Evening,

What is the general opinion on the auto wiper function? While mine knows when its raining, it sometimes wipes constantly when it should be intermittent, and visa versa. Anyone else noticed this?

Thanks...

To me, they are getting better

But

I wouldn't pay extra for it

It wasn't really something I'd thought about when I bought it, but at the moment, I think I prefer manual intermittent. In fairness, if you go through a big puddle, its on it instantly.

Mine's pretty good most of the time but at night for example it doesn't act fast enough and I have to intervene. I guess the sensor is finding it difficult to pick up the rain drops. Sometimes a bit slow in daylight as well.

 

Another one of those things the designers have added which isn't controlled as well as a human can do it.

Edited 8 February, 201610 yr by VAGCF

Auto wipers is one of my 'must haves' and I find they generally work so well that you forget they are doing anything. Occasionally you need to intervene or adjust but generally I find mine are very good. I believe they work on a refractive index sensor; the main issue for mine is that in spray they wipe too soon (due to lots of tiny droplets) and when soaked they sometimes don't start soon enough (due to no droplets, but a total covering in water).

But I much prefer them to manual intermittent, which constantly require fettling to be the right frequency to keep the screen clear without dragging or juddering. You just have to realise that even in 'Auto' you still need to stay on top of them (just like the lights).

Evening,

What is the general opinion on the auto wiper function? While mine knows when its raining, it sometimes wipes constantly when it should be intermittent, and visa versa. Anyone else noticed this?

Thanks...

Have you adjusted the sensitivity on the wiper stalk?

General opinion? ****** useless.

It's driven me mad for the last 5 years.

Wipes when you don't want it to,and doesn't when you do.

Despite constantly adjusting the sensitivity on the wiper stalk.

I'd pay handsomely for a simple  manual intermittant....

I'd pay handsomely for a simple  manual intermittant....

Don't you have that then?

I'm certainly happy with the manual intermittent wipe function on my Yeti. Having said that I've never had an auto one. The best one I've ever used IMO was on my wife's Fiesta some years ago, where you switched the wipers onto intermitten and then off for the length of time you wanted to set between wipes and then back to the intermittent position. The wipers then continued to operate at that interval.

You don't have to put them on

or your lights

or park

And soon

Steer

or brake

Is that what we all want?.

However

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/9A3AAE79BBE326C4CA257F53002529F8

They are very sensitive to muck on the screen or wipers. I find I have to keep my windscreen spotless for them to function properly. Don't use any wax or polish on the screen just a really good glass cleaner. If my wipers are wearing out or the screen needs a clean mine go mad sometimes and end up at full speed in light drizzle! lol

 

I seem to think you can deactivate them with VCDS too and they will function as normal manual wipers.

 

But I personally like them and think they work really well. Especially useful for lorries coming toward you showering you in spray and you don't have to get to the wipers quickly before you can see as they do it for you!

I'm certainly happy with the manual intermittent wipe function on my Yeti. Having said that I've never had an auto one. The best one I've ever used IMO was on my wife's Fiesta some years ago, where you switched the wipers onto intermitten and then off for the length of time you wanted to set between wipes and then back to the intermittent position. The wipers then continued to operate at that interval.

 

My Felicia also worked in the same way. Worked very well and a nice little feature.

You don't have to put them on

or your lights

or park

And soon

Steer

or brake

Is that what we all want?.

However

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/9A3AAE79BBE326C4CA257F53002529F8

 

Depending on the vehicle I'm using then already I don't have to put on the wipers or lights, have to park, steer, brake or even worry about exceeding the speed limit. I never have to fill it up and I don't have to pay road fund licence and insurance.  

 

Ah, an OAP bus pass can be a wonderful thing........ it's the other bits about getting old I'm not so happy about.

 

Ah, an OAP bus pass can be a wonderful thing........ it's the other bits about getting old I'm not so happy about.

Ah!

I feel your pain

(sometimes))))

I find the auto wipers perfectly fine often very useful and only very occasionally do I have to interfere-as far as i know moving beyond the auto position gives old fashioned none auto operation. I can readily believe that they work best with a generally properly clean windscreen.

I find the autowiper/rainsensor to operate better if the sensitivity switch is moved from lowest to highest setting, and then back.

The Auto wipers were part of the car spec and the lack of an adjustable intermittent wiper annoyed me initially.

However after 4 years of use I just have them switched on all the time and hardly ever need to intervene manually.

Just right for the intermittent type of rain and drizzle we get here. I'm sold on them.

Just wish the intermitent rear wipers would wipe more frequently, basically in the Yeti  if the front wipers have needed to do more than a few wipes then the  back is ready for a wipe.

My auto wipers used to work very well, but seem annoyingly worse now.

I've looked in VCDS to see if there is a way to deactivate the auto bit and leave it as a manually selected intermittent speed, but I can't find anything.

I also looked for adjusting the sensitivity of the auto wiper, but this was limited to selecting different cars with different screen colours. Which I didn't understand, so left alone.

have you had a replacement windscreen?

 

There is a setting in VCDS that allows you to modify the window tint colour and % of light let through, if the colour has changed then it will be out of sync.  I believe it changes the sensitivity of the wipers/auto light sensor in doing so.

Not while I've had it and not that I know of.

I'll check tomorrow to see if it is original or not.

Thanks for all the replies. Its nice to know there's probably nothing wrong with them. Ill try moving the switch to maximum and back again and see if that makes any difference. For a change, we've not had much rain here recently to try that yet! Thanks for having a look in vcds too, im surprised there isn't any options for them in there, given what you can change with it. Thanks again

My windscreen looks to be an original. At least it has a Skoda symbol in the corner.

Just popped out in very light rain. Kept wiring when not required and vice versa which meant I had to keep "interfering" which rather defeats the object of them being automatic!

 

So I'm revising my opinion!

One flick of the stalk for me was never a problem.

One thing that I think VWSkoda need to address is the fiddly 'knobs' on both stalks......too much of a distraction searching for them.

The big problem I find is when I first start the car, I leave mine in auto position along with the lights all the time.

They from start can take an age to decide to detect water, a quick flick to off and back to auto then they work ok

Leave mine on lowest setting as they end up a full blast in a modest shower on anything much higher.

Edited 13 February, 201610 yr by Defenderben

I agree about starting with a wet screen, although in believe this behaviour is built in to prevent them trying to wipe if the screen is frozen, thus protecting the wiper blades. If you have got going then the chances are the screen is not frozen so it'll then decide it is OK to wipe.

One thing I liked about the auto wipers on my BMW 130i was that you set them using a button on the end of the stalk, meaning when they were in 'auto' mode you could still do a manual flick if needed, without disabling the auto mode.