Auto wipers issue

Daggerit

Daggerit

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Hey guys,

Just looking to pick peoples brains as my auto wipers don't seem to be working properly. I noticed and then started trying to play with it and they would only wipe on the most sensitive setting once the windscreen was totally covered and basically undrivable.

Now I had the windscreen replaced not that long ago but hadn't used the wipers since then so I don't know if that could be the cause? I looked at the sensor on the rear view mirror and you can see the little sensor with eight or so other bits in a circle around it so it would appear it is able to 'see' the rain and hasn't been blocked.

Any ideas would be helpful?

Cheers,

Dan
 
I have a similar problem although I haven't replaced my windscreen. It used to work fine, and as soon as a few droplets fell on the screen it would wipe them away. Now it seems that it hardly ever auto wipes and I know have to manually turn them on. Plus I haven't adjusted the sensitivity so I don't know what the problem is.
 
Last edited:
Strange then. I might have to take it past Audi to see what they have to say about it...
 
How do you change the sensitivity?

Mine used to work fine and now are rubbish - would like to disable if at all possible...
 
The gel pads can be the problem overall, I had issues & when my screen was replaced due to bad fitment of the mirror that whenever moved, set of the wipers, the gel pad had actually started to liquefy & disintegrate, so I would change the gel pad 1st which is about £15 iirc, they should when changing pads or fitting new, clean the insert area with special cleaner.
 
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Dan_G said:
How do you change the sensitivity?

Mine used to work fine and now are rubbish - would like to disable if at all possible...
Click to expand...

On the wiper stalk there is an adjustment wheel on the top. If you don't have auto lights/wipers it won't be there...

NHN said:
The gel pads can be the problem overall, I had issues & when my screen was replaced due to bad fitment of the mirror that whenever moved, set of the wipers, the gel pad had actually started to liquefy & disintegrate, so I would change the gel pad 1st which is about £15 iirc, they should when changing pads or fitting new, clean the insert area with special cleaner.
Click to expand...

Perfect, I think that I'll be giving Auto Windscreens a quick shout and seeing if they can fix it then I guess? I don't know what's involved and don't want to break anything I don't reckon. Haha. If they say it's not their problem I'll take it to Audi and get them to confirm. Cheers!
 
I look at it like this, if its been fine until the screen change, then it has to be related, now thinking through my cloudy head today, you could also get vcds on it & no doubt it will show an error for disconnected mirror & possibly rain sensor, so maybe, just maybe clearing these errors will jump start it to work again, sorry I forgot that bit.
 
I don't know if there will be any errors because it did work eventually, but was on the most sensitive setting and only when the screen was totally covered. Like it's just not sensing it properly, rather than being disconnected.
 
No harm in checking, easiest option.

I've known personally, on these specific systems, to be affected by errors that needed clearing.
 
Ok, I'll have a pop in past my local, friendly, Audi dealership this weekend and see what they say then. Cheers!
 
The toggle on the top of the stalk isn't for sensitivity is it??? I thought that when it was at the top setting it was for auto wipers and if you knock it down a notch or so it was manual intermitant wipe is this not correct???
 
Forgot to mention mine are similar, I can be driving along and it looks like its going to rain so they come on and other times it's absolutely banging it down and they don't come on so I have to flick the stalk down and back up so it resets itself and it's ok again...
 
SI-W85 said:
The toggle on the top of the stalk isn't for sensitivity is it??? I thought that when it was at the top setting it was for auto wipers and if you knock it down a notch or so it was manual intermitant wipe is this not correct???
Click to expand...

Yeah, definitely for sensitivity. On the lowest mode, if the rain slows down the wipers just return down to their resting position so not just a timed thing.

I find that if you leave the wipers on, you have to either adjust the sensitivity up or turn them off and back on again once the car has been restarted. I'm assuming this is in case there is snow on the screen or something to save you burning out the motor by accident?
 
I find that on the wiper stalk if the wee toggle on the top of the wiper stalk is all the way to the right the wipers are more sensitive so as it moves to the left the less sensitive they become. I have noticed that if the auto wipers are on and you get into the car the next day, you seem to have to knock them off and back on for them to become active! .. This is just something I noticed, and to be honest they should be active all the time and I shouldn't have to do that. But it works so am happy enough with them! :)
 
As Daggerit said; I have to turn them off/ on to restart the auto wipe, and his suggestion that this may be to stop the motor burning out would make sense.
 
