Does anyone understand the directions or had luck with getting the wipers to activate only when the windscreen is wet? If so, please tell me how.

 

Last I knew, on the 2002 MCS, rain sensing wipers were not yet included. However, the intermittent wiper setting is supposed to be speed sensing so that the wiper speed changes based on how fast you are going.

 

>>Does anyone understand the directions or had luck with getting the wipers to activate only when the windscreen is wet? If so, please tell me how.

The auto sensing wipers have been delayed indefinitely. Nobody has them yet.

 

I don't see why they're having such problems with this. BMWs have had them for years! One of my friends has them on a Z3 and says they work like a charm.

Owen

 

>>I don't see why they're having such problems with this. BMWs have had them for years! One of my friends has them on a Z3 and says they work like a charm.
>>
>>Owen


On the other hand, I had a Bmw-turn-MINI salesman advise me against the rain sensing wipers, saying that they weren't accurate enough, nd that people who had them (in their BMWs) usually just got irritated with them.

 

This seems to me to be one of those options that causes more stress than it relieves. I imagine a driver cruising along, seeing a few droplets start to spatter across the windshield, and then tensing up for the next one to ten minutes, wondering when and if the "rain-sensing wipers" will turn on (validating the extra expense), while all along he/she could simply move one hand about two inches and turn the stupid things on themselves. What's the point, besides the brag factor?

 

>This seems to me to be one of those options that causes more
>stress than it relieves. I imagine a driver cruising along, seeing
>a few droplets start to spatter across the windshield, and then
>tensing up for the next one to ten minutes, wondering when and
>if the "rain-sensing wipers" will turn on (validating the extra
>expense), while all along he/she could simply move one hand
>about two inches and turn the stupid things on themselves. What's
>the point, besides the brag factor?

O.K. - I'll chime in - I've owned a car (2001 Mercedes C-240) with rain sensing wipers.

1) If it is cold enough to freeze on the windshield (i.e. frost frozen to windshield on cold winter mornings in Ohio) they are annoying - the wipers will go and go and go until the little area that the sensor picks up is clear

2) The system works great in a wet/misty/annoying climate like Seattle where we lived with the Mercedes. In that area plain old intermitent doesn't go slow enough and doing it manually gets really old.

So, if you live in a climate that is misty 4-6 months of the year get the feature, if you live where it drops below freezing and you park outside DON'T.

just my opinion - your mileage may vary.

-dave

 

I just ordered a MCS with the auto wipers... but now I'm hearing through the grapevine that they don't work very well, and that there is no option to control them manually like a normal car... anyone have them to confirm this? I don't want to trust my safety to a computer... so I'd like to have manual control as well.

 

I even get irritated with the speed-sensing intermittent wipers 'cuz they can't account for the amount of rain that is falling - I can't imagine that the computer would do much better with the rain-sensing wipers. The wipers never seem to be at the right speed for the conditions - and there is no way to override it manually.

I am a "gadget freak" and would consider either wiper option a gadget - which would normally make me want them - but I think I would have to forgoe any more computerization of my wipers.

:::ringing tone:::

:::female voice::: "Deposit two cents, please."

:::clink. clink.:::

 

According to the MINI CD that I got the rain sensors can be turned off on the control stalk. It's a click below "intermittent" - this allows you to turn them off while going thru a car wash.

The Auto Dimming rearview mirror also comes in the "sensor" package. I spent the extra $140 more for this feature more than the wipers.

 

Thanks for your advice, peeps, I just asked my saleswoman about it too, she said she never liked the things either, so I had her delete them. Oh well... one less thing to stop functioning in 10 years.