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2Addicts | BMW 2-Series forum BMW 2 Series (F22) Forum BMW 2 Series Coupe and Cabriolet (F22/F23) General Forum Automatic Windshield Wipers- Frustrating!

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      12-19-2014, 10:27 PM   #1
TaigaTii
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Automatic Windshield Wipers- Frustrating!

Now that it's winter the wipers are essential!

This experience comes from our 2011 1M and now the 2014 M235i.

So we set the auto wipers on the RH stalk to "on"; they sweep (good); then we wait for them to sweep again as the water builds up on the windscreen but - no sweep- and then after visibility is very compromised they sweep again. Adjusting the wheel on the stock seems to make no difference to the sensitivity of the wipers to do their job. These wipers, on auto, seem to have a mind of their own!

Other vehicles (Toyota Tacoma) have simpler systems - wipers on and turn wheel on stalk to get 4 different timings of the sweep (from slow to fast). BMW wipers, on auto, are too smart for their own good and seem useless - even dangerous (obscured visibility). VERY FRUSTRATING!

What are your experiences with these wipers on our cars?

Thanks - pete
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      12-19-2014, 10:47 PM   #2
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For the most part, I think they work fine on my '11 328i. I really like them when the roads are wet, but it isn't raining. Come up on another car or a truck and you get appropriate wiping, but otherwise they mostly stay off.
Where they don't work fine is light snow - then I find them infuriating. I don't see why BMW can't have it work both ways - if the stalk is "off", have the ability to turn on the rain sensor and let it do it's thing and have the roller wheel work like currently. But have an intermittent stalk setting where the little roller gives you 3-4 set speeds. It would just be a few lines of code!
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      12-20-2014, 12:08 AM   #3
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I have the same frustration. The automatic wipers don't seem to be very good at detecting the amount of water hitting the windshield (even after moving the sensor to the highest setting). I end up having to manually set an increased wiper frequency. My Audi did a much better job at this.
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      12-20-2014, 09:55 AM   #4
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I'll also add that the wiper blades themselves are garbage. Swapped out the drivers side one for an aftermarket brand and the difference is night and day.
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      12-20-2014, 10:44 AM   #5
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Totally, totally agree.

My B7 A4's automatic wipers were very dependable. The wipers on my 2 seem to either respond way too slowly or then panic to the highest speed in conditions that do not warrant it.

On the highway, I basically only use low or high because the auto sensor is so poor.
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      12-20-2014, 11:34 AM   #6
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When I jumped my from old E46 to the new 2, the first thing I found frustrating was the windshield wipers. They would either be swinging too fast or too slow depending on the speed I set it at. I didn't understand what was wrong with it.

Then, a few months later, I found that there was a button at the end of the wiper lever, that activates the auto rain sensor. That difference was night and day. After pressing that my windshield wipers seemed to work perfectly - not too fast and not too slow. It seemed to adjust to my speed as well, just like the rain sensor on my old E46.

I thought it worked well. Note that I haven't been driving my car every day and it hasn't been rain much here in Southern California.

BTW, I'm not trying to imply that all of you have blatantly missed the button at the end of the wiper lever. I'm just hoping that some of you have, and that pressing that button will fix your wiper problem for you.
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      12-20-2014, 12:57 PM   #7
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I put Rain-X on my windshield and just periodically hit the wiper stalk down to brief wipe when needed, which isn't often.
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      12-20-2014, 01:24 PM   #8
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Same issue here and yes, I'm familiar with the button at the end of the stalk. Funny thing is the auto wiper thing worked perfectly on my 128 , just doesn't seem to work very well on my 228
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      12-20-2014, 02:05 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MaximumG View Post
When I jumped my from old E46 to the new 2, the first thing I found frustrating was the windshield wipers. They would either be swinging too fast or too slow depending on the speed I set it at. I didn't understand what was wrong with it.

Then, a few months later, I found that there was a button at the end of the wiper lever, that activates the auto rain sensor. That difference was night and day. After pressing that my windshield wipers seemed to work perfectly - not too fast and not too slow. It seemed to adjust to my speed as well, just like the rain sensor on my old E46.

