Rain-sensing wipers - Silly, right?

[Shadow]

Yup, that's exactly what I used to think about rain-sensing wipers. I can control my own wipers just fine, thank you very much. No need for a sensor to do it for me. Well, I couldn't be more wrong. Although my Audi is the first vehicle I've ever owned with rain-sensing wipers, I've never used them until just recently. And it was by accident. Apparently, I must have enabled them by accident without realizing it.

So I'm driving down the road and the rain starts to fall lightly. I'm getting a bunch of tiny droplets all over the windshield, but not enough to make me want to hit the "mist" feature of the wipers. As more drops fall on the windshield, I decide that it's time for the wipers to swipe. Just as I reach for the wiper stalk, presto....one swipe of the wipers happens like magic. It was at that point that I first realized that my rain-sensing feature was active. Honestly, I didn't even know how to turn it off, so I decided to drive through the storm and see how well they work. Well, honestly, they work AMAZINGLY well. It's almost like the car was reading my mind. Every time I would have hit the wiper to swipe, they swiped themselves. I'm shocked that the rain sensor works so perfectly. The wipers wipe when you'd want them to and don't wipe when you don't want them to. The storm was one of those where the rain went from light drizzle to heavy downpours and everything inbetween. I used to think that speed-sensitive wipers were cool, but rain-sensing wipers are a step above and beyond. No need for speed sensing when a rain sensor is at work.

I know there are a lot of old-school guys on the forum who don't particularly like tech or the bells & whistles, but my rain-sensing wipers work so incredibly well that I almost feel like I made some kind of hidden discovery. I still don't know how to turn my rain-sensing feature off, but that's okay because I don't think I'll ever be using the wiper stalk from now on anyway....

[bk7794]

Interesting, didn't know they worked that well. I thought they would just come on and stay on once they detected rain and would chatter a few times before they stopped.

I am just happy to have wipers that don't sound like the mechanical transmission moving them is about to dismount from the car like my 91. I was and am still in the stages of fixing it. Though not sure if I am going to bother anymore.

[Shadow]

Interesting, didn't know they worked that well. I thought they would just come on and stay on once they detected rain and would chatter a few times before they stopped.

I am just happy to have wipers that don't sound like the mechanical transmission moving them is about to dismount from the car like my 91. I was and am still in the stages of fixing it. Though not sure if I am going to bother anymore.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought too. But they do work amazing well. I don't know if the earlier rain-sensing wipers work as well or not....maybe they just perfected the sensing technology?

The first car I owned with speed-sensing wipers was my M3. At the time, I thought it was really cool that the wipers would automatically switch from on to a long delay intermittent swipe whenever I stopped at a red light and then go back to full speed once I started moving again.

[six]

Well, welcome to the world of luxury cars. But if I recall correctly, this isn't your first luxury car, so these "tech features" should be familiar. Granted, you did say it was your first car with rain-sensing wipers. But it seems like you've been cryogenically frozen for 30 years and just woke up and discovered all these amazing things, with the way you describe your first encounter with these things, lol

First it was the electronic dipstick, then it was the e-parking brake, and now it's the wipers. The CL is the first car I've had that had speed-sensing wipers, and I think it's pretty cool. No need to turn the dial every time I'm at a light. I'm working my way up lol

[Shadow]

Actually, the electronic dipstick is something that I'm still getting used to....but I'd rather have a conventional dipstick. So far though, the electronic dipstick has given me no reason to worry. If it ever acts up or seems otherwise inaccurate, I'll go buy a dipstick from the Audi dealer and start checking my oil the old fashion way. LOL

The electronic e-brake is a cool feature, but it's really nothing to write home about. The coolest part of it is that it can act as a hill holder for people who aren't comfortable starting off on steep hills. Just press the button and the brake will hold the car until the driver starts to engage the clutch.

And yes, rain-sensing wipers are obviously completely new to me. Greatest thing since bottled beer.

Those are really the only three things that are new to me. A couple of minor features that are new to me is the built-in Jukebox 40 GB hard drive for my music. And (2) SD card slots that act as unlimited "portable" music storage just in case the hard drive gets filled up.

[tankinbeans]

I'll have to wait the 20 years until rain sensing wipers make it onto pedestrian cars. I'm still digging the late 80s/early 90s automatic headlights.

[ClutchDisc]

I have nothing good to say about rain-sensing wipers. I have a brain that can sense rain and a hand that can turn on the wipers - thank you anyway.

[ClutchFork]

I have nothing good to say about rain-sensing wipers. I have a brain that can sense rain and a hand that can turn on the wipers - thank you anyway.

Well, I've got no use for them either, but some folks like em I guess. Probably an improvement on intermittent wipers that are never quite at the right speed, but I'd rather bump the switch every time the window gets a bit too wet than have my wipers doing the thinking for me.

Well, welcome to the world of luxury cars.

For me it is a luxury car if it has a working AC and a CD player. Anything more it just too much. In fact I have a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer Luxury AWD edition I picked up a couple years ago and I can't wait to get rid of it. I will instead keep the 1999 Plymouth Voyager I recently acquired for $2300. The Voyager is a much better vehicle, nice and simple. No power accessories, just the basics and AC.

[potownrob]

very happy to hear (read) that this technology works so well (at least in VAG cars). i often wish i had that in my car, though i am skilled at setting the intermittent wipers just right (still miss the old VW wipers you could manually set to almost ANY interval, vs. the more recent pre-set intervals; guess the manual wiper programming sequence was too complicated for "the people.")

[watkins]

I will instead keep the 1999 Plymouth Voyager I recently acquired for $2300. The Voyager is a much better vehicle, nice and simple.

Just hope you dont roll it

[AHTOXA]

Rain sensing vipers are cool, but I have no experience with them. I'm still working up to that. Speed-sensing vipers were a pleasing discovery to me, as well as the rear wiper coming on when the fronts are working and the vehicle is put into reverse. Small steps, man. Small steps.

[tankinbeans]

Snakes are fun.

[ClutchFork]

I will instead keep the 1999 Plymouth Voyager I recently acquired for $2300. The Voyager is a much better vehicle, nice and simple.

Just hope you dont roll it

Generally true of any older vehicle. The Voyager sits a whole lot lower than the Mountaineer, so far less likely to roll.

[watkins]

That generation of Chrysler van had notorious body roll issues, as well as a tendency to upend.

[potownrob]

That generation of Chrysler van had notorious body roll issues, as well as a tendency to upend.

not sure what upending means, amirite tho??