Wipers don't work properly in Auto

[jjrandorin]

@jjrandorin Right. When they all do it, it's not a warranty issue. It's called a feature.
Just know your auto wipers will not work properly. Using voice command seems to be the safest way to control wipers while driving.

Yes, since they added the ability to control them with voice commands, its not quite as annoying. They still dont work the same as every car with a rain sensor though, and they likely never will until tesla adds a physical rain sensor, like every other manufacturer does.

They are loads better than when I took delivery in 2018, but still basically "average to sub par" especially when I compare them to my wifes same model year (2018) BMW X3, and every BMW I drove before getting my model 3 in 2018 which is 18 years worth.

 

[sfstormtrooper]

Experienced the auto pilot engaged wiper issue. It did a couple wipes then started in a rapid mode. Sunny day & clear windshield, happened in a tree covered area. Only way to get it to stop was to turn off auto pilot. Windshield wiper controls did nothing.

 

[pdxrunr]

This may or may not apply to everyone, but here is some info that may help. Like many of you, our brand new 2021 MY had wipers that didn't work properly. Having owned a Model 3 for 2 years, I have a good feeling of how the wipers work (or don't). Luckily, the wipers in the 3 have always worked pretty well on Auto. The Y however was another story. Always running on dry days, not working well in rain, etc, etc. same story as everyone. I had to schedule a mobile ranger to fix some rattles so I also listed the wiper issue knowing Tesla would probably say they can't fix, etc, etc but they would be coming out anyway for the other issue. They even sent a note ahead of the visit letting me know there was no software update or recalibration that can be done. So I wasn't holding out much hope, but figured I would talk with the mobile ranger about it.

So after doing an amazing job fixing all the rattles, we start looking at the wipers and I'm easily able to reproduce the issue over and over again. hot sunny day and they would wipe every time you put it in drive. So we're both standing outside the car looking at the camera and I'm lamenting the fact that Tesla can't use a simply rain sensor for this feature, the light was hitting the windshield just right that I noticed a huge amount of felt dust between the glass and the camera housing! Surely it couldn't be that simply. He had never taken the camera assembly apart but was happy to mess with it and it came apart easily after snapping off a few plastic parts. It then gives you just enough room to get a cloth inside to wipe the inside of the glass. Put it all back together and magic! Wipers now work as well as I would expect them to and have not once wiped on a dry day. We haven't had any rain to do some real world driving in the rain, but issue #1 is gone with the dry wiping. Neither of us could believe how that assembly got put together with that much dust inside the glass. Seems like they would want to make sure the glass is perfect if they are using the camera for this! This may also affect AutoPilot if the camera is picking up the dust. Can't say for sure as AP has generally worked well, it may just be the rain sensing that is affected.

Anyway, if you have crazy wipers, it's worth a shot to take your camera housing apart and clean the glass!

 

[Toms-Y]

I agree. Either it doesn’t turn on even when it’s raining or it will wipe slowly for the amount of rain falling or will suddenly go wild and very fast AFTER the rain has slowed down.

I have given up on Tesla. The only thing going for Tesla is the extended battery life. Otherwise it is way behind regular car manufacturers.

If this continues it will not gain new customers and will start loosing customers (including me) as soon as other manufacturers catch up with battery life.

Several either essential or accepted norm in ICE cars are either not present or poorly executed in Tesla.

If Tesla cant get Auto wipers working correctly, there is no way I will try the Autopilot!

 

[jcanoe]

If Tesla cant get Auto wipers working correctly, there is no way I will try the Autopilot!

The post by Rocdude is from April. Tesla has had multiple software releases since then. Automatic windshield wiper function has steadily improved. There are a dozen or so very useful voice commands including commands to control the windshield wipers. "Set wipers to 1/2/3/4/On/Off/Auto", also "Set wipers to Low/Medium/High".

 

[JohnnyEV]

Wipers are vastly improved since we bought in Jan. In the crazy Cali storm today Auto was perfect.

 

[JimmySure]

My basis for comparison is my Range Rover Sport which are excellent on auto. The Model Y? Subpar. I can’t imagine how bad they must have been if what I have is vastly improved…

 

[Mike_TV]

Throwing my two cents in here but Auto wipers have really improved over time and performed perfectly yesterday during changing rain conditions here in Chicago. Didn't really think about it until seeing this thread...

 

[WattsappMTL]

Tesla has had multiple software releases since then. Automatic windshield wiper function has steadily improved.

I realize in hindsight that I haven't experienced frantic wiping on a dry windshield recently. However they do sweep occasionally for no apparent reason and still don't respond to a buildup of fine spray on the windshield until vision is almost obscured! Now if Tesla could just slow them down when the car isn't moving for a while - no need to keep the windshield completely clear at a stoplight.

 

[jcanoe]

I realize in hindsight that I haven't experienced frantic wiping on a dry windshield recently. However they do sweep occasionally for no apparent reason and still don't respond to a buildup of fine spray on the windshield until vision is almost obscured! Now if Tesla could just slow them down when the car isn't moving for a while - no need to keep the windshield completely clear at a stoplight.

If you shift into Park I believe the wipers will stop wiping.

 

[WattsappMTL]

If you shift into Park I believe the wipers will stop wiping.

Maybe, but that's not really an option for a traffic light or stop-and-go traffic. I could also switch them off or change speed manually if I really wanted to! However, even my low-tech 2015 Golf with manual wipers goes into intermittent mode when the car stops moving temporarily. It also selects the rear wiper on if you put it in reverse when the front wipers are operating. Tesla would do well to emulate this kind of approach, considering they have much more adaptable technology to work with.