I thought it worked well. Note that I haven't been driving my car every day and it hasn't been rain much here in Southern California.

BTW, I'm not trying to imply that all of you have blatantly missed the button at the end of the wiper lever. I'm just hoping that some of you have, and that pressing that button will fix your wiper problem for you.
I know people are reading your posting and saying to themselves, "How did he not know about the button that activates the rain sensor for a few months?" I get it though. We're "rain challenged" is SoCal. If you buy a car in the late spring you won't learn how to use the wipers until about October. Our wiper blades rot before they wear out.
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      12-20-2014, 02:39 PM   #10
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Bought the car in April this year, and used the end of stalk button right away in springy rains here, and it worked perfectly from day one. Right speed and just when needed. Also, the wipe blade itself has been perfect...better than the 128Msport I had before. Very pleased actually and was surprised to see the feedback on wiper issues...hope you all get it sorted and back to good nick.
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      12-21-2014, 11:43 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chaswyck@yahoo.com View Post
I know people are reading your posting and saying to themselves, "How did he not know about the button that activates the rain sensor for a few months?" I get it though. We're "rain challenged" is SoCal. If you buy a car in the late spring you won't learn how to use the wipers until about October. Our wiper blades rot before they wear out.
I got my car end of June.
When it rained here this month it was while I was driving and I didn't know about the auto button. I was amazed when I found it! No problems for me.
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      12-21-2014, 11:56 AM   #12
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Same issue here...my e90 was the same, hate it. The auto sensor suck.

Its missing a "slow" wipe setting (yes I know theres an auto mode)
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      03-27-2015, 05:06 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ricfutures View Post
I'll also add that the wiper blades themselves are garbage. Swapped out the drivers side one for an aftermarket brand and the difference is night and day.
Which aftermarket brand did you buy? I just a new 2015 228i and the wiper blades are horrible. I can't find an aftermarket blade that fits my car other than Aero models.
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      03-27-2015, 05:13 PM   #14
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      03-27-2015, 10:54 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sindarin View Post
I put Rain-X on my windshield and just periodically hit the wiper stalk down to brief wipe when needed, which isn't often.
Will recommend adding a few steps before this. Try this:
- Clay bar the windshield
- Polish with DA and a medium compound, high RPMs
- Clean with IPA and MF wipe down
- Add RainX

Should last months and RainX makes it very difficult to keep any water on the glass.
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      03-28-2015, 04:25 PM   #16
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My e89 has the same system and it is annoying.

There is no user feedback as to the status of the wipers. Do you have them on interval, or automatic or what? Are they currently on in any way?

The automatic mode also seems to turn itself off when you manually give it a single swipe, but not if you splash water with it.

The rain sensor self-adjusting interval on my e46 works just fine thank you. And feedback was given by the lever being in different positions with different settings. Duh.
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      03-28-2015, 05:05 PM   #17
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The automatic seems to work fine for me but I will admit they aren't as good sometimes especially during heavy rain at higher speeds on the highway or went an 18 wheeler is in front.

I usually just turn the manual setting on twice up and it works better
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      03-28-2015, 05:33 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Squddie
My e89 has the same system and it is annoying.

There is no user feedback as to the status of the wipers. Do you have them on interval, or automatic or what? Are they currently on in any way?

The automatic mode also seems to turn itself off when you manually give it a single swipe, but not if you splash water with it.

The rain sensor self-adjusting interval on my e46 works just fine thank you. And feedback was given by the lever being in different positions with different settings. Duh.
In my E90 a green LED comes on when you press the button that activates automatic wipers, that's the indication that this mode is on. The 2 series owner's manual says that this LED exists in the 2 series as well.

Also, in the E90 you press down for one manual wipe and the auto mode remains on. It appears that things are the same way in the 2 series. If you are getting a single wipe by pressing up (then presumably down), you are activating the slow mode, which turns off the auto mode.
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