Automatic wipers
09-11-13, 02:40 PM
#16
Last weekend we had a misty day, and while driving about 40mph during mid-day I held off as long as I could to see if the wipers would spring to action. The misting gradually turned to quite sizable uniform drops covering the entire window and past the point of annoyance into literally if I let it continue the only thing that would be visible would be my airbag deploying, almost no visibility. Natch, I had to manually trigger the wipers. I waited again and almost to the point where I lost visibility they made an automatic wipe. At that point, the rain picked up a bit and they worked perfectly from that point on. In plain old rain they do work well. I still think its a great feature, it's awesome when you get an unexpected puddle splash the covers the windshield unexpectedly, they respond before I could. It's just this misting thing that bugs me*, because I have no intermittent functions to fall back on. It's kind of like having a little scratch on a new car, doesn't stop you from driving, doesn't affect performance, it's just a little poke in the ribs when you see it.
I wish I understood how the technology works for this. I can tolerate imperfection if I understand the limitations. The sales dude showed me that if you touched the back of the sensor, that will cause the wipers to activate. Not sure why that is. It's usually far better at coming to a stop or slowing when the rain subsides, then starting up unless the rain is significant. Although one time in the winter the window went dry but still a bit dirty from road spray and the wipers refused to stop and started smearing badly, not sure if the smears prevented the system from recognizing that there was no moisture left. I think that's the only time I had to manually stop them.
*PS this wiper thing is just a very tiny annoyance for me, but I've got very little else to complain about with the RX, so this is it. If anything, I'm just more curious why it works the way it does.
I wish I understood how the technology works for this. I can tolerate imperfection if I understand the limitations. The sales dude showed me that if you touched the back of the sensor, that will cause the wipers to activate. Not sure why that is. It's usually far better at coming to a stop or slowing when the rain subsides, then starting up unless the rain is significant. Although one time in the winter the window went dry but still a bit dirty from road spray and the wipers refused to stop and started smearing badly, not sure if the smears prevented the system from recognizing that there was no moisture left. I think that's the only time I had to manually stop them.
*PS this wiper thing is just a very tiny annoyance for me, but I've got very little else to complain about with the RX, so this is it. If anything, I'm just more curious why it works the way it does.
In my 335i, I do have the option of using a fixed interval intermittent cycle instead of the rain drop sensor which I do sometimes but it's usually because the wipers get too excited, not because they're not responding. It's my understanding that the rain senor works by infrared light and somehow it knows the difference between a clean windshield vs one with water droplets just by how much light is received. Which doesn't make sense because if the sensor is covered like what you describe it should enable the wipers.
09-12-13, 09:29 AM
#17
Homework Assignment:
1-Turn phone on to record video
2-Turn Car on
3-Take spray bottle with water
4-Put Wipers on Auto
5-Spray windshield from varying distances to simulate mist to light rain.
Post results here and advise if you are satisfied.
If not satisfied and under warranty, take to dealer, repeat steps 2-5
Post results here
If still not satisfied and/or not under warranty, take out of Auto mode.
This assignment will not be graded.
1-Turn phone on to record video
2-Turn Car on
3-Take spray bottle with water
4-Put Wipers on Auto
5-Spray windshield from varying distances to simulate mist to light rain.
Post results here and advise if you are satisfied.
If not satisfied and under warranty, take to dealer, repeat steps 2-5
Post results here
If still not satisfied and/or not under warranty, take out of Auto mode.
This assignment will not be graded.
09-12-13, 01:12 PM
#18
Lexus Champion
Good try but there is no taking it out of Auto mode. You loose intermittent mode if you have Auto feature.
Good luck fixing something under warranty that works as designed.
Step 1: Use windshield washer spray.
Step 2: Watch your windshield get full of water.
Step 3: Get frustrated.
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 repeatedly at highway speeds during a snow storm.
Good luck fixing something under warranty that works as designed.
Step 1: Use windshield washer spray.
Step 2: Watch your windshield get full of water.
Step 3: Get frustrated.
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 repeatedly at highway speeds during a snow storm.
09-14-13, 12:29 AM
#19
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Homework Assignment:
1-Turn phone on to record video
2-Turn Car on
3-Take spray bottle with water
4-Put Wipers on Auto
5-Spray windshield from varying distances to simulate mist to light rain.
Post results here and advise if you are satisfied.
If not satisfied and under warranty, take to dealer, repeat steps 2-5
Post results here
If still not satisfied and/or not under warranty, take out of Auto mode.
