I'm waiting for the Octavia Scout to be released in the UK and one of the features I assume it will have is the rain sensing wipers. I really don't like all the automatic "features" we get these days as I'm quite capable of operating a switch, plus they don't always work effectively.

So to my question, is it possible to have them operate as normal wipers without the rain sensing function?

Yes, as I understand it rain-sensing just means that it's "infinitely variable" intermittent wipe so you can still use the wipers normally, just without intermittent wipe....

This thread makes interesting reading too...

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/new-octavia/rain-sensor/52046/?highlight=rain+sensing

Chris

Hi Chris

Yes I had seen that post which is why I asked the question. If you have the wipers off is there a single/flick wipe option? I know with my Freelander I just flick the wiper switch down and it gives a single wipe.

Yes I had seen that post which is why I asked the question. If you have the wipers off is there a single/flick wipe option? I know with my Freelander I just flick the wiper switch down and it gives a single wipe.

Yes, IIRC, pulling down on the stalk when it's in the off position will give you a single wipe. Very useful feature

Chris

Thanks for the reply Chris. Glad it can do that. As an afterthought, I know it's part of the same sensor, is there an overide for the auto dimming mirror?

Thanks for the reply Chris. Glad it can do that. As an afterthought, I know it's part of the same sensor, is there an overide for the auto dimming mirror?

Not sure on that - I know there's an on/off switch on the Mondeo so I'd expect a similar one on the Octy II. I guess we'll have to wait for an owner to pop along

Chris

Cheers Chris.

Yes, there's a button on the underside of the mirror to switch it off.

I don't think you can override the auto-wipers tho'. I've had mixed results from mine, sometimes they work perfectly, other times they go into 'drive you crazy' mode!

Bit of a solution in search of a problem maybe......

Prof.

On my 06 Elegence I can change the sensitivity of the sensor by adjusting the rocker switch above the wiper stalk left-to-right.

We are thinking of buying an Elegance . During the test drive - dry warm day no wet on road - the wiper operated once driving under some trees. The saleslady said it is probably some sap from the trees.

My question is this. Are the Octavia wipers always on?

Is there some way to switch them off so they are not triggered by this sort of event?

The rain sensitive wipers on our Pug 306 are switched off when you stop the engine regardless of the position of the wiper switch. Incidentally they are 90% of the time fantastic, just occasionally defeated by fine drizzle which triggers them too late. When the wiper switch is in the OFF position the wipers are off and nothing will trigger them.

Mine [Elegance] never trigger when off, except rear wiper will wipe when you select reverse, if screen is wet.

On my elegance, you have the following settings.

Off

Rain Sensing (auto)

Slow

Fast

There is also the ability for a single wipe, by pushing the stick down against spring pressure. There is a 5 position switch on the top that you adjust the auto sensitivty with.

There is a button under the mirror to disable the auto dim function, but I find it really effective so leave it on. Its not like the old style manual mirror, much more subtle.

Mine go off once in a while but it's not much to worry about.

Sap????

More likely the flickering sunlight from the trees confused the sensor as it uses infra-red light to judge if the screen is wet or not.

My sat nav used to go bananas when flickering light fell on the I.R. sensor so it's probably the same phenomenon.

The auto dimming mirror also switches off when reverse is engaged, clever little Skoda

Mine is a French Octavia 2 Confort. I have found the autowiping function very good. rarely does it do anything different to what i would like.

The dimming mirror is a darned nuisence; it is not sensitive enough. Although you can switch it off you cannot switch it to dim, consequently I am often dazzled.

My automatic headlamp switching is fine in tunnels but it switches on under bright conditions near sunrise and sunset and has also come on in full blue-sky daylight as i passed under the shaddow of a steep hill - it then would not switch off as I came out into the clear. You can switch this function off of course.

I find that I have to put the auto wipe function to off and then on to make sure the auto function works every time I fire up the engine otherwise the wiper doesn't seem to realise it's raining!

I find that I have to put the auto wipe function to off and then on to make sure the auto function works every time I fire up the engine otherwise the wiper doesn't seem to realise it's raining!

same on mine here and its a real pain

same on mine here and its a real pain

Yep another owner here who finds it annoying. Other than that though, it tends to be ok.

if it is on auto when you start the engine it will not start to wipe until you move off. I tend to do as you do by off/on flick to start it all.

if it is on auto when you start the engine it will not start to wipe until you move off. I tend to do as you do by off/on flick to start it all.

Tends to take an age though to actually realise it's raining. Turning it off and then back to auto clears it and then it's fine.

I was scheptical as to how good they would be but on the Superb they are great. Ok you have to reset them every time you start the car but thats not really a problem & you still have the slow & fast setting to manually overide things. I find in the Octy with the std intermittent setting Im constantly varying the frequency of wipes manually in changeable conditions, this does it all for you.

We drove across France on Sunday & only switched the wipers on at the start & after we had switched the car off for a fuel stop, the rest of the time they sorted themselves out.

Yes, I have found that too. Same sort of thing with the headlight main beam switch. I guess it may be because the lights have come on dipped under the control of the automatic switch-on. If the dip switch is in the main beam position you have to move it to dip and back again to full beam. A good call, of course, or one might unknowingly dazzle oncoming vehicles. There does not sem to be a good excuse for the auto-wipe failure to start though.

snip..

There does not sem to be a good excuse for the auto-wipe failure to start though.

My auto wipe does start after approx 30 seconds if the screen is wet. OK so the delay is a bit long but I suspect that the sensor needs that much time to work out that the screen is wet.

My pet hate is that in very light drizzle the wipers frequency is high while in heavier drizzle it is a little too slow. The sensitivity control does not appear to make any difference.

Once the rain is steady they are fine and the automatic pick up to high speed to clear spray from lorries is a major benefit.