rain sensor gone
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 67
From: EARTH
Chris.. I have question this may be dumb, I just want to know what made to the conclusion that the sensor is dead. This is just a info the GX sensor, once you have the Front wiper in Auto Mode, the rain sensor detects the amount of rain( not light drops, but a substantial quantity of water on the fron tsheild, A signal is output to the wiper relay, the wiper relay automatically controls the intermittent time and then the wiper operates, in accordance to the signal.
I am not questioning your decision, as would know exactly the symptom, but have you traversed thru thick rainfall and tried this . Just curious.
I am not questioning your decision, as would know exactly the symptom, but have you traversed thru thick rainfall and tried this . Just curious.
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Lead Lap
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 450
Likes: 0
From: chicago
i could drive for miles once it starts to drizzle before they would wipe and then they would wipe really fast and then nothing and so forth. I would touch the sensor housing and they would wipe only then. replaced first time and they worked for a while and then same thing.
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Racer
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,548
Likes: 37
From: MD
So I go out to hop in the GX early yesterday morning to head to work. First real cold morning we've had this winter. It rained over night, but the water on the car was not frozen, but it was close. Anyway, fired up the GX and the wipers which I keep on "auto" mode all of the time just started going crazy, then after a few minutes they slow down to an intermittent speed. This went on for 10 min or more and I tried switching them off, turning them to "hi" then back to "auto", nothing, same damn thing. At this point it's starting to get annoying, so I started banging the crap out of the sensor - obviously this didn't help it only made them GO FASTER. Yeah I could have shut them off but I was determined to see if they would stop. After 10 or more minutes of driving they eventually did stop and all is back to normal.
I recall this happening last winter on a couple of different occassions when the windshield frosted over. Has anyone else that normally keeps their wipers on "auto" had any problems with the sensors in the cold?
I recall this happening last winter on a couple of different occassions when the windshield frosted over. Has anyone else that normally keeps their wipers on "auto" had any problems with the sensors in the cold?
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 67
From: EARTH
CS ... before you run the wipers run the heater blower in medium mode, this will make sure the sensor when reading values of the outside temprature is signalled to the ECM. Just be patient, It is an electronic device, which to run the values and compute from the sensor and signalled to the ecm takes time, all you need is get the front Windsheild glass a bit warm by running the heater blower and the mode to the upper side. I experienced this last year when I had trip to Michigan and left on the early mor, ning, The sensor bahaved inirdinately, going too fast, then slowing down, then to to total stop. I had to call my SOS foreman, and he gave me this solution, it worked, here i am passing it to you, hoping it is the similar symptom.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,548
Likes: 37
From: MD
Yea I figured it had something to do with the cold weather, but I guess what I don't understand is the set-up. Is the wiper sensor and the thermal sensor intertwined? In either case something's screwy with the design if an owner has to heat up their windshield when it's cold out to make the wipers stop in "auto" mode. Anyway, not a big deal to me, my "auto" wipers work flawlessly otherwise.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 8,804
Likes: 139
From: MA
cssnms, I always shut off the wiper b 4 I start the car in the winter. If the windshield is full of snow, the auto wiper may blow a wiper motor or a fuse. If the windshield is ice up, the sensor will think its rain and wipe until the ice is gone, that may take awhile. The rain sensor simply sent a infrared beam out thru the windshield, if any part of the beam is reflected back from raindrop or ice, with will activiate.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,548
Likes: 37
From: MD
cssnms, I always shut off the wiper b 4 I start the car in the winter. If the windshield is full of snow, the auto wiper may blow a wiper motor or a fuse. If the windshield is ice up, the sensor will think its rain and wipe until the ice is gone, that may take awhile. The rain sensor simply sent a infrared beam out thru the windshield, if any part of the beam is reflected back from raindrop or ice, with will activiate.
In any event, I also thought the sensor was designed to sense vibration (rain drops hitting the windshield) and not a refractory sensor? I can always make my wipers go by taping the glass from the inside.
Rookie
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: DE
My rain sensor works fine.
I wish Lexus would link the rear wiper to the front wipers. The rear wiper would cycle on every other front wiper cycle. It could work on either delay or auto mode.
Maybe I'll invent it and let the car companies steal the idea like in the "'Flash of Genius'" movie.
I wish Lexus would link the rear wiper to the front wipers. The rear wiper would cycle on every other front wiper cycle. It could work on either delay or auto mode.
Maybe I'll invent it and let the car companies steal the idea like in the "'Flash of Genius'" movie.
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