[LEDZEP]

Are you not adjusting the sensitivity? You can, you know.

[StevenT]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Are you not adjusting the sensitivity? You can, you know.

That's what we've been talking about. It seems that on certain cars, the sensitivity adjustment just does not work. I think more people are noticing that they have this problem over time, because it's not something that can be checked quickly. The only way to really test for the adjustment issue is to wait for a day where you have a light but constant rain.

[Bimmerista]

Just to add to the general confusion:

I am really not sure if I have this problem - on the one hand, when I adjust the intensity, it does seem to wipe faster WHEN THERE IS RAIN (most noticeable between setting 1 and 3 of 4).

However, as the rain recedes or stops, it slows down or stops.
Until now I thought this is what it it supposed to do. The as the rain picks up it will start wiping again but not as intensily as the setting I had previously set, so I have to "re-set it" by putting it again on the lower setting, then as the rain gets harder, move up the scale.

Again, I thought this is what it was designed to do

[crazybones]

Let me add an extra perspective to this debate. According to my dealer, the sensor not only controls the wipers but also the auto headlights.

When my car went in for the CIP 19 upgrade, I asked for the wiper sensitivity to be increased and for the auto headlight sensitivity to be decreased, as I've ended up driving along in the morning with the sun shining and my headlights on!

He said that increasing the sensitivity of the wipers increases that of the auto headlights and that the 2 cannot be adjusted separately. His recommendation was to make the wipers more sensitive as this is a safety issue and to control the headlights manually! In the end, I asked him to leave them as they are.

[StevenT]

Originally Posted by crazybones

Let me add an extra perspective to this debate. According to my dealer, the sensor not only controls the wipers but also the auto headlights.

When my car went in for the CIP 19 upgrade, I asked for the wiper sensitivity to be increased and for the auto headlight sensitivity to be decreased, as I've ended up driving along in the morning with the sun shining and my headlights on!

He said that increasing the sensitivity of the wipers increases that of the auto headlights and that the 2 cannot be adjusted separately. His recommendation was to make the wipers more sensitive as this is a safety issue and to control the headlights manually! In the end, I asked him to leave them as they are.

I haven't read one thing in the manual or on any of the BMW forums to support this. I think your dealer may be feeding you incorrect information (this unfortunately happens frequently).

I don't even think the two systems use the same sensors. I believe there are two light sensors that detect ambient light to control the auto headlights. These are always functioning. It's my understanding that the auto-wipers rely on an IR beam that projects out from the back of the rear-view mirror and onto the windshield. This IR beam then reflects off of the windshield and unto an IR sensor. The characteristics of the reflected beam vary with the amount of water on the windshield, thereby supposedly allowing for the auto-adjustment. Further, unlike the normal light sensors, this IR system is not on all the time. You have to manually activate it by the button on the stalk.

Furthermore, I can control the sensitivity of the auto-lights via iDrive. In contrast, the sensitivity adjustment for the wipers is done right at the stalk. I highly doubt the two adjustment systems are connected. It also doesn't make sense logically.

Can anyone with more substantial knowledge confirm or deny any of the above?

[wac77]

Originally Posted by wongmb

On mine the selector is continuous/infinite adjustment (no distinct 4 position). You just slide it up or down. And it definitely does not work at all.

I that case I would say that yours is definitely defective.

[shoread]

I have a new E90 325i SE (UK spec) and I alos can't get the sensitivity sdjuster (on the stalk) to make any difference at all. Sometime the wiper frequency on 'auto' is ok, other times too fast, others too slow. If only it would allow me to adjust, I reckon it'd be ok. Manual says you can adjust.

[wongmb]

Wac77:
You are right, I check again and there are distinct settings on the stalk. But there are only 3 settings total (including the top and bottom settings) instead of 4 that most mentioned ??
But it still does not do anything to change the frequency at all.

[wongmb]

Forget my last post. I do have 4 settings except they are all the same, no effect on sensitivity/frequency

[throwingcopper33]

Im having the same problems as many of you have had. The sensitivity adjustment does nothing to the speed of my wipers no matter what the intensity if the rain is. I put my BMW in to have it checked, and the technician said that I probably will not see any VISABLE change in speeds of the wipers. But after reading some who post that the changing the sensistivity does change the speeds of their wipers, I feel like I was just told a bunch of crap. Maybe if we all complain to BMW enough.. they will look into this matter and figure out what is wrong.

[thunderbirdsarego]

Very timely thread for me!

I have a December production 330xi. I've so far been pleasantly surprised that the rain sensor has got the amount of wiping just about right (I live in Vancouver and have yet to drive the car when it is not raining!).

However, last night driving on the Upper Levels highway the wipers did not seem to be wiping often enough. This is interesting as most people say their wipers are hyperactive. Mine are just about right except for last night.

So I played with the adjustment. I think it speeded them up a little. But the effect was so subtle that I think it could have been the placebo effect! The bottom line is that if the frequency adjustment does anything it is too subtle a change to be really useful. For me the best fix would be for BMW to allow the sensitivity adjustment to have a greater effect on the rain sensor sensitivity.

The fact that I live in a temperate rainforest together with my being fairly happy with my rain sensor performance most likely indicates that I have a defective unit. I'd better avoid software updates until spring arrives! ;-)

[JamieA]

Originally Posted by thunderbirdsarego

Very timely thread for me!

I have a December production 330xi. I've so far been pleasantly surprised that the rain sensor has got the amount of wiping just about right (I live in Vancouver and have yet to drive the car when it is not raining!).

However, last night driving on the Upper Levels highway the wipers did not seem to be wiping often enough. This is interesting as most people say their wipers are hyperactive. Mine are just about right except for last night.

So I played with the adjustment. I think it speeded them up a little. But the effect was so subtle that I think it could have been the placebo effect! The bottom line is that if the frequency adjustment does anything it is too subtle a change to be really useful. For me the best fix would be for BMW to allow the sensitivity adjustment to have a greater effect on the rain sensor sensitivity.

The fact that I live in a temperate rainforest together with my being fairly happy with my rain sensor performance most likely indicates that I have a defective unit. I'd better avoid software updates until spring arrives! ;-)

LOL - Mine is an October car and the wipers work fine. They have even flicked over to the faster speed on a couple of occasions during heavy downpours. I have them on the most sensitive setting though because I like a clear windscreen at all times.