Auto wipers

Rjw76

Rjw76

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Hi all, I have a question for those with automatic rain sensor/wipers and how they operate...

The 'auto' option is selected by switching the stalk control to the 'intermittent' setting - but 'intermittent' and 'auto' are 2 completely different things! When I select 'intermittent' (in the rain) I find my wipers initially operating as per the intermittent interval selected, then quickly doing their own thing (admittedly they react well to the amount of rain). So what if I WANT them to remain intermittent?

Thanks!
 
Rjw76 said:
Hi all, I have a question for those with automatic rain sensor/wipers and how they operate...

The 'auto' option is selected by switching the stalk control to the 'intermittent' setting - but 'intermittent' and 'auto' are 2 completely different things! When I select 'intermittent' (in the rain) I find my wipers initially operating as per the intermittent interval selected, then quickly doing their own thing (admittedly they react well to the amount of rain). So what if I WANT them to remain intermittent?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

You'd have to turn the Auto lights off - Then they work like old school intermittent
 
Ah ok... it never occurred to me that they were linked. I'll try that, thanks!
 
Rjw76 said:
Hi all, I have a question for those with automatic rain sensor/wipers and how they operate...

The 'auto' option is selected by switching the stalk control to the 'intermittent' setting - but 'intermittent' and 'auto' are 2 completely different things! When I select 'intermittent' (in the rain) I find my wipers initially operating as per the intermittent interval selected, then quickly doing their own thing (admittedly they react well to the amount of rain). So what if I WANT them to remain intermittent?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

With auto wipers you don’t have a intermittent setting. You move the wiper control to the first position to put the wipers in auto mode, when I had my A3 I left the wiper control in this position permanently. The ‘intermittent selector’ is for the sensitivity level of the rain sensor, i.e. the more the switch is adjusted to the right the sooner the wipers will react to moisture on the windscreen. According to the owners manual you can turn the rain sensor on and off via the Driver assist menu in the MMI.
 
I think you do have an intermittent setting for auto wipers.

There is an option in MMI to choose what should the car do while the stalk is in the auto/intermittent position. (I guess in system settings? I cant recall for sure cuz I am not in my car right now)
 
Is there an setting in VCDS to adjust the sensitivity of the lever on the wiper stalk? I had a look in the VCDS mods thread but couldn’t see one.
On my old 8V I rarely had to change it and it was always mid left or mid right. On my FL, even far right (most sensitive) isn’t enough and I often have to do a manual wipe when moving. Headlights are on Auto.

I don’t think the windscreen has been replaced as it’s OEM and no sign of the usual minor scuffs from a replacement or marks on the scuttle plate. I’d rather not explore the gel pack as I’d probably need to get my matrix headlights recalibrated if I moved the mirror housing to get at the gel pack.
 
Last edited:
The intermittent option can be found in Driver Assistant -> Rain Sensor. Turning off the rain sensor will get you intermittent wipers.

Rain sensor 1 Rain sensor 2

I was also unsuccessful in looking for an option in VCDS to even increase the sensitivity of the rain sensor. However I have found that removal of the hydrophobic coating (products like RainX) on the windscreen will help. It will help detecting drizzle and little water droplets stirred from the trucks in front of you.

I taped around the rain sensor then applying the coating removal compound. After having removed the coating, you will see the effect like this. I am happy with the result so far.
Tape Effect
 

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Good to hear you can turn the rain sensing wipers off on the A3, I've never had any that have actually worked properly. My GTI will flap away like a maniac at a couple of spits of rain, then leave the whole screen covered in it for ten minutes.
 
Rjw76 said:
Hi all, I have a question for those with automatic rain sensor/wipers and how they operate...

The 'auto' option is selected by switching the stalk control to the 'intermittent' setting - but 'intermittent' and 'auto' are 2 completely different things! When I select 'intermittent' (in the rain) I find my wipers initially operating as per the intermittent interval selected, then quickly doing their own thing (admittedly they react well to the amount of rain). So what if I WANT them to remain intermittent?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I just turned it off don't like auto better operate manually ...
 
Funnily enough, now I understand how it works (feel pretty foolish I didn't look at the manual in the first place!!), I really like them now - mine seem to respond just about right most of the time.
 
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