I know this topic has been mentioned before but the automatic wipers are driving me mad. This morning I was driving in intermittent rain; on an almost dry screen the wipers would sometimes run at maximum continuous speed and when the screen was very wet I often had to fiddle with the sensitivity switch to get them to wipe at all. In the end I left the wipers on continuous slow speed. If there is some way to change the wiper function to manual fast/slow/intermittent I'd be delighted. I doubt whether there is a fault in the system; it's more likely that the technology hasn't yet caught up with the human brain!

They're rubbish... had them on a Golf courtesy car I had today :(

Mine work perfectly. Is the sensor nice and flush on the screen? Windscreen hasn't been replaced has it?

Also it might be worth checking the fault codes. It might show an "intermittent" fault with the wiper switch.

I had that and while it was on the wipers didn't work properly. After I swapped the dashpod to Maxidot one, I haven't had a single intermittent fault anymore. Odd?? :confused:

Mine did work perfectly until my screen was changed. My would keep wiping even thought the screen was completely dried of rain. There going to be looked at next week so fingers crossed.

yea mine works fine, altough i do hate the direct hit of a fly, makes them go crazy

it's more likely that the technology hasn't yet caught up with the human brain!

Probably the reverse Bert

Mine work prefectly as they did on my last Octy and on the Golf GT and the Jetta we've had recently.

I wonder if a lot of the issues are people not understanding how to use them?

This is also an item on the german board, there are two different sensors. And Skoda knows that the first one can cause trouble!

The newer one has two doublediamond shaped spots in the middle and one diode on each side.

http://www.billswebspace.com/vw.tb.00-06-11_rain_sensor_installing_ot_741.pdf

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. The windscreen is the original and the sensor the newer type. As many of you have wipers that work OK it seems, despite my misgivings, that a trip to the dealer could be a good idea.

Somehow mine started to work perfectly, after i changed VAG-Com setting.

They started wiping at ridiculous speeds, but started to work intelligently with this.

Now, they are perfect, atleast on my car.

VAG-COM:

09 - Central Electronics

Byte3 bit 5, teardrop wiping active

Edit: I do have the older style sensor.

Mine are garbage unless I am using aquapel on the screen.

No faults relating to the sensor either.

Mine work fine. If I have not cleaned the screen in a while to remove the traffic film then they sometimes go mad because of the smearing the film causes. I just leave mine on the least sensitive setting and they work 99% of the time.

On my new RS they work excellent.

Mine have always worked very well on both my old and new car, I just have the sensitivity set to one up from the lowest setting and they are spot on.

I did quite like the tear drop wipe on my old car, they have disabled it on my new one from factory:thumbdwn:

As one member has already suggested, try cleaning the windscreen over the sensor. Also from what I remember when I first got them, they work best if you reset auto each time you get in the car by moving to the off position, and back to auto again. In my case I always turn them off before getting out of the car, so when needed they are always re-set.

What's the teardrop function about?

I think that its the delayed extra wipe which the wipers do after you have used the screenwash.

Mine are fine.

Werent, and after the wiper motor failed, the dealers did something, and been perfect since.

SWMBO swears by them, and loves the hissy fit they do when a fly hits.

mine work fine but if its possible to program them in vagcom to turn them into variable speed manual wipers like in my dads passat (identical switch) that would be brilliant, i love the auto dimming mirrors, just not too fussed on the wipers

Having my third replacement screen in mine tomorrow. Got Autoglass to come out to repair a chip last week and the screen cracked while he was doing it. Hope my rain sensor is unaffected. After my first replacement screen 18 months ago, I was given my car back with the screen badly fitted and the sensor and mirror hanging down on the wires. When they came to fit another screen the following week, they scratched several chunks of paint off my A-pillars.

Mine work fine too.

As previously suggested, returning the switch to OFF then back to AUTO ensures they work sensibly.

I once had a Merc C220 and the auto wipers were rubbish! Drive along a tree-lined road on a sunny day and the wipers would start up!

I've also now tried switching to off and then back to auto. The wipers seemed to work much more sensibly this morning so this could be the answer to my original post.

I have mine on the maximum setting and they work 60 % of the time then suddenly they'll stop and the screen will be completely obscured and then they'll start again after an uncomfortably long delay. It is verging on dangerous not to mention annoying. Is it potluck with the sensor ? I have the old style one on a 56 plate. I might ask them to change it under warranty at the next service.