I have a week 32 build where some things changed a little. Today was the first day I drove in the rain and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to get the intermittent wipers to work. I read the manual but I found that the first setting sets the normal speed not the intermittent one. I played around until I hit the end of the wiper wand and low and behold, intermittent wipers. Did this start with my week or has the manual been wrong for a while? This is not mentioned in the regular manual or in the supplemental one.
Just an FYI if anyone is as confused as I was!

 

I just browsed the manual... and my first light misting rain I was way confused. I kind of wished I paid for the rain sensing wipers (like in our other cars). I still cant figure out how to set the intermitt speed... if you can. Of course, I havent read the manual still.

 

The manual does mention that the non-sensor intermittent wipers are factory set. And only at the one speed. Now that I figured out how to turn them on (no thanks to the manual) I wish they were speed-adjustable. You know like every car I've had for the last 20 years!

 

Shocking, isn't it that the intermittent setting can not be changed, just one speed. I can't believe that they would sell a car like this.

 

My R53 has one speed intermittent wipers. Not a big deal to me. Many cars have one intermittent speed. I've owned cars without intermittent wipers....Oh the horror!!!

But I do agree a variable intermittent would be nice.

 

I have the rain sensing wipers that you still have to push up the lever one time to activate them, everytime you get in and out of the car...

I would have thought you simply pushed the lever one/twice to activate the intermittent function

 

Move the wiper lever up a half click (before the detent) once. Now you are either in intermittent or auto. Intermittant speeds up and slows down with the vehicle speed. Auto is, well.. automatic.

 

Same here. Not only should it stay on forever, until turned off, I wish there was an indicator os some type. A simple small LED.

 

Thats cause they want you to get the upgrades. I cant believe that it wouldnt come standard without cruise control either. These options might make more sense in europe for the cheaper just MINI. For anyone still deciding get the rain sensing, its definately worth it.

 

If the Mini USA site had said intermitent was 1 speed I would of bought the auto wipers. Every car I have owned since 1988 have been adjustable intermittent, I would not of even imagined a car offered in 2007 would be 1 speed intermittent especially a car of this caliber.

 

My dad's '97 Civic has one-speed intermittent wipers. *shrug* I use Rain-X so if I need wipers, I need it on continuously.

 

Put your wipers on intermittent at a stop. Time the wipes. Now start driving. Time the wipes again. I think you'll see a difference.

 

Not only that, but your mini also has the most wonderful wiper setting ever devised: Push down once, and it wipes...once!!!!

Wipers that are always at just the right speed...ahh, like healing salve.

 

EXACTLY. I am in the same boat. So far the only real thing that bugs me (not too bad though... it doesnt rain here much)

 

We have a Week 31 Cooper with the Rain Sensor wipers. To activate these, you have to push the button at the end of the wiper stalk; just like the intermittent wipers.

My wife and I were driving in the rain for the first time and we couldn't figure out this feature. So she cracked open the manual while I tried the different settings. The manual said to move the lever up one for the automatic wipers, but it kept in on the low speed. Must have been five minutes later that I noticed their was a button on the end of the stalk. When I got home, I checked the on-line manual and it wasn't there either. It must be one of the silent 2008 features that we're seeing.

 

I went the the dealer yesterday and asked the MA "so how do you turn the intermittent [non-auto] wipers on"? He said to flip the lever up to the first setting. I told him about how mine work and he looked puzzled. We then went around to the 5 cars on the floor where 2 of them had the button on the end and the others didn't. He brought in the service manager and he hadn't seen the button either. I think this does sound like one of the silent 08 additions.

 

This might be a BMW thing. My '97 318is behaves the exact same way. The one wipe downtap makes rainy driving almost like a video game (I'm thinking Space Invaders w/ raindrops instead of aliens).

 

I am not sure who invented it. The first car that I had with it was my 91 Escort GT. The intervening cars did not have the feature, and I have missed it sorely. I really do not use the intermittent wipers at all these days, and only know what the button on the end of the stalk does out of curiosity.

 

I was more refering to the lack of user definable intermittent setting as possibly being a BMW thing. "You'll get the intermittent setting we give you, and you will like it!" Don't argue with the guys/girls in the white lab coats. They know what's best for you.

 

I have "intermittent" wipers on my 1969 MGB.

Actually much of the electrical gadgets, such as lights are also intermittent.

 

On my 03 the rear intermittent speed changed with the speed that the front wipers were set on.

 

The worst for me were on the old AMC Hornet my parents had when I first got my license.They were vacuum powered. If you stepped on the accelerator they would slow down to almost not working then when you let up, they went like bats out of hell. Getting on the Freeway could actually be pretty scary in a downpour.
They weren't intermittent, they just acted that way.

 

I just want to say that I am so glad I read this thread. Today is the first time I drove the car in the rain. I pushed the lever up like it says in the manual and it began to wipe at regular speed. I could not figure out how to get the intermittent wipers to work. I called the dealer and they had no idea either. I can't believe they don't know their own car!

Thank God for NAM!

 

Looks like I'm not alone. It finally rain for the first time since I brought my R56, and I had the same trouble with not being able to get intermittent wipers, other than at rest. On a hunch this morning on the way to work, I tried the wiper button (which I had discovered last week to also act like the button on the signal/light stalk too, when not in wiper mode), and voila--intermittent wipers at speed.

The manual didn't mentioned this either. Most likely one of those '08 changes....

 

The day I picked up my Mini there were spots of rain on the drive home. I had already nearly memorized the manual so I hit the lever up once only to find it did just what yours would, put them on low speed. I noticed that button on the end and sure enough, auto-wipers worked as advertised. Must have been a late addendum to the car. And there is a new setting on the OBC to adjust the sensitivity of the auto wipers too, which isn't documented anywhere. There are few other quirks in the car that not in the manual, or at least different from the manual (TPM for example).