If I ever have the misfortune of accidentally hitting the wiper stalk, that's it. No matter how many times I press down to turn them off, they just work intermittently. It'll be so intermittent that just when enough time has gone by for me to consider them turned off, they cycle again...what gives?

I dont know why bmw has to go around mucking with such a simple control to make it more complicated.

Does anyone know how to turn them off? Aparently hitting the stalk down the same number of times you hit it up doesnt seem to turn them off. Do I hold down the stalk?

 

press the button at the tip of the stalk - your wipers are still stuck in intermittent mode.

 

doesnt that squirt water on the rear window?

 

when u press the tip- you should get a wiper picture in your electronic odometer. Hit it again and it goes away. My wife was confused about the wipers when she needed them.

 

the right hand stalk drops the water on the rear wipers- but you have to rotate the thingee at the end of the stalk

 

Yes ROTATING IT drops the water, PRESSING IT IN make the intermittent go on and off.

 

No, it turns auto-wipers on and off.

BTW, all of this is in the Owner's Manual.

 

Why RTFM when you can get somebody to answer you question, after wasting hours pondering the solution......

 

I hate the combined locations of the start button and wiper stalk.

I've had an otherwise acceptably clean windshield get little dust streaks in it because I hit the stalk when starting the car.

 

I had a Ford Fiesta as a rental last weekend that worked just like the OP thought the MINI works. Maybe he's coming from a Ford.

 

I did RTFM. Its not very clear on it, so I asked.

No need to be an *** about it, we're here to help eachother.

 

In all fairness I am sure ZippyNH wasn't the only one thinking it. I didn't know how to ask without sounding like I jerk so I waited to see who would.

Here is what my thoughts were:
-You have been a member here for 1.5 years (doesn't mean much but you may have been exposed to people complain or explaining how wipers worked)
-You have almost 300 posts (time may not mean much if you never frequent the site, but you obviously participate some)
-The car is a 2011 (doubt it was bought new being that it is an '11 and you joined in '12, but hey these are all assumptions so maybe it was a new technique on how to use the wipers)
-You also have a BMW (maybe or maybe not they are the same...dunno)
-It's summer, I assume it has rained once where you live where you have needed wipers on (could be wrong and you just got the car, not sure)

These are just a few things that popped into my head when I saw the thread.

Knowing most people don't read the manual the first thing I thought was RTFM, but I didn't want to seem rude.

Sorry if you were offended but please also understand that it is a pretty basic question for an owner.