Autowipers are actually dangerous

[ShadowSix]

I came on for a rant about wipers myself, but thought I'd append it to this one.

We had another motorway trip this morning. Settled into the drive and engaged the cruise and lane-keeping. Not for the first (or even the second or third) time since this latest update the wipers auto set themselves to intermittent. I thought I'd see if it sorted itself, maybe wiped an obstruction from the camera. Maybe a wash wipe. No, it just continued, eventually dry wiping at full speed. I was forced to disengage the automatics and turn the bloody things off manually.

I tried again several times on the way home, on grey overcast day, not a spot of rain to be seen or felt. It maintained its defective nature throughout.

Because they are, defective. As an installation. It's not good enough. If someone can explain the logic behind the design choice of forcing auto wipers on with any kind of automated speed or lane keeping, I would love to hear it. It's even worse that it won't revert to your previous selection of 'off' after you've disengaged, you STILL have to go into the screen and turn the f*%^&^ers off AGAIN.

It's really wound me up, the stupidity and dangerous nature of it.

This isn't the only reason of course, but over the last year or so I've really gone off our M3, and Tesla in general. It will be our last for the foreseeable.

 

[Sparkeur]

and? AND? You cannot leave it with a cliff hanger like that...

We already know it was a dark and stormy night...the rain continued to fall in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by violent gusts of wind which swept curtains of water across the road like a hurricane let loose in a B&Q monsoon shower (other brands are available) well, that's what it looked like - when the wipers were working. Suddenly, as quickly as it started, the storm abated. The wind dropped, the moon came out from behind the clouds and the rain just disappeared. My wife and I heaved a sigh of relief as we approached our house. The auto high beam danced its merry jig to the accompaniment of the automatic wipers now screeching happily across the dry windscreen. All had returned to normal.

 

[Sean.]

Doesn’t the model s have a rain sensor and sensitivity adjustment on the stalk?

Not to my knowledge. Same as the X. Only manual swipe or jets+swipe, intermittent and constant with varying speeds.

 

[Simavon]

Wipers OFF => Microsoft => Navigating to Microsoft.

So now that's TWO things you have to fix via the touch screen, rather than one.

 

[Adopado]

If someone can explain the logic behind the design choice of forcing auto wipers on with any kind of automated speed or lane keeping, I would love to hear it.

The design choice is to stop people using AP in rainy conditions with the wipers switched off. It means if you have an AP related crash due to lack of wiping that's one thing that can't be blamed on the driver. (Now ... don't shoot the messenger ... I'm not making any comment on the quality of auto wipers here!)

 

[_MJF_]

I’m surprised that no one has mentioned voice commands for the wipers. Saying “Wipers OFF” / AUTO / 1, 2, 3 etc often works BUT I’ve had them go OFF when trying to speed them up in torrential rain.

Whenever I say "wipers off" it genuinely writes "wife is off" back at me.

 

[xreyuk]

Funnily enough, my wipers were working much better recently and then the Tesla tech had to 'reboot' the car, and ever since the wipers have been crap. They come on as soon as I engage autopilot for a bone dry screen, with not even a jot of rain in the sky or water on the roads. I flick the washers on thinking it might be the camera area, I'll try cleaning it, and they just carry on forever.

Absolute pain in the arse.

 

[Konicom04]

and when it comes to someone like me, it multiplies the issue.
My body gets goosebumps thinking those wipers are running over dry windshield . Think of it as fork running over porcelain plate at certain angle

 

[dmhundley]

The title of this thread is correct: the M3 [at least] camera-based windscreen wipers in this climate are a dangerous defect. If they have not already, it seems inevitable that they will be a cause of injury or death. As an American Midwesterner who has spent weeks a year in Ireland over 26 years and lived full time here for almost 4, soft rain is just not common in the US, especially in California where Tesla executives (who seem to be the chief beta testers) live. It is too fine for reliable camera perception, especially at night, but obscures the windscreen just as much, if not more, than the large drops of rain that fall elsewhere. Look at us discussing this in a regional thread that no one outside of this region is likely to read. That is the challenge of a software-based car sold worldwide, and I fear Tesla is not taking those differences very seriously.

 

[NikoV6]

Loaner 3 here at the moment, 2020 and agree wipers are rubbish. Also, phantom braking, its like the car is possessed

Cant wait for my S to be fixed

 

[ShadowSix]

The design choice is to stop people using AP in rainy conditions with the wipers switched off. It means if you have an AP related crash due to lack of wiping that's one thing that can't be blamed on the driver. (Now ... don't shoot the messenger ... I'm not making any comment on the quality of auto wipers here!)