This assignment will not be graded.
1-Turn phone on to record video
2-Turn Car on
3-Take spray bottle with water
4-Put Wipers on Auto
5-Spray windshield from varying distances to simulate mist to light rain.
Post results here and advise if you are satisfied.
If not satisfied and under warranty, take to dealer, repeat steps 2-5
Post results here
If still not satisfied and/or not under warranty, take out of Auto mode.
This assignment will not be graded.
The next foggy day here in San Francisco, I will leave the wiper in auto mode and record a video. Then, I plan to bring it back to the dealership and see what they have to say. Stay tuned.
09-14-13, 06:11 PM
#20
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Is there anyway to disable the rain sensing feature on a '11 RX 350? I maybe in the minority but I really dislike all the automated features on this vehicle, it's overkill to me.
09-15-13, 01:29 AM
#21
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09-16-13, 05:04 AM
#22
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I had a Honda Accord, i recall it worked better than my RX 350. RX350 auto wiper is not very sensitive to small droplets of rain or mist or droplets of water that is staying on the screen. But is good when the real rain comes, its auto function is a satisfying need.
09-16-13, 10:24 AM
#23
I have auto wipers in both cars, and they work great. Make sure you set the sensitivity the way you like it. then understand that the system incorporates vehicle speed when deciding when to cycle the wipers and how fast they need to go. They might seem really slow if you're sitting at a red light (stopped), but will work fine when you start going again. They do seem a bit slow to catch up after being stopped, sometimes. Keep in mind that no automation will fit all of the circumstances exactly the way you would run them all of the time. The key is setting the sensitivity as you like it, and they will be pretty close.
I finally convinced my wife to just be a little patient with the automation. I told her that the alternative is to simply turn it off and run them manually, but that just needlessly deprives her of a nice convenience. She finally got used to it and is happy to have it.
I finally convinced my wife to just be a little patient with the automation. I told her that the alternative is to simply turn it off and run them manually, but that just needlessly deprives her of a nice convenience. She finally got used to it and is happy to have it.
09-16-13, 10:52 AM
#24
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09-16-13, 10:59 AM
#25
http://drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/home
PDF is much easier to search IMO.
09-16-13, 01:09 PM
#26
No, I don't play soccer!
Sometimes it takes a manual sweep to get the auto wipers working as desired. Not really a biggie IMO. And Woodrow correctly pointed out how speed influences the way they work. I think it's pretty ingenious. Now I applied Rain-X over the weekend and the wipers worked perfectly during light rain this morning. I didn't have to manually engage the wiper once. I'm sure the water running off the windshield on its own played a part. Still, it's a pretty good system. I can't imagine driving a vehicle without it.
09-28-13, 12:10 AM
#27
Just like what Kitlz and Woodard said. One of my favoriate features on my '10 Rx and my '07 RX before are the rain-sensing wipers. I really started appreciating them a while back when I had the '07 RX. I had rented a car to visit my ailing mom several years ago and was traveling from Tampa to the Homestead, FL area quite frequently, so I rented a car to keep the mileage down on the RX. This was one of the years during winter that South Florida had a ton of rain, and I really missed having the auto wipers.
When it comes to a light rain/misty-type of rain event, I just flick down on the stalk to help the wipers come on. It hasn't been a problem for me, and they work as designed 98 percent of the time for me. I do remember after getting the '10 RX that I had to play around a little bit with the sensitivity as opposed to my '07, but they have worked like a charm since then for the past little over three years!
When it comes to a light rain/misty-type of rain event, I just flick down on the stalk to help the wipers come on. It hasn't been a problem for me, and they work as designed 98 percent of the time for me. I do remember after getting the '10 RX that I had to play around a little bit with the sensitivity as opposed to my '07, but they have worked like a charm since then for the past little over three years!
09-28-13, 07:21 AM
#28
I used to gripe about the lack of mist performance or the occasional total water coverage and no wiper action. After having auto wipers since 2005 I get into my IS and wonder why the wipers didn't come on! Ha because I was too cheap to buy the luxury package in an effort to make it a cheap purchase. I've learned my lesson as even seat memory was hidden in that package. Lexus does this to us occasionally. They finally added the remote trunk opening as an option to the new '2014 GS! Be thankful for what you have.
