My 3GS, like most 3GSs, has the automatic wipers and not the intermittent wipers. Now that I started to drive some in the rain, I realize that automatic wipers are a nice enough idea. BUT, although they work sometime, they are no substitute for the intermittent wipers that cars have had for a long time now.

I tried just leaving the wipers on automatic -- with various sensitivity settings. Although "most" sensititive was clearly the best, the intermittent wipers were consistently frustrating.

In fairly heavy rain, they would sometimes pause. This wasn't too bad, since I could just turn the wipers to the low or the high setting.

The real problem came in varying degrees of light rain. Normally I'd use my intermittent wiper setting to keep my windshield clean. But if I put it on automatic, frequently nothing would happen even through there was rain was my windshield that needed to be removed for me to see properly. In every case, I had to give up and turn the wipers on constantly on the low setting rather that wait a long time -- several minutes -- for the intermittent wipers to wake and realize they needed to get to work.

What were the designers thinking? The implimentation of their design is so fatally flawed they should have given up on it.

 

I hate my intermittent wipers.
RAIN-X to the rescue!!!

 

I love my auto-wipers. Mine work fine, at higher speeds it doesn't work because its a point where if rain hits the windshield then it should just bead away. Gotta remember our front windshields have a coating on them much like rain-x.

 

No substitute for rainX no matter.
I still use the rainX and it is still night/day even with the teflon coated front windows and front windshield.

 

I set my auto wipers on their least sensitive setting and I find them to be absolutely perfect. Just the right amount of time passes to wipe away a fine mist and they then change over to the constant normal mode when the rain just becomes heavy enough. Like I said, perfect, the best auto wipers I have ever used.

Don't like your auto wipers? Try out my wife's '07 Passat. They are possessed, seemingly wiping at random. Absolutely useless.

 

Lol, what do you expect... its a VW.

 

If you want it to wipe, you can just tap the rain sensing box by the rear view mirror. It will trigger the system to wipe. hehehe

I like my auto wipers, it's not PERFECT, but it's a great system.

 

sorry for a noob question, but for the rain sensor, do you have to "activate" it everytime or does it just wipe on its own when it wipes

 

Kevin, Once you leave it in the "auto" mode, which is one click down from OFF. It should wipe automatically anytime it detects rain. Of course enough rain has to fall onto the "rain sensor". Which is located on the top of the windshield in the middle.

 

der, i know where the sensor is

the reason I asked was because for BMW, you have to reactivate it every time just checking

 

I thought only the front side windows have that coating.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I had an 03 330Ci and if you left the wipers on auto and turned the car off and started it again you had to switch it to off and then back to on. I like that in the Lexus this can be left on auto and will come on when required regardless if the car was turned off or not. I will say that once in awhile on a clear blue day, the wipers will come on and scare the sheet out of me!!

But...

Not to hijack this thread, but since you mentioned BMW...if the headlights are on auto and the windshield wipers come on (auto or otherwise) then the headlights come on automatically in a BMW. As far as I know Lexus doesn't do that. In my 430 with the lights on auto, even in the rain and when it is dark and dreary during the day, the lights do not come on...i have to turn them on manually and, to tell you the truth, I forget a lot of the time. It is PA State Law and the law in a lot of states that if your wipers are on, your headlights must be on. I have caught myself driving in some heavy rains with very poor visibility with no lights on. Sorry...should have started a new post...

 

You can adjust your headlight sensitivity to high.

 

Lexus Personalized Setting #13 - Sensitivity of the automatic headlights

take it to the dealer and have it adjusted to be more sensitive to your liking.

However, I absolutely HATE the automatic setting for all cars and I will never use it. I like to be in control of everything in my car. Nothing auto for me.

 

OH! HAHA! Jusst checking man.

When you coming back to SO CAL for a visitation?



Yes, Lexus solely relies on just a light sensor on the dash for the automatic lights.