Tesla "intermittent" wipes are HORRIBLE! We need to be able to adjust in the UI

I have no problems with the automatic wipers. Have you called your service center to look into it?

I love the automatic wipers on our Tesla, but my wife dislikes them. I think they work much better than those on my BMW.

Sounds like an issue. Mine works as expected in drizzle, intermittent rain, etc.. You may want to call this in for service.

PatD said:

Tesla -
Not intermittent high, HIGH like torrential rain storm high

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Completely agree, I don't use the intermittent wipers at all, they are beyond horrible. Light rain, mist, anything you would want to use them for, they always (at least on my car) seem to work themselves into a crisis within the first 30 seconds and go full blast with no intention of stopping. I really wish I had the old twist to set speed manually because as it is, I have to push on the end of the stalk for intermittent wipes.

Agree. And two levels of sensitivity? Really? Several of my previous cars have had a rheostat-like ring that you could use to dial in the amount of sensitivity that worked best for you.

I loathe the automatic wipers as well. Actually I loathe the entire windshield wiper system. It's completely inadequate to do the job.

I'll probably do what other people have done, and use RainX or something similar.

I have seen the exact same issue where the wipers go absolutely crazy even with a tiny amount of rain. It's like they've become possessed. I highly doubt anything is wrong with my car. I'm not sure if I'd rank it as the worst part of my car. It's annoying for sure.

Here is my short list of things that annoy me

1.) Front Seatbelt design is horrific.
2.) Windshield wiper system. This one is interesting since it's the only issue out of a major list of issues that Tesla didn't fix before I ordered my car. They fixed/addressed every other concern.
3.) The Main 17inch screen occasionally locks up. Only does so at the worst times. Happens about once a month.
4.) Blindspot monitor doesn't work. Too glitch prone during rain. Never seen a blindspot monitoring system so glitchy
5.) Navigation system is atrocious.
6.) Too much road noise
7.) Pano-roof sometimes ignores my command to open. Only in recent firmware builds though so who knows.

Only number 1, and number 2 detract from my driving but only in certain circumstances. The seatbelt fits me fine, but not my short friends.

Same here. Wipers go bonkers under any precipitation conditions. I gave up completely and wipe the windscreen manually. Every other setting is WAAAY too fast. I just use a polish on the windshield now (sort of like RainX), which mostly negates the need for them. Annoying, but could be worse. At least they're easy to trigger manually.

The wipers are better now than they were in 2013. The top speed in 2013 couldn't keep up. I find the intermittent mode adequate now. It could be better, but it's not terrible.

Agree, the automatic control of the wipers is terrible. it's not that the wipers themselves are bad, they clean the windshield effectively. It's that the so-called rain-sensing feature doesn't work, it wipes too slowly sometimes in hard rain, and wipes maniacally quickly sometimes when it's just sprinkling. It's kind of like the automatic climate control, which is to say pretty bad.

Still love my car.

Don't bother asking your service guy about it, that's the way it is.

A long time ago, they replaced the rain sensor thingy up on the mirror area. Mine have worked well ever since. And I don't have any of the other issues that some of you are complaining about.

I hope they can fix it for you.

roblab said:

A long time ago, they replaced the rain sensor thingy up on the mirror area. Mine have worked well ever since. And I don't have any of the other issues that some of you are complaining about.

I hope they can fix it for you.

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Wait, so you are saying your intermittent behavior was the same as others have discussed? Wipers go into a seizure and crank the speed to 11 with light mist? If so, I'll ask the service center to address it next time I'm in there for annual service. I just assumed it was working as designed, badly.

Polish the glass. Apply 22PLE VG1 and use Duragloss 751 for regular cleaning. Don't use the wipers much except for heavy rain.

mknox said:

Agree. And two levels of sensitivity? Really? Several of my previous cars have had a rheostat-like ring that you could use to dial in the amount of sensitivity that worked best for you.

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I've never been able to see a difference between the two levels of sensitivity. In a mild rain both settings "seem to work themselves into a crisis within the first 30 seconds and go full blast with no intention of stopping." And, conversely, in a downpour the wipers will casually wipe as if there was only a mild drizzle.

PatD said:

Tesla -

If you're listening, your wiper algorithms are the worst. I'm sorry. I love this car. I hate reading when people complain about little issues. But here's mine. Little as it may be, and I imagine very easily correctable by giving users some level of adjust ability in the UI somewhere.

We had a very light rain this morning. Light enough that I didn't have my wipers on for the most part. I've learned to hit the button on the end for a quick swipe (Because intermittent mode is horrible!) It finally was enough rain for me to warrant turning the wipers on to the lowest "intermittent" setting. Shortly after turning them on, they were on HIGH speed (Not intermittent high, HIGH like torrential rain storm high.)

All of the other drivers had their wipers off or on the lowest intermittent drivers. It's pretty bad when my 8 and 4 year old ask why I have the wipers so high since it's not really raining.

Please, Tesla, give us some options here?

Love,
Pat

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Try polishing the glass at the top of the windscreen where the sensor is. The issue is sometimes that the light rain is smeared over this area and it activates the sensor MORE as it smears, not less. If you clean up that area (and maybe replace the wiper blade) It smears less and Satan relinquishes Possession.
This happened in my merc- don't have a Tesla.

DavidB said:

I've never been able to see a difference between the two levels of sensitivity. In a mild rain both settings "seem to work themselves into a crisis within the first 30 seconds and go full blast with no intention of stopping." And, conversely, in a downpour the wipers will casually wipe as if there was only a mild drizzle.

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Exactly. There doesn't seem to be any logic to it.

My sensor mode did not work at all. Rain sensor was replaced, and it has worked fine ever since, including in the drizzle today.

mine also worked fine yesterday on a raining day...