04-23-14, 09:18 AM
#29
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I have a 2014 RX, with rain sensing wipers. They will just come on sometimes, when there isn't a drop of rain, fog, mist or anything for miles. I had a 2007 RX before this one and the rain sensing wipers worked perfectly. My 2014 will just start wiping and will continue, regardless of the weather/moisture conditions, until I turn them Off and then back On. Naturally, the car won't do it when I take it in to the Service Advisor.
I am genuinely disappointed in the 2014, compared to my 2007. It is quite evident that they cut a lot of corners on the 2014. Little things, that you notice over time, start to bug me. For example, the "Door Ajar" warning light just tells you there is a door (ot trunk hatch door) ajar but doesn't tell you which one. You have to get out and walk around, until you find the right door. The 2007 showed which door was ajar, on the display. I miss all the storage space I had in the 2007. Moving the spare tire into the trunk wheel well, means loss of all that space. The door pockets are useless. I know longer have a sunglasses compartment over the mirror. The Garage Door opener link is on the mirror. I am always knocking my mirror out of adjustment, when I open the garage. Why, with the technology available in other cars, does Lexus not have guide line markers on the rear view camera display? Even the Ford Edge has those. I could have gotten a lot more car for my money by buying something other than the Lexus. I guess I was so pleased with my 2007 that I just assumed the 2014 would be a great car. WRONG!
I am genuinely disappointed in the 2014, compared to my 2007. It is quite evident that they cut a lot of corners on the 2014. Little things, that you notice over time, start to bug me. For example, the "Door Ajar" warning light just tells you there is a door (ot trunk hatch door) ajar but doesn't tell you which one. You have to get out and walk around, until you find the right door. The 2007 showed which door was ajar, on the display. I miss all the storage space I had in the 2007. Moving the spare tire into the trunk wheel well, means loss of all that space. The door pockets are useless. I know longer have a sunglasses compartment over the mirror. The Garage Door opener link is on the mirror. I am always knocking my mirror out of adjustment, when I open the garage. Why, with the technology available in other cars, does Lexus not have guide line markers on the rear view camera display? Even the Ford Edge has those. I could have gotten a lot more car for my money by buying something other than the Lexus. I guess I was so pleased with my 2007 that I just assumed the 2014 would be a great car. WRONG!
04-26-14, 02:38 PM
#30
I have a 2014 RX, with rain sensing wipers. They will just come on sometimes, when there isn't a drop of rain, fog, mist or anything for miles. I had a 2007 RX before this one and the rain sensing wipers worked perfectly. My 2014 will just start wiping and will continue, regardless of the weather/moisture conditions, until I turn them Off and then back On. Naturally, the car won't do it when I take it in to the Service Advisor.
I am genuinely disappointed in the 2014, compared to my 2007. It is quite evident that they cut a lot of corners on the 2014. Little things, that you notice over time, start to bug me. For example, the "Door Ajar" warning light just tells you there is a door (ot trunk hatch door) ajar but doesn't tell you which one. You have to get out and walk around, until you find the right door. The 2007 showed which door was ajar, on the display. I miss all the storage space I had in the 2007. Moving the spare tire into the trunk wheel well, means loss of all that space. The door pockets are useless. I know longer have a sunglasses compartment over the mirror. The Garage Door opener link is on the mirror. I am always knocking my mirror out of adjustment, when I open the garage. Why, with the technology available in other cars, does Lexus not have guide line markers on the rear view camera display? Even the Ford Edge has those. I could have gotten a lot more car for my money by buying something other than the Lexus. I guess I was so pleased with my 2007 that I just assumed the 2014 would be a great car. WRONG!
I am genuinely disappointed in the 2014, compared to my 2007. It is quite evident that they cut a lot of corners on the 2014. Little things, that you notice over time, start to bug me. For example, the "Door Ajar" warning light just tells you there is a door (ot trunk hatch door) ajar but doesn't tell you which one. You have to get out and walk around, until you find the right door. The 2007 showed which door was ajar, on the display. I miss all the storage space I had in the 2007. Moving the spare tire into the trunk wheel well, means loss of all that space. The door pockets are useless. I know longer have a sunglasses compartment over the mirror. The Garage Door opener link is on the mirror. I am always knocking my mirror out of adjustment, when I open the garage. Why, with the technology available in other cars, does Lexus not have guide line markers on the rear view camera display? Even the Ford Edge has those. I could have gotten a lot more car for my money by buying something other than the Lexus. I guess I was so pleased with my 2007 that I just assumed the 2014 would be a great car. WRONG!