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Rain-sensing wipers driving me nuts!

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Okay - so this is probably just me being spoiled by the rain-sensing windshield wipers in my ML350 but it seems like the MS version is VERY inconsistent in the timing and the response to rain. It doesn't seem to wipe when there is a LOT of drops on the window, and this is a problem so far at night because when oncoming headlights hit them, visibility drops. I tried the first dashed option, and then the more sensitive (supposedly) second. The second was actually worse! It does not seem to do much better when going faster or slower. Then suddenly it starts wiping properly for 3 minutes, then back to driving me nuts. It seems to wait just long enough for me to be concerned about safety and want to hit the manual, and then it wipes.

Ah, I know - I am griping! But I am a spoiled driver, what can I do :tongue:
 
Okay - so this is probably just me being spoiled by the rain-sensing windshield wipers in my ML350 but it seems like the MS version is VERY inconsistent in the timing and the response to rain. It doesn't seem to wipe when there is a LOT of drops on the window, and this is a problem so far at night because when oncoming headlights hit them, visibility drops. I tried the first dashed option, and then the more sensitive (supposedly) second. The second was actually worse! It does not seem to do much better when going faster or slower. Then suddenly it starts wiping properly for 3 minutes, then back to driving me nuts. It seems to wait just long enough for me to be concerned about safety and want to hit the manual, and then it wipes.

Ah, I know - I am griping! But I am a spoiled driver, what can I do :tongue:

I haven't had a problem with mine. Perhaps there are variations from car to car.
 
I agree. I have a 2008 GL450 and the rain sensitive wipers work far better in it than in my Model S. I haven't figured out what algorithm the Model S uses and how the various speed settings affect it, but in my GL, I just turn the wipers to the first speed setting and leave it. It then turns on the wipers precisely when I want them to turn on and so forth. Not so in my Model S.

v5.0 (1.35.107) firmware.
 
I agree. I have a 2008 GL450 and the rain sensitive wipers work far better in it than in my Model S. I haven't figured out what algorithm the Model S uses and how the various speed settings affect it, but in my GL, I just turn the wipers to the first speed setting and leave it. It then turns on the wipers precisely when I want them to turn on and so forth. Not so in my Model S.

v5.0 (1.35.107) firmware.

Mine is the same FW - hmm. Maybe Artsci has an older one so his works better? I love technology!
Apply Aquapel and don't use your wipers. Problem solved. :smile:

Now here is a thought! Heh.
 
They have improved since the first firmware versions, but they are still inadequate. My primary complaint is that they seem to always be doing what they needed to do a minute ago.

What they need to do is have a fast attack / slow decay algorithm. If they see an increase in the rain rate they need to ramp up quickly. Then if the rain rate falls they need to reduce the speed more slowly. That would help a lot.

The other thing they're not great at is fine drizzle, although they work better than they used to.
 
They have improved since the first firmware versions, but they are still inadequate. My primary complaint is that they seem to always be doing what they needed to do a minute ago.

What they need to do is have a fast attack / slow decay algorithm. If they see an increase in the rain rate they need to ramp up quickly. Then if the rain rate falls they need to reduce the speed more slowly. That would help a lot.

The other thing they're not great at is fine drizzle, although they work better than they used to.

My order is confirmed but I still don't have a VIN so I have to pass the time downloading and reading owner's manuals which seems to say the current production has what you asked for:

Page 18 says:

To wipe the windshield, rotate the end of the lever away from you. You can choose from four levels:
• 1st: Auto with low rain sensitivity.*
• 2nd: Auto with high rain sensitivity.*
• 3rd: Continuous, slow.
• 4th: Continuous, high.

* Model S has a rain sensor located on the inside of the windshield at the base of the interior rearview mirror. When wipers are set to Auto, the frequency at which they wipe depends on how muchwater/dirt the sensor detects. When you set wipers to the 2nd level, the sensor is more sensitive.
 
My order is confirmed but I still don't have a VIN so I have to pass the time downloading and reading owner's manuals which seems to say the current production has what you asked for:

They've always had that. What is being discussed here is the fact that the system doesn't work very well. The sense is that Tesla has been tweaking it with each firmware update, but for many the automatic feature, whether on high or low sensitivity, just doesn't seem to know when to wipe.
 
I've been complaining about this from the beginning. Service has told me my wipers work as designed--apparently they're designed to require manually pushing the button a few times a minute! The most frustrating thing to me is the inconsistency--sometimes they wipe after a few drops fall, and other times the windshield becomes completely drenched without triggering the wipers. I'm not sure if that reflects a hardware issue or a software one. It has indeed gotten a bit better with firmware revisions, but it's still a glaring issue.
 
I've been complaining about this from the beginning. Service has told me my wipers work as designed--apparently they're designed to require manually pushing the button a few times a minute! The most frustrating thing to me is the inconsistency--sometimes they wipe after a few drops fall, and other times the windshield becomes completely drenched without triggering the wipers. I'm not sure if that reflects a hardware issue or a software one. It has indeed gotten a bit better with firmware revisions, but it's still a glaring issue.

So far I've found that the best solution is to use a hydrophobic glass cleaner like this one from Chemical Guys. Then you only need to press the wiper stalk manually a few times in the worst cases. (Note that the "streak free" is only applicable if you do very small areas at a time. If you try to do a large area it streaks badly.)
 
Mine work much better now than 3-4 months ago; software upgrades I guess. I usually find that when I first start out I have to press the button for the first wipe and that seems to nudge them into action. The only annoyance I find is when the window has that mixture of condensation/mist on a cool morning, the auto wipers go batty trying to get rid of it.
 
Mine work much better now than 3-4 months ago; software upgrades I guess. I usually find that when I first start out I have to press the button for the first wipe and that seems to nudge them into action. The only annoyance I find is when the window has that mixture of condensation/mist on a cool morning, the auto wipers go batty trying to get rid of it.

Obviously conditions they don't get in California. They need to send a developer to the Southeast for a couple of weeks until they get it right.
 
Obviously conditions they don't get in California. They need to send a developer to the Southeast for a couple of weeks until they get it right.

Or the northwest! This is my biggest pet peeve for the car (which I love). How can they even TALK about "autopilot" if they cannot even get a simple sensor / effector loop working with the right behaviour! :mad:

Doug_G said:
What they need to do is have a fast attack / slow decay algorithm. If they see an increase in the rain rate they need to ramp up quickly. Then if the rain rate falls they need to reduce the speed more slowly. That would help a lot.

^THIS!!!!
 
+1 on the Northwest. The problems we face here are misty rains where a large percentage of the water you get on the windshield is kicked up by other cars.

Mine are erratic. It's most apparent when I have it set to "low auto". If the car and windshield is wet when I first start driving but it isn't raining, the wipers seem to never come on - even when I tap the brakes and get a gush of water off of the roof running over the windshield. Other times, it will decide that I need super fast wiping and they will go fast for about 3-4 cycles. Usually this happens when there isn't that much rain. In general, I'd say it works correctly about 85% of the time. I manually intervene at least once a day when it's raining.