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Windshield wiper issues (modes and settings)
- Thread starter michaelwm
- Start date
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- Model S User Interface
I can imagine this must be a frustrating part of the car (i experienced the same thing with a Jag. XK8 of my father).
I've always liked the wipersettings of a BMW 3-series very much!
1: Adjustible intervals (10sec, 5 sec, 3 sec & 1sec)
2: Continuous, slow
3: Continuous, fast
On the other hand things like these are details. But need improved when you want to build the best car in the world.
I've always liked the wipersettings of a BMW 3-series very much!
1: Adjustible intervals (10sec, 5 sec, 3 sec & 1sec)
2: Continuous, slow
3: Continuous, fast
On the other hand things like these are details. But need improved when you want to build the best car in the world.
Al Sherman
It's about THIS car.
+1 Certainly not a show stopper but the auto Wipers on the BMW 7 series are perfect. Flawless. The first time I saw them I was more impressed by their performance than I was with the space shuttle. I really want the Model S wipers to work like that. Is that really possible with just a software update?
kevincwelch
Active Member
That's a question I have as well. I would like to think that the autosensing mechanism could possibly be regulated by changes in the software. However, there is a motor that drives the wipes. If the motor can't move the wipers any faster for those who experience heavy rain, then we're stuck until Tesla modifies this part of the car.
Well, I think the 'fast' speed is slower on update 4 than the first day I had my car. Not the interval but the motion of the wipe was much faster before. I also think the sensitivity is a little lower than it was the for my first 300 rainy miles
mknox
Well-Known Member
Wipers are one of those small things that can make a big difference. When I bought my current Cadillac CTS, they had a piece on how much effort had gone into the wipers, how they work at any speed and in any condition etc. I thought it was just marketing hype, but you know what? I have the original wipers and blades and after 3 1/2 years they work perfectly at any speed, don't "chatter" and the auto wipe feature is beautiful.
The only problem I've had with auto-wipe is sometimes in the spring I drive into rural areas with a lot of flying insects. It's a gooey mess when the sensor thinks the bugs are rain :crying: but that is why there is an "off" position, I guess!
pilotSteve
Active Member
Well, I am amazed at how large a wiped area they create. Truly surprising how rectangular the clear area is. The geometry of the Tesla wipers is quite sophisticated.
Yes the sensitivity needs a SW update. I previously posted how my left pinkie is getting a real workout pushing the button on the wiper stalk to give me an 'extra' wipe as needed due to the raining weather we have in the NW.
With the recent rain in the Bay Area, I had my first opportunities to use the wipers. The first drizzly night, they worked fine. The automatic setting seemed to sweep the glass just when I would want it to.
The following morning, the auto setting worked well at first, ramping up from occasional sweeps to a continuous slow sweep, to a fast sweep that seemed at least as quick as any other car I've ever had.
But a little while later, the sensor started waiting much too long to sweep the glass, and I (having been lax and not read the book yet) didn't know how to do the single sweep, so I manually turned them onto a faster setting.
Definitely not as refined as my mother's BMW 740i, which had an extremely good automatic setting. I wonder whether these features are actually controlled by software, or if it's a system that Tesla is buying from somebody like Continental. If software, I hope for some refinements in later updates.
The following morning, the auto setting worked well at first, ramping up from occasional sweeps to a continuous slow sweep, to a fast sweep that seemed at least as quick as any other car I've ever had.
But a little while later, the sensor started waiting much too long to sweep the glass, and I (having been lax and not read the book yet) didn't know how to do the single sweep, so I manually turned them onto a faster setting.
Definitely not as refined as my mother's BMW 740i, which had an extremely good automatic setting. I wonder whether these features are actually controlled by software, or if it's a system that Tesla is buying from somebody like Continental. If software, I hope for some refinements in later updates.
Here's an idea: Don't wipe water into my car
OK, let's see if this happened to anyone else.
It was raining a bit today, so I had the wipers on the first step, the least sensitive rain detection setting.
Parked for an hour. Came back to the car, which was quite wet from the rain, get seated, but don't close the door before the car boots up and the wipers take their first mandatory turn (seems they always do this if the setting is on, rain or no rain) and the accumulated water on the windshield gets efficiently swiped away and splashes onto the inside of the driver's door. Ga.
I know this screams of "first-world problem", but still. Shouldn't a smart car figure out that there shouldn't be any need for wiping the windshield if a door is open? You're not likely to start driving until the door is closed, yes?
OK, let's see if this happened to anyone else.
It was raining a bit today, so I had the wipers on the first step, the least sensitive rain detection setting.
Parked for an hour. Came back to the car, which was quite wet from the rain, get seated, but don't close the door before the car boots up and the wipers take their first mandatory turn (seems they always do this if the setting is on, rain or no rain) and the accumulated water on the windshield gets efficiently swiped away and splashes onto the inside of the driver's door. Ga.
I know this screams of "first-world problem", but still. Shouldn't a smart car figure out that there shouldn't be any need for wiping the windshield if a door is open? You're not likely to start driving until the door is closed, yes?
That's actually interesting. If the windshield wiper system is not a closed "black box" that Tesla sourced from a third party, then they actually could put an interlock into the software to not wipe the glass while the driver's door is open.
I'm trying to make it a practice to return the wipers to off until/unless it is raining the next time I drive.
I'm trying to make it a practice to return the wipers to off until/unless it is raining the next time I drive.
Francis Lau
P-1456
I too have experienced the wiper issue - my Model S was so happy to see me, it gave me a welcome splash. Definitely something that should be fixed.
I was underwhelmed by the wipers' ability to clear the windshield of light, almost-freezing rain this weekend. They left two large areas, both at the far end of their traverse.
To be fair, we had the same freezing rain yesterday and my Infiniti's wipers were having trouble with that too. Sometimes with freezing rain you just have to put a lot of heat on the windshield.
mknox
Well-Known Member
Yep. Or just keep pouring a good quality washer fluid on to keep the ice from building up. Sometimes on days like that I think I use more washer fluid than gasoline. Hard to blame any car's wipers when freezing rain is in the mix.
strider
Active Member
We had variable light to moderate rain yesterday in the Bay Area. Temps were in the mid-50's. Auto wipers worked pquite well - on the low setting they wiped just as I would be going to manually activate them. My only complaint is the "wipe on power-up" thing. Lucky for me I was putting the baby into the backseat each time so I didn't get soaked but it startled me to open the door and see water fly out of the corner of my eye.
mknox
Well-Known Member
Being in Canada and all, I've developed a habit of always turning the wipers fully off when I'm not using them. It's a very bad thing if they come on when frozen to the glass!
strider
Active Member
This is the first car I've owned w/ auto wipers and so if the wipers aren't moving when I power down I forget to switch them off.
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