Automatic Windscreen wipers?

[matt1987]

Hi all,

Just playing with my new Titanium!!! I know how to put the Automatic Headlights on, and it works perfect! I just need to know how to put the Auto Windscreen wipers on? I have done what it says in the book ( Which I think its saying flick the stalk up 1? ). On doing this, the wipers seem to be just going at a slow speed even when not raining.

Do YOU have to put the automatic windscreen wipers when its raining? Or is there a position where you can put the stalk and they will automatically come on when its raining and stop when its not?

Thanks!!

Matt

[slappyhaze]

On mine, I just put the stalk in the middle (Bottom being off and Top being constant) and the wipers come on when wet, they even change speed as it gets wetter! There is a dial in there too to adjust the sensitivity. I guess if yours are coming on in the middle, then your sensor might be detecting some wet.

[russellf]

Hi all,

Just playing with my new Titanium!!! I know how to put the Automatic Headlights on, and it works perfect! I just need to know how to put the Auto Windscreen wipers on? I have done what it says in the book ( Which I think its saying flick the stalk up 1? ). On doing this, the wipers seem to be just going at a slow speed even when not raining.

Do YOU have to put the automatic windscreen wipers when its raining? Or is there a position where you can put the stalk and they will automatically come on when its raining and stop when its not?

Thanks!!

Matt

Hi, try turning down how sensitive they are. The wheel is on the stalk. It might be that the window is very damp.

[AndrewL]

If you put the stalk into the position where it won't lock any lower and then click one notch upwards then the auto wipers will be on. They should automatically come on when it rains and you don't have to activate them when it starts raining. If you've got it on the right setting but they still come on then there could be something covering the rain sensor on the windscreen, or dust maybe?

[thesilverfox]

If you put the stalk into the position where it won't lock any lower and then click one notch upwards then the auto wipers will be on. They should automatically come on when it rains and you don't have to activate them when it starts raining. If you've got it on the right setting but they still come on then there could be something covering the rain sensor on the windscreen, or dust maybe?

+1

The focus works in the same way - one click = auto.

I set mine to 3 for sensitivity (or 3rd click on the wheel if you like)

[matt1987]

Cheers guys, I will give it a go today!

[Jonny87]

Maybe worth pointing out that its best not to permanently leave them on auto. Esp. with all of the frost we have had recently, last thing you want is to start the engine of a morning then have the wipers ripping themselves out of the frost before its defrosted, cos the blades will become damaged more quickly. Also they are apparantly very very expensive to replace

[benholden2008]

Yea that's exactly what happened to me the other morning, nearly ripped them to bits. What's expensive the actual blades or the sensors for the automatic wipers

[Jonny87]

The blades... somebody a while back was saying they were fifty quid or something like that, plus there are apparantly no other manufacturers making them yet so you must get the super expensive FoMoCo ones

[benholden2008]

F*ck that 50 quid for blades! Think I'll make do till some cheapo ones come out

[Jonny87]

just checked the web to be sure on that price. They are infact forty quid. Still !Removed! expensive when you consider they are just a bit of silicon with some wire inside...

[titanium_s_spec]

if you let them do 1 sweep then they will work and get faster when it rains.not sure about coming on when u have turned car of as they should not work until you do it again pretty sure of that. how's my spelling..

[Jonny87]

if you let them do 1 sweep then they will work and get faster when it rains.not sure about coming on when u have turned car of as they should not work until you do it again pretty sure of that. how's my spelling..

Once you put them on auto mode they stay on auto, even after you put the ignition off and on.

[InstructorPiggy]

damn hate auto stuff for the reasons above...whats the point of 'AUTOMATIC' if you have to turn it on!?!?

And are we that inept now as drivers that we don't know when we should turn our windscreen wipers on!?!?

Or that we don't know when its dark to turn lights on???

Just takes out the need for drivers to focus on driving.

And then theres the problem of them going wrong...dust or frost or dirt setting them off or ECU not working properly (i remember working on a Merc that was 2months old, plugged it in, it just wouldn't let the wiper work coz of some dumbass sensor that said something was in the way!?!)...madness if you ask me....nuff problems without making things problematic!!!

rant over...sorry

[MrsMcBee]

ooops - I never knew there was a setting for sensitivity :o I had auto wipers on my Fiesta Ghia and never knew either. Think I'll go and have a look now.

Thanks!

[AndrewL]

Johnny's right, you never have to turn them on initially, once they're set on auto that's it.

Also, I love the automatic functionality - I might be an absolute loser, but I'm always impressed when the wipers come on by themselves when it starts spitting or the lights switch on when I drive through a tunnel. Or for that matter when the rear view mirror dips itself when some nob with their full beams on comes up behind me, or when the ESP kicks in and saves my neck when I'm getting a little carried away on a wet roundabout!