To me that's a classic case of over-egging the pudding, and having a pudding that tastes like crap because it's got too many eggs in it.
For arguments sake (and not shooting the messenger), if someone is happy to pop the 'AP' (I still can't bring myself to call it an autopilot) with their view out of the windscreen completely obstructed, then they're not going to be paying attention even if the wipers are on. They've clearly decided that the car (or Jesus) has taken the wheel and their attention is no-longer required. Forcing their wipers on isn't going to make them more attentive surely.

What they have achieved is a major distraction for the driver, usually at motorway speeds in the UK. Do we have to wait for the first accident for them to do something about it?

 

[Mullermn]

To me that's a classic case of over-egging the pudding, and having a pudding that tastes like crap because it's got too many eggs in it.
For arguments sake (and not shooting the messenger), if someone is happy to pop the 'AP' (I still can't bring myself to call it an autopilot) with their view out of the windscreen completely obstructed, then they're not going to be paying attention even if the wipers are on. They've clearly decided that the car (or Jesus) has taken the wheel and their attention is no-longer required. Forcing their wipers on isn't going to make them more attentive surely.

What they have achieved is a major distraction for the driver, usually at motorway speeds in the UK. Do we have to wait for the first accident for them to do something about it?

Yes, but the point is that with the wipers off the AP system can't see what it's doing either. If Tesla allow you to force the wipers off while having autopilot on and autopilot has a crash, who's going to get the blame?

 

[s_zigmond]

Yes, but the point is that with the wipers off the AP system can't see what it's doing either. If Tesla allow you to force the wipers off while having autopilot on and autopilot has a crash, who's going to get the blame?

Maybe they could have a system that works for both, maybe radar for the cruise and infrared for the wipers like every other manufacturer i've used that "just works". While they are at it they could put the blind spot warning in the mirror where you should be looking when moving lane not the centre screen.

 

[Adopado]

if someone is happy to pop the 'AP' (I still can't bring myself to call it an autopilot) with their view out of the windscreen completely obstructed, then they're not going to be paying attention even if the wipers are on. They've clearly decided that the car (or Jesus) has taken the wheel and their attention is no-longer required. Forcing their wipers on isn't going to make them more attentive surely.

I think it's as much about liability as it is about function. The functional aspect is that the wipers are intended to clear the front facing cameras in the windscreen. If it were possible for the driver to leave the wipers switched off whilst having AP on (as used to be the case) I could envisage a scenario where the liability for any AP crash or incident may be disputed ... i.e. caused by the driver switching off wipers. If AP has full control of the wipers then any functional problems that occur can be put down to the hardware/software implementation of AP and auto-wipers (and we all know that there are "issues" with functionality so it's best that 100% of the responsibility remains with Tesla).

 

[init6]

Whenever I say "wipers off" it genuinely writes "wife is off" back at me.

That's the problem with non-rhotic languages

 

[NikoV6]

or AP is unavailable message as front camera blocked. Down to driver to make the call as to whether to use the wipers to clean it?

 

[init6]

While they are at it they could put the blind spot warning in the mirror where you should be looking when moving lane not the centre screen.

No good deed goes unpunished.

The blind spot camera view was software upgrade. Prior to that there was no blind spot view at all. Is it perfect? No. Is it better than no view? Yes.

 

[kelvin 660]

Yes, but the point is that with the wipers off the AP system can't see what it's doing either. If Tesla allow you to force the wipers off while having autopilot on and autopilot has a crash, who's going to get the blame?

However it used to be possible to have the wipers turned OFF, whilst on AP, back in the good old days, like only last year if I remember correctly... I think it would just disable AP when it couldn't see anymore...

 

[GRiLLA]

However it used to be possible to have the wipers turned OFF, whilst on AP, back in the good old days, like only last year if I remember correctly... I think it would just disable AP when it couldn't see anymore...

It used the radar.

 

[s_zigmond]

No good deed goes unpunished.

The blind spot camera view was software upgrade. Prior to that there was no blind spot view at all. Is it perfect? No. Is it better than no view? Yes.

I disagree with that. It's entirely useless in the middle. It might as well not be there rather then advertise as having it. A rear wiper would be good and brighter reverse lights while I think about it