Rain sensing wipers - VW got it wrong

[Jaymz]

Guys I've expressed this before on another Golf web but i'll run it passed you guys aswell as there seems to be more knowledge over here.

Up until recently I worked for a VW dealer here in Bris for some time. VW do a good job when it comes to building high quality cars at the right price. I do feel though, they ran out of money when it came to programming the software for the rain sensing wipers.
I have driven everything in the range many times and the rain sensing wipers are all the same, absolute rubbish.

Today i drove for a half hour or so in the rain with the wipers on rain sensing mode. If it wasn't for my manual adjustment they would not have done what they are supposed to do at all.
Now i know you are supposed to turn them off then back on again & this will reset them but when they wipe flat out 10 times when there is only 5 drops on the screen and then wont start again until i can't see at all, they kinda give me the s**ts.
So naturally i drove around some more to play with the sensitivity to see if i could fine tune it. Just when you think you have got on top of it they do something stupid like wiping flatout again when you are stationary with only a few drops on the screen & nothing on the glass where the sensor is.

So as i worked for a dealer for some time i am lucky enough to just drive into the workshop (within reason) and they will have a look for me.
After to talking to the head tech (he is also considered by VGA the best tech in the country) for awhile about my issues he said there has been quite a few revsions of the software to overcome issues with them. All MY08 cars now have the 6th revision Dont you think they wouldv'e got it right by now? Now this is 6 times over they have done it since the mk5 came out and they still havent got it right!
He said in all VGA's wisdom the latest version comes to us without any fine tuning via the software. Apparently the 5th version had this and they could fine tune it more than what is on the stalk.

I spent quite some time with BMW also, as a consultant and as a manager. I know BMW don't do everything the best but they are a good benchmark. With that said the rain sensing wipers in all new BMW's are absolutely awesome, you just set it and forget it. The way it should be.

Now if it is only software that seems to be the problem & not the hardware, has anybody ever hacked this and moddified the software in some way?
I know the wipers only play a small part in a great car, but all the same it is a new car & i would like everything to work equally well.

Anybody agree with this, or am i on my own planet here?

Jamie

[Spoddy]

Mine work perfectly
I reckon your's may have a problem....

[Jaymz]

Mine work perfectly
I reckon your's may have a problem....

They checked everything today, apparently nothing's broken but youre right there is definately a problem!

[ozgriff]

I'm all for hacking and doing things yourself... but if VW technicians (and all the subsidiaries) haven't got it right in 6 revisions, I don't hold much hope for a DIY solution.

It is more likely both software and hardware related problems.

[Mischa]

i forget about mine they dont annoy me. sure they are slightly erratic at times but as long as they dont come on in the dry and drag dirt and grit across the screen it doesnt bother me too much. if the rubber wears out slightly prematurely and i dont have to worry about fiddling with wipers constantly then thats alright with me. although that being said i wish they wouldnt almost turn off altogether when sitting at the lights. if anyone can get access to the programming thatd be great but i have serious doubts that anyone would bother for something so trivial

[THR]

Is your windscreen dirty?

[gregozedobe]

They checked everything today, apparently nothing's broken but youre right there is definately a problem!

Some of the people who were unhappy had their rain sensor replaced (the thing on the windscreen near the rear view mirror) and that seemed to solve things for them.

Is yours always useless, or only some of the time ? Intermittent faults can be a PITA to catch, and until you catch them you can't fix them.

[OilBurna]

mine went on this morning when I went over a railway crossing.. work that one out... yes cna be a bit erratic some times, ie too slow to come on, or sometimes too qucik ie at the first tiny drop..

[ranton-inc]

my MKIV has them and they are utter ****..

and the worst part about it i can no longer adjust the sensitivity of my intermittant wiper.. they should have had an additional position on the wiper stalk (like my old mans 97 bmw 750) there is no sensetivity adjustment

if it rains the car wipes simple as that if it rains hard the car wipes faster


im thinking about removing the auto function in my R32

i liked having my adjusable intervals!


also one thing i have noted is that the little sensor on the VWS is far far far to small!

[mikinoz]

I think this varies car to car, ours is fine.

[STV4SYT]

The arent perfect but a hell of a lot better than the last sensing wipers i had on a peugeot, they clicked really loudly any time they came on. From the little ive had to use them (doesnt rain much in melbourne any more) they have been OK. not great but certainly not as bad as you have described.

Id get them to replace the sensor.

[mikep]

Mine are rubbish.

Sitting at Eastern Creek track day in December, stinking hot, nervously waiting to be waved off, the car in front gone, I'm next, one single speck of rain drops on the windscreen from a tiny black cloud overhead and the bloody wipers start, I really needed that !!!!!!!

OTOH, peak hour traffic, raining like hell and the stupid thing does nothing !!!!!!

VW have screwed this one up !!!!!

[mrx]

You can change the sensitivity of the sensor for the automatic headlights and (independantly) the sensitivity of the rain sensor by using Vagcom. So there's a good chance the VW tech could do it too, if they know where to look.

I haven't adjusted mine, as they both work well for me - just set and forget - but I have heard, the range of adjustment is quite small.

[Greg Roles]

Not owning a VW just yet....can you just run them manually?

Do they not have a manual intermittent function?

[mrx]

Not owning a VW just yet....can you just run them manually?

Do they not have a manual intermittent function?

Yes, you can run them manually. However, the normal intermittent function is replaced by "auto", with a sensitivity adjustment on top of the stalk (3 or 4 positions - can't remember exactly)