Audi Windscreen Wipers

zzzzzzzz

Feckin automatic sensors for windscreen wipers. On my car I've 3 settings:

Automatic (Which has 4 different sensitivity adjustments)
Regular
Fast

When it's drizzling and I previously would have used the intermittent setting I now have to let the automatic thing do it's work. Problem is - even on the lowest setting in light drizzle it goes faster than the regular.

Anyone know is there any way i can get an intermittent setting? Or de-sensitise the Auto settings??

jkb_dub

Same thing occurred to me yesterday....

Was sitting at the lights and it was really light drizzle but the wipers kept coming on even though I'd set them at the lowest setting. I just switched them off completely...

To change the delay may be possible but I reckon you'd need a laptop and VAG COM cable I guess, did you check any of the Audi owners sites ?

Type 17

I have auto wipers on a Mk5 Golf, and they work fine for me - they do wipe more often than fixed-interval intermittent wipers (on most VAG cars, the fixed interval is 6 seconds), but once they aren't wiping so often that they are wiping a dry windscreen*, then it's ok.

I have seen sensitivity settings for the auto wipers in vag.com, but as far as I could gather, they were for setting up the system again after a new windscreen was fitted, etc, ie: if you ran the setup, it would probably (re)check the transparency of the glass, etc, but would end up working fairly much like it had before. However, I didn't have full instructions for vag.com procedures, so I didn't mess with that module at the time.

*Keep an eye on the line of water left by the passenger-side wiper at the top of its stroke, just before it is cleared away by the driver's-side wiper on its down-stroke - once there is a bit of water to lubricate the wiper blade and avoid squeaking/dragging, then all is fine.

Esel

Type 17 wrote: »

..if you ran the setup, it would probably (re)check the transparency of the glass....

How would it do this?

zzzzzzzz

Type 17 wrote: »

I have auto wipers on a Mk5 Golf, and they work fine for me - they do wipe more often than fixed-interval intermittent wipers (on most VAG cars, the fixed interval is 6 seconds), but once they aren't wiping so often that they are wiping a dry windscreen*, then it's ok.

I have seen sensitivity settings for the auto wipers in vag.com, but as far as I could gather, they were for setting up the system again after a new windscreen was fitted, etc, ie: if you ran the setup, it would probably (re)check the transparency of the glass, etc, but would end up working fairly much like it had before. However, I didn't have full instructions for vag.com procedures, so I didn't mess with that module at the time.

*Keep an eye on the line of water left by the passenger-side wiper at the top of its stroke, just before it is cleared away by the driver's-side wiper on its down-stroke - once there is a bit of water to lubricate the wiper blade and avoid squeaking/dragging, then all is fine.

No - it's definitely wiping over a dry windscreen. The lowest auto setting in light rain sometimes wipes quicker than the "Normal" (constant) setting. I've also noticed that if i have the wipers set to constant/normal, when i slow down approaching traffic lights or whatever, they seem to speed up slightly... And don't slow back down again.

Type 17

esel wrote: »

How would it do this?

vag.com can run setup routines with any module or electrical item that needs it, for example: when you fit a new steering angle sensor (part of the ESP system), you need to set the steering to straight ahead (within 1 degree or so) and then run the steering angle setup procedure to give the ESP system a datum point to work from.

I presume that the vag.com setup procedure involves the LED and the receiver working out how well they can see each other through that particular windscreen, and setting a datum point to work from.

Type 17

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

No - it's definitely wiping over a dry windscreen. The lowest auto setting in light rain sometimes wipes quicker than the "Normal" (constant) setting. I've also noticed that if i have the wipers set to constant/normal, when i slow down approaching traffic lights or whatever, they seem to speed up slightly... And don't slow back down again.

OK, that sounds wrong. Firstly, check that the glass over the sensor itself is spotlessly clean (Windolene or vinegar and some old newspaper) and that the section of the wiper blade that crosses the sensor doesn't have any damage that would be leaving streaks there.

If there is nothing like this or any other issue that would fool the sensor into thinking that the 'screen was still wet when it actually isn't, then you need to get someone with vag.com software (or a dealer) to run the setup procedure again.

PS: Are the wiper blades over 12 months old? - if so, they're hardened by exposure to the sun (UV) and need to be replaced.
Also, if the windscreen glass is over about four years old, it will be scratched enough by the wipers to need replacing (your comprehensive insurance should cover this, without affecting your NCB, but check it first)