Although I'm quite sure this is NOT news to the vast majority of Clubbie owners...California (NorCal specifically) is getting it's first drenching in MANY months. I had a few sprinkles yesterday in the central valley, but today along the coast, it's a massive downpour...we need it desperately!

Still..a surprising observation...I'm driving a British car, re-fitted for 'Yank' duty here in the USA: the passenger side wiper grabs a TON of water on it's sweep, and throws it directly in the drivers-side path of vision! I suppose I shouldn't be that suprised, but I hadn't read anything about this. Heavy rain driving will certainly be more of a concern than I had planned..even on fast, the view is so curtailed, it's a strain to see the road through the wash being thrown by it. Has anyone else noticed this 'anomoly'?

 

Get some Rain-X to put on your windshield, should help with the flow of water over it.

 

I should have known you PNW'rs would have a solution! I'll certainly give that a try!

 

Ya, it applies like a wax. Make sure you follow the directions explicitly and don't apply too much

 

I hadn't noticed that the MINI wipers work any differently than any other wipers I've seen. It's a pretty conventional two-wiper setup. I've driven in very heavy rain a few times, and have not experienced anything like what you've described in your post.

 

I've been driving MINIs for almost six years and I have never noticed this, nor have I had any issues w/ the wipers....and we have some really huge storms here!!! That said, I'm probably not the most observant person around.

 

For those who haven't driven in downpours before this is something that happens to most cars. You don't really notice til you get in one of those really heavy rains.

I also swear by RainX. I've used the std product for almost 20 years and use their washer fluid as well.

charlie

PS some of you should know that there are rains heavy enough where you should slow WAY down, or even pull off the road. When the wipers won't clear the windshield it is a sign that you should slow down or get off the road.

 

I suppose I'm just used to the Dodge Ram's 19 inch wipers and huge 'windscreen'. I've never experienced wash being thrown into the driver's path before..it seemed to me that the Clubbie's passenger side was the more beneficial view..it was not getting driver-side wash thrown to it.

 

Here in Los Angeles, today was RedMist's first outing in the rain. Drove about 80 miles on the freeway in conditions ranging from mist to a downpour. Have to say the wipers functioned as expected, equal to my BMW 325i.

Wiper controls are non-intuitive though.

BTW, the rainy freeway seems to be helping my mileage (probably because I was driving 60 to 65). This is only my second tank, and I got 37MPG, with the standard engine.

 

What's this "too much" nonsense? If it's about a haze forming just buff it out really well when applying it.

Through hurricane season and at full highway speeds in a Cat 3 and regular monsoon season in FL, and 3 years driving from Maine to LA and many many places in between (including a few dozen "white outs" of rain, not snow, rain so heavy the air filter gets wet and the run flat warning sensors get so water logged they cease to function), the MINI's wipers have only ever been for cleaning the windshield of bugs dust dirt debris and getting a better view at stoplights. If I wash the car, I apply rain-x to the windshield, if I clean just the windows, I apply rain-x to the windshield, if it's been a few weeks, I apply rain-x to the windshield, the wipers get minimal use for cleaning, but I'm aware sometimes you've just got to get something out of your view, so they're also treated with rain-x and cleaned monthly. The result? If the car has motion the water beads easily enough to see through it without issue and then clears itself rapidly so there's never any build up.

I'm on a first gen, but as I almost never need the wipers, I've never noticed this throwback, however I do tend to get a bit of a drip down the middle that leaves water spots if mixed with dust, just to the side of the RVM so I can just see it, which bugs the detailing OCD out of me

 

Yeah, as I recall, the Rain-X instructions actually say apply it twice for best results. I find the haze hard to buff out, and I wash it off with a window cleaner. I'd like to try Aquapel from PPG, which is said to last much longer than Rain-X.

 

Has anyone found that their rain sensing wipers are way too sensitive? Mine will constantly go even at the slightest moisture, sometimes no moisture at all on the windshield. There doesn't appear to be an "intermitent" setting on my wipers. Anyone have similar experiences? Suggestions? Thanks!

 

Parkerton, for intermittent, just push the wiper stalk's end button in. Don't pull on it, don't push it forward, don't push it up or down......just in. Also, you can go to the setup to change its sensitivity settings.

 

Awesome, thanks for the tips! Sorry for being too lazy to dig out the manual.

 

Parkerton, if you need to the PDF manual, give me your e-mail and I will send it. I have both the NAV and non-NAV versions. You can easily look up this stuff on your PC instead of running out to your glovebox.

 

Anyone try Prima Slick in lieu of Rain-X? In one of the Detailing threads someone mentioned using Slick on windows so I tried it. Not only does it give the windows a sheen in dry weather but it seems to have a Rain-X like effect. Am curious what others think./

 

I've got Slick on mine. I'm finding the noise my wipers make mildly irritating. Something higher frequency than a chatter, but less than a squeak, if you can imagine that. Just at the end of each wipe. No clue if that's related to the Slick or just my wipers in general.

With the wipers off the windshield beads up but is still remarkably clear, but does not 'sheet' like the time I tried Rain-X on another car.

 

Excellent, I found the same thing as Parkerton today. I also used my rear wipers for the first time. The right one jammed for a few cycles, but eventually became unstuck and started working normally.

 

Yeah, I think Slick works pretty well. Just don't know how long it lasts compared to Rain-X. My front wipers make a little bit of noise, but not so much that it bothers me. I don't think it is related to Slick.

 

We've only had our Clubbie for a few days (literally). The downpour was quite an experience on Saturday! I'm on the NorCal coast also. We drove south on 280 toward Mountain View and felt very surefooted, no slippy-slidey feeling. I didn't notice any problem with windshield puddling or two much slosh on the driver's side.

I did find out that our wipers have minds of their own. I didn't know that when the wipers are on normal speed, and I come to stop, they switch to intermittant. Stepping on the gas again, they go back to normal. I also got a quick lesson in rear windshield wiper operations. So much to learn!

Sandy

 

Glad to know you finally have your Clubbie, I am still figuring out the wipers myself. I hope you are enjoying your new Mini, I know we are.

 

Slick seems to be one of those products that leaves a harder coating behind. On another forum it was traced to the same wiper chatter you guys are seeing. It was also much harder to clean off (yes, it will 'last' longer than Rain-X). I think they had to use something like denatured alcohol or mineral spirits to get it off. Made me wonder if it would build up over time.

Rain-X has to be reapplied more frequently the more you use your wipers. If you don't use the wipers it will last longer. Yes, it does work well enough that you don't need the wipers in many conditions. Where it doesn't work well is in light rain or drizzle where you get a lot of road grime. Then you need the wipers. Then the Rain-X gets worn off.

charlie

PS A lot of the little things about the Mini are a bit difficult to figure out without the manual. Once you do, they're fine. Just a learning curve.

 

My auto sensing wipers worked great in yesterdays deluge! I found that if I do push the wiper upwards the speed increases or decreases, depending on what setting it has. I also like the way the autosensor works on the back wipers and the front ones at the same time. Just had to move the setting to the little square shape to make that active. There are way more sensor settings than I have time to figure out but will surely have to play with it. Of course, it is all laid out pretty much in the manual too!

 

I wax my windshield with Epic, last a few months, and works great Also a spritz of Hydro when I wash the MINIs.

Mark

 

I will only use Aquapel on my glass. It lasts longer than anything else I've tried. In fact in the first few months after application it sheds water so well you could leave the wipers off in light mist above 30mph.

The only problem is finding a source, last time I had to buy it on-line.