 

[Rube]

Have seen other posts about wipers problems with wipers in Auto mode.
I have these problems on my new Model Y. Am running the latest update just updated.
Sometimes wipers turn on or continue to run when windshield is completely dry.
Other times they don't turn on when the windshield is wet.
Have needed to turn off Auto mode many times, but then it reverts back for no apparent reason.
In summary, buggy.
Has any one identified a solution, or is this a warranty issue fixable by Tesla ?
Checking here before contacting Tesla service....

 

[Rube]

If you shift into Park I believe the wipers will stop wiping.

I've had a Y for a month and am hoping much of what I've found will be upgraded. Auto on windshield wipers doesn't work which is a feature I've had in gas engine cars for the last 15 years. Voice commands don't work from the moment I leave my driveway. The car should be talking to the car with Bluetooth. Both of these issues have me constantly using a touch screen on bumpy roads - difficult and unsafe. However, I love the ride.

 

[jcanoe]

I've had a Y for a month and am hoping much of what I've found will be upgraded. Auto on windshield wipers doesn't work which is a feature I've had in gas engine cars for the last 15 years. Voice commands don't work from the moment I leave my driveway. The car should be talking to the car with Bluetooth. Both of these issues have me constantly using a touch screen on bumpy roads - difficult and unsafe. However, I love the ride.

Voice commands work well in my Model Y. I press the right steering wheel scroll button and the Tesla starts listening. I say "Set Wipers to Low" and after a second the Tesla displays Wipers Low and the wipers come on. Not sure why you are having an issue with Voice Commands.

Not sure what you meant when you stated that the car should be talking to the car with Bluetooth. Currently the Tesla app does not support voice commands.

 

[Schulz1983]

For those that have issues with the auto wipers. Try putting a coating on the windshield (ceramic, rain x, piaa, etc) as that has fixed all of my complaints. The wipers have issues when fog or streaking begins to develop on the windshield.

 

[digitalcolmer]

Have seen other posts about wipers problems with wipers in Auto mode.
I have these problems on my new Model Y. Am running the latest update just updated.
Sometimes wipers turn on or continue to run when windshield is completely dry.
Other times they don't turn on when the windshield is wet.
Have needed to turn off Auto mode many times, but then it reverts back for no apparent reason.
In summary, buggy.
Has any one identified a solution, or is this a warranty issue fixable by Tesla ?
Checking here before contacting Tesla service....

I have written a short article explaining a fix that worked for me and it also explains the basics around how the windscreen wipers are using neural networks to train the computer. I hope that helps you all out.

P

 

[digitalcolmer]

I have written a short article explaining a fix that worked for me and it also explains the basics around how the windscreen wipers are using neural networks to train the computer. I hope that helps you all out.

P

Might help if I post the link to the article too:

Tesla Model 3 WindScreen Wiper Fix

G'day beautiful people. It's almost Christmas. Sorry I haven't blogged for a while, but I've been super busy, doing incredible work in the cloud with AWS. But my Tesla Model 3 has inspired me...

www.digitalcolmer.com

Enjoy

P

 

[WattsappMTL]

Might help if I post the link to the article too:

Tesla Model 3 WindScreen Wiper Fix

G'day beautiful people. It's almost Christmas. Sorry I haven't blogged for a while, but I've been super busy, doing incredible work in the cloud with AWS. But my Tesla Model 3 has inspired me...

www.digitalcolmer.com

Enjoy

P

All very interesting, but auto wiper operation in other than "normal", continuous rainfall is atrocious. When driving in dirty salt spray, the windshield can be almost obscured without wipers coming on. Other times, they'll wipe madly for no reason. The forward-facing cameras will certainly be clean when that happens, so why don't they stop sooner? One of my beefs with the UI (and which may be irrelevant after V11) is that the wiper icon needed an OFF or MANUAL label below it to see what the current selection is. Depending on the conditions, those selections are often necessary to manage wiper operations. Another reason why burying access to the card deeper in the menu structure is a bad idea. We don't all drive in Southern California...

 

[GeezerSquid]

I've had my Model Y LR since August 2020 and I've never had any of the issues you guys are talking about?? I mean we get a ton of rain here in South Louisiana so I have used the wiper a lot. My situation may have been unintentionally helped by my over use of ceramic coatings on my windshield and the lack of dust in my area?? Or perhaps my Model Y slipped through their system to be almost perfect in relation to the wipers. Whatever, I'm a happy camper!

 

[stavstavcc]

It's no longer a valid argument for people to say the Neural Network will solve this problem over time. The issue is that all other car manufacturers use a dedicated rain sensor and Tesla is trying to do auto wipers by examining the camera video.

Yeah, after 5 years, it's proven that just doesn't work, and no amount of Neural data will ever fix it. End of story.

One day Tesla will slip in a dedicated sensor and never mention they were wrong from the start, and that day will be a good day for new Tesla owners. For the rest of us, we will have manual wipers for the remaining life of our cars.

Well, it's now 2023, almost 2024. The world has GPT 4.0, but my brand new Tesla Model Y still cannot figure out when it's raining and when not. A problem solved with conventional technology since 1978 ("The rain-sensing wipers system currently employed by most car manufacturers today was originally invented and patented in 1978 by Australian, Raymond J. Noack, see U.S. Patents 4,355,271 and 5,796,106")