the wipers at night, when they misbehave. Works fairly well.

Voice controls are all well and good, but since Tesla implemented the change to force auto-wipers on when TACC/AP is enabled, you have to disable TACC if you encouter the issue or put up with constant dry wipes!

 

[browellm]

Have been meaning to post this for a while but while driving at night along the Kent section of the M25 and also the Essex section of the A13 last night, the auto wipers triggered yet again at the same sections where the street lights changed to a more orangy/yellowish hue.

View attachment 991731

It happens every time without fail. Both these sections have slightly different types of lighting but they project similar coloured light (definitely not white-ish light).

Does anyone experience the same issue at specific places and also think it's related to street light colour?

Not sure if my windscreen is unique in refracting the light in such a way as to fool the cameras into "seeing" spots of rain and triggering the wipers. Either way, it's 100% repeatable for me.

All I can think of doing is report it in the Tesla app but no idea what could be the solution.

Yes, have experienced this many times. Easily replicated.

 

[JP1611]

I experience the same issue, M1 northbound from Junction 26.

 

[Doudeau]

This is such a conundrum for me.

After over 4 years of M3 ownership (2 cars) I have only experience dry wiping for a few days and it happened a few weeks ago when I hadn’t diluted the wiper fluid enough - once I diluted it the problem went away.

I haven’t cleaned my car for months either - so it’s not like I’m obsessive about keeping the windscreen/cameras clean.

Not sure what counts as Kent section of M25 but I’ve driven it a few times this month between M3 and M26 at night - without issue.

 

[Rustybkts]

My wipers trigger when I go under an underpass in Leicester. Never fails.

 

[khyros]

some indoors lights as well. there's a car park in Cambridge, at the Leisure Centre... 100% of the times when I'm on the ground floor the wipers turn on. Every*single*time.

 

[Simavon]

M5 past Bristol, without fail. I have to turn off Autopilot for the first 10 miles or so until I get past the Avonmouth bridge and I can turn it on again.

 

[PianoAl]

it happened a few weeks ago when I hadn’t diluted the wiper fluid enough - once I diluted it the problem went away.

The problem was really bad for me yesterday but a bit better today. The dry wipes seem to be triggered by changes in light or fog or even trees. On another thread, we determined that it's not affected by windshield pitting, but I wonder if it can be made better by cleaning the windshield really well. That is, they are triggered by changes in light, but a somewhat dirty windshield is enough to make it go over the threshold for needing a wipe.

There's so much variability that it's hard to test that.