IMO it's these features that allow the driver to focus on the driving.

[InstructorPiggy]

sorry, i don't want to offend but I completely 100% disagree...auto this, auto that.

THE ONLY thing that i can ever see that has been a good electronic mod on cars is ABS, that is coming from mechanic and a driving instructor.

Its those features that make people think, 'oh, I don't have to worry about that, so I can eat my crisps, call me mates, go fast round this corner and not worry'....takes the skill out of driving and the safety...

and its all headaches and money when it goes wrong...thats the mechanics point of view from me!!

[thesilverfox]

sorry, i don't want to offend but I completely 100% disagree...auto this, auto that.

THE ONLY thing that i can ever see that has been a good electronic mod on cars is ABS, that is coming from mechanic and a driving instructor.

Its those features that make people think, 'oh, I don't have to worry about that, so I can eat my crisps, call me mates, go fast round this corner and not worry'....takes the skill out of driving and the safety...

and its all headaches and money when it goes wrong...thats the mechanics point of view from me!!

I can see your points - totally valid.

But I love auto wipers. I still use them manually all the time, but in rain that varies a lot (light, medium, light, heavy) auto speed is a god-send. Simple as.

Auto headlights are a no-brainer. I leave mine on auto and therefore can't go wrong. Far safer than forgetting to put them on at all imo.

[bILLOO]

damn hate auto stuff for the reasons above...whats the point of 'AUTOMATIC' if you have to turn it on!?!?

And are we that inept now as drivers that we don't know when we should turn our windscreen wipers on!?!?

Or that we don't know when its dark to turn lights on???

Just takes out the need for drivers to focus on driving.

And then theres the problem of them going wrong...dust or frost or dirt setting them off or ECU not working properly (i remember working on a Merc that was 2months old, plugged it in, it just wouldn't let the wiper work coz of some dumbass sensor that said something was in the way!?!)...madness if you ask me....nuff problems without making things problematic!!!

rant over...sorry

A good argument though! It seens we rely too much on technology these days. I haven't got anything automatic on the Zetec-S and it's so much better than having all the toys on the previous Zetec... apart from no automatic fold mirrors... they were quite useful.

[Jonny87]

The auto lights aren't perfect though. Sometimes when the daylight is like on the edge of their sensitivity setting they will come on if you like drive past some trees where it's slightly darker. Then when you pass the trees it will go off after a few secs, then back on when you pass some more trees. Took me a while to notice this, but it must look a bit stupid to the drivers in front of you, maybe even irritating or even distracting. Wipers are mainly spot on and the reverse wipe seems useful, although again there are times when there is really light drizzle or just road spray when they are either OTT or dont come on. You end up changing the sensitivity so much that you might as well operate them manually

While im on the topic, its a shame that the auto lights dont differ between sidelights and headlights as there are times when sidelights are more appropriate. Also a shame that there arent two different lights on the dash: one for sidelights, one for headlights. My Mk.4 used to have that, but not the Mk.7. Strangely the lights symbol on the Mk.7 for headlights is the same as the Mk.4 symbol for sidelights

oh well :)

[amarokuk]

sorry, i don't want to offend but I completely 100% disagree...auto this, auto that.

THE ONLY thing that i can ever see that has been a good electronic mod on cars is ABS, that is coming from mechanic and a driving instructor.

Its those features that make people think, 'oh, I don't have to worry about that, so I can eat my crisps, call me mates, go fast round this corner and not worry'....takes the skill out of driving and the safety...

and its all headaches and money when it goes wrong...thats the mechanics point of view from me!!

I agree all the technology in the world is never going to compensate for a moron with a driving license. Nor come to that matter the rest of the morons with no DL and driving untaxed and presumably uninsured cars which have become a epidemic around where I live.

[thesilverfox]

The auto lights aren't perfect though. Sometimes when the daylight is like on the edge of their sensitivity setting they will come on if you like drive past some trees where it's slightly darker. Then when you pass the trees it will go off after a few secs, then back on when you pass some more trees. Took me a while to notice this, but it must look a bit stupid to the drivers in front of you, maybe even irritating or even distracting. Wipers are mainly spot on and the reverse wipe seems useful, although again there are times when there is really light drizzle or just road spray when they are either OTT or dont come on. You end up changing the sensitivity so much that you might as well operate them manually

While im on the topic, its a shame that the auto lights dont differ between sidelights and headlights as there are times when sidelights are more appropriate. Also a shame that there arent two different lights on the dash: one for sidelights, one for headlights. My Mk.4 used to have that, but not the Mk.7. Strangely the lights symbol on the Mk.7 for headlights is the same as the Mk.4 symbol for sidelights

oh well :)

Mine won't go on with flickering shadows and whatnot - requires the sensor to be 'darker' for a good few seconds before engaging lights - even then, it has been known to only put the lights on as if the engine hasn't turned over (i.e., lights on full with ignition turned two notches).

