Rain Sensing Wipers

[chemistken]

Does anybody know how they work? How do they sense to rain on the windshield?

Ken

[jkatsoudas]

Does anybody know how they work? How do they sense to rain on the windshield?

Ken

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/wiper4.htm

[chemistken]

Does anybody know how they work? How do they sense to rain on the windshield?

Ken

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/wiper4.htm

Thank you for the link!

Ken

[xhybrdx]

The GS450h manual says essentially the same thing...

[Husker4theSpurs]

This is the one option I miss the most since trading in my RX330 for an Acura MDX.

[speedyg]

The Lexus rain sensors (at least on an 2006 RX400h and 2007 GS450h) are inferior to BMW's (at least on a 330i). It won't wipe unless there is a lot of rain and the light outside is shining just the right way. And when it gets triggered sometimes it swipes a couple times when it only needs to swipe once. Given how well the Lexus sensors work I'd prefer to have an intermittent setting rather than an automatic setting.

[Jim Nazium]

I am very disappointed with my rain sensing wipers on the 400h. On the next oil change / service interval, I will be making a point of this to the service manager. In my particular case, there is no logic to the swiping. I find the system swipes when it wants to, way too often, way too much, very much like having it on slow mode...

Cheers,

MadloR

[katzjamr]

not to be contrary but in seattle, where we are known for rain, i find the system works well, adjusts well to changing intensities of rain, and adjusts to the misty kind of drizzle that is the chinese water torture of the pacific northwest. there is a sensitivity switch on the wiper control arm with three settings as im sure u are aware. also is the area behind your rear view mirror, where the sensing dots are, clean on both the inside and outside?

[buckeyemike]

not to be contrary but in seattle, where we are known for rain, i find the system works well, adjusts well to changing intensities of rain, and adjusts to the misty kind of drizzle that is the chinese water torture of the pacific northwest. there is a sensitivity switch on the wiper control arm with three settings as im sure u are aware. also is the area behind your rear view mirror, where the sensing dots are, clean on both the inside and outside?

mine work great in Seattle :)

[Statman]

Some very different opinions...I think it is one of the worst features (on my GX470 and RX400h). I would never get it again if I had the choice.

[ilovelexus2007]

Does anybody know how to temporary turn the sensing wipers off? I go into a car wash and I ALWAYS have to turn off the engine so the wipers can be off as well.

[smalcom]

Does anybody know how to temporary turn the sensing wipers off? I go into a car wash and I ALWAYS have to turn off the engine so the wipers can be off as well.

Move the wiper lever up one notch and it will turn the wipers off :)

[RX400h]

Ours work perfectly - no complaints here.

[ilovelexus2007]

Move the wiper lever up one notch and it will turn the wipers off :)

Thanks :-). I thought I moved the lever all the way up already, but I guess I didn't.

[Jim Nazium]

Boy they really suck... once again, I endured the past month or so, with the "I will wipe whenever I feel like it, even double wipe or triple wipe even though there is no moisture or rain on the windshield" sensing wipers.

It's off to the dealer next week...

Cheers,

MadloR

[XESPUM]

not to be contrary but in seattle, where we are known for rain, i find the system works well, adjusts well to changing intensities of rain, and adjusts to the misty kind of drizzle that is the chinese water torture of the pacific northwest. there is a sensitivity switch on the wiper control arm with three settings as im sure u are aware. also is the area behind your rear view mirror, where the sensing dots are, clean on both the inside and outside?

I'm also in Seattle (well Woodinville, but that's the same thing). I have both a RX400h and a GS450h, both with the rain sensing wipers and they are really, really bad. I've talked to the dealer about it and they said there is no way to fix it. My preference would be to go to non-sensing wipers, where the sensitivity selector is just how long to take between swipes.

has anybody heard of anyway to make this work?

thanks

[katzjamr]

i am in seattle (which by the way is not woodinville) ;) and the rain sensing wipers work well. i am curious when you say they are really bad, what is it that doesnt work for u? have you tried cleaning the inside of the window where the sensing patch is? and the outside for that matter.

[SW03ES]

When my car was new I really disliked them, however over the years I've gotten used to them and now I really miss them when I drive cars with normal intermittant wipers.

Yeah they go haywire every once and a while, but for the most part I like how they work. One way to avoid them coming on when there is no rain (happens to me every once and a while too) is to leave them off and switch them to "AUTO" when its raining, and just let them select the speed.

[LexRexBlue]

Generally mine work well. Lexus suggested that I turn them off when the weather is nice! I don't think you have Easy Pass, but if you put that near the sensor it throws the sensor off. I bought an IS without the rain sensing wipers thinking I didn't really need them. Well, that was a mistake, I had become so accustomed to the automatic wipers I forget to adjust them on the IS. You do get spoiled with all of the conveniences and then when you don't have them you realize how dependent you have become. Whenever I get a loaner without the backup camera I realize how much I use it. Good luck.

[emim]

I love my wipers, they work perfectly... and they can somehwat be adjusted as to sensitivity...

[XESPUM]

i am in seattle (which by the way is not woodinville) and the rain sensing wipers work well. i am curious when you say they are really bad, what is it that doesnt work for u?

I was speaking meteorologically, not culturally! :-)

they basically don't turn on when they should. the windshield gets so wet that I'm forced to do it manually.

I recently took it in for service and then cleaned it "really good" and it worked better -- they actually would come on if I wanted past my comfort level but prior to my panic level (before I'd hit the panic stage of "OMG I CAN'T SEE".

I'm now experimenting where to place some electrical tape near/on the sensor to fool the system into thinking it is always wet. If I put the tape on it, maybe it will think it is always very wet. Above it might act as a "dam", building up water near the sensor to get them to turn on. i'm hoping that the sensitivity will then control how frequently the blades swipe.

btw, in the current configuration, I can tell no difference changing the sensitivity -- I assume this isn't what everybody else is running into.

[katzjamr]

yes i will admit meterologically you can be considered a seattlite. when you rotate the sensitivity switch on the wiper stalk it does take one or two swipes for the new setting to kick in. its funny today in a light sprinkle i found my wipers wiping more frequently than i would like at the slowest setting.

[XESPUM]

yes i will admit meterologically you can be considered a seattlite. when you rotate the sensitivity switch on the wiper stalk it does take one or two swipes for the new setting to kick in. its funny today in a light sprinkle i found my wipers wiping more frequently than i would like at the slowest setting.

I think I have this "fixed"...I took some black electrical tape and tried to put it *over* the sensor. that made them come on more frequently, but still not working to my satisfaction. The then took that off and put some top right above the sensor (this is on the outside of the glass). Now they work perfectly. For the firt time twisting the knob actually changes the frequency of the swipe and when it sprinkles, the wipers actually come on. I have no idea how it works, but it does.

anybody else out there that is having this problem should try it out and post their results!

[mowmow]

Ours work fine, never a complaint, but that's an interesting idea, I might try it just for kicks