Rain Sensor - Page 2

trikey · 10th November 2019, 19:03

It's usually the ecu on the back of the screen that fails.

thanos.m · 10th November 2019, 19:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyBG

My rain