The only time mine are confused is in petrol stations, when they turn on after pulling out.

No issues with sensitivity of wipers for me - setting 3 has not moved in 14 months; I simply turn off auto-wipe when I know for a fact I don't need it. As the manual says: don't drive with it on all the time, as dust will set it off and wreck your blades. Turn it on when it rains and let it do its job - then turn off when done.

Simple really - I guess people are forgetting this.

[Jonny87]

Mine won't go on with flickering shadows and whatnot - requires the sensor to be 'darker' for a good few seconds before engaging lights - even then, it has been known to only put the lights on as if the engine hasn't turned over (i.e., lights on full with ignition turned two notches).

The only time mine are confused is in petrol stations, when they turn on after pulling out.

No issues with sensitivity of wipers for me - setting 3 has not moved in 14 months; I simply turn off auto-wipe when I know for a fact I don't need it. As the manual says: don't drive with it on all the time, as dust will set it off and wreck your blades. Turn it on when it rains and let it do its job - then turn off when done.

Simple really - I guess people are forgetting this.

It certainly doesn't take a good few seconds! :P Enter a tunnel, its about 1 second till they come on!

Drive under a big enough bridge slowly enough on a dull overcast day, and they will come on. Drive past a row of houses when the sun is low enough in the sky, and they will come on. This happens when it is light enough for you not to notice if the lights are on or not, unless you are looking at the symbol in the dash. B)

As I have already posted that the auto wipers are to be switched off when not in use I fail to see how I have forgotten this?

"The only time mine are confused is in petrol stations, when they turn on after pulling out."

If this is happening at night then I dont see what your problem is with your lights coming on in the dark? If this is happening during the day then your auto function is broken

[thesilverfox]

It certainly doesn't take a good few seconds! :P Enter a tunnel, its about 1 second till they come on!

Drive under a big enough bridge slowly enough on a dull overcast day, and they will come on. Drive past a row of houses when the sun is low enough in the sky, and they will come on. This happens when it is light enough for you not to notice if the lights are on or not, unless you are looking at the symbol in the dash. B)

As I have already posted that the auto wipers are to be switched off when not in use I fail to see how I have forgotten this?

"The only time mine are confused is in petrol stations, when they turn on after pulling out."

If this is happening at night then I dont see what your problem is with your lights coming on in the dark? If this is happening during the day then your auto function is broken

I wasn't pointing the finger at you specifically about wipers, but a lot of people do just leave them on and wonder why they don't work. So no need to take it personally :) I see it on various forums, where people are unaware as to how the rain sensing wipers work. The majority think they can leave them on all the time (much like auto lamps) and it work; we of course, know better.

I don't have a problem with the lights; simply that when pulling into the station, the light is just bright enough to switch them off and as I pull away, people try to tell me that my lights are off, unaware that they will turn themselves on.

The Fiesta is clearly far more sensitive to changes in light - the Focus takes 2-3 secs when going from light to dark (say, in a tunnel) and is instantaneous in pitch black (i.e. starting the car at night). Mine do come on when dull, but no bother. It's not like they flicker on and off trying to decide - it just stays on, or goes off. I've seen the example of over-sensitive lights on a Lexus, and boy was it annoying. Kept wondering why the guy was flashing me and noticed each time it went on, he was under street lamps

[Silent Shark]

sorry, i don't want to offend but I completely 100% disagree...auto this, auto that.

THE ONLY thing that i can ever see that has been a good electronic mod on cars is ABS, that is coming from mechanic and a driving instructor.

Its those features that make people think, 'oh, I don't have to worry about that, so I can eat my crisps, call me mates, go fast round this corner and not worry'....takes the skill out of driving and the safety...

Personally, I'd disagree with this. (not about the ABS though)

I know I have no authority on the subject, not being a mechanic, instructor or anything like that, but surely anything that distracts drivers from actually driving is a bad thing, therefore if you can automate things like headlights and wipers, then you keep the drivers attention on the road, and not searching for the switch and finding the right setting for the conditions.

I'd also argue that anyone who thinks it's acceptable to use their phone, drive at unsafe speeds around corners or eat snack food items whilst behind the wheel, is going to do so anyway regardless of removing the resposibility of switching the lights or wipers on themselves.

I might have a rose-tinted view of the world though. Maybe there are some people so daft as to think that 'automated wipers' also improves a cars grip in the wet or something. There was that guy in America who put the crusie control on in his winnebago/caravan thing, then went into the back to make a coffee. After the accident he sued the company because the manual didn't say he couldn't do that.