Is there any way to cancel the auto wipe and have manual intermitant instead???
 
I don't have to reset mine for auto to work.

Are you sure that you're just not thinking they're not working due to the initial activation speed?

i.e. if my cars covered in dew then I may have to manually wipe if it's heavy so that I can see for the first few meters. If it's light then I'll just drive off and once I'm up to speed the wipers kick in.

Normally I let the car sort it as our drive is long enough to get up to speed*

I lowered the speed with VCSDS that the parking sensors reset (and autolock I think) so maybe mine wipe at a slower initial speed than standard.
 
I agree with scotty, my car is February 2011 and once the auto wipe is switched on it remains so for ever, mind you I do try to remember to switch it off just in case the wipers freeze even in the garage. Having to reset auto wiping, for me is something that I only needed to do on a previous 2000MY Passat 4Motion and my wife's old 2003MY Polo.
 
The "slightly" adjustable intermittant settings are all rather poor, not enough wiping Mr Audi, I always end up manually wiping screen because the auto setting don't wipe often enough, on any setting.
 
Audi.Quattro said:
The "slightly" adjustable intermittant settings are all rather poor, not enough wiping Mr Audi, I always end up manually wiping screen because the auto setting don't wipe often enough, on any setting.
Click to expand...

Maybe you have a similar problem then because mine would easily wipe more than is really needed on the most sensitive setting! Haha.
 
Well, just had a word with Audi and they said it's very common when windscreens are replaced that they don't use genuine glass (fair enough I guess) but that because it's not OEM it can cause problems. I'm assuming that's what's happened. Am I within my rights to ask for OEM glass if it turns out to be the problem?

Surely if I pull the 'it's unsafe because my windscreen wipers don't work' card then either Auto Windscreens or my insurance company would be willing to either fix it or put in OEM glass free of charge?
 
Not necessarily due to non oem glass, I have used non oem glass for years on numerous cars & only issue had was with Pilkington mirror fixing was loose & cause the wipers to go of when moving mirror, swapped to guardian & problem fixed, which are both aftermarket, so disproves the total blame by audi.

Insurers will word policies to the effect that they can fit aftermarket glass, if you ask for oem you would have to pay difference depending on the policy & how much grief you give them.
 
Ok, went into Auto Windscreens and they agree it isn't right. When the boss there looked, a 'Guardian' screen was installed versus a Pilkington (I think he said) and it's known to cause issues so he's getting a new one ordered free of charge. I'm hopeful that will sort it out so now just need to wait until the glass comes in. :) Happy days.

I'm not worried about aftermarket stuff, so long as it works. Obviously it didn't this time but that isn't purely down to it being aftermarket, my thinking was just that OEM stuff will work for sure so might cut out the hassle. I'll just make sure we check it before the fitter leaves. :)
 
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nice! good result from them saying they'll replace for free :D ay when they go to do it make sure you have a spritzer bottle with ya to test ;)
 
try to change the sensitivity in the mmi
 
DrSasso said:
nice! good result from them saying they'll replace for free :D ay when they go to do it make sure you have a spritzer bottle with ya to test ;)
Click to expand...

I will definitely be doing this! Haha.

bez101 said:
try to change the sensitivity in the mmi
Click to expand...

Well they've already said the windscreen is known to cause issues and it worked before so I don't think that I should have to change anything? Once they pop in the new screen I expect it'll work. :)
 
The B6 A4's had a similar windscreen issue. When my S4 needed it's screen replaced I told them I wanted OEM Pilkington. The called the insurer, warned me it would take 24 hours and then it was done.

I'd always go for OEM if poss.
 
Does anyone have the part number for the gel pad to hand?

Still having relationship issues with ETKA lol

Sent from my E6853 using Tapatalk
 
I've found with my current S4 and previous Audis that moving the sensitivity setting to less sensitive and back starts the wipers and possibly helps. My S4 can also be set for manual wiprer control with variable intermittent speed via the MMI. When I had the screen changed on my last A4 Autoglass replaced the gel pad and were very careful to ensure it all worked OK, I think they used an OEM screen, the first one they turned up with was not an acoustic screen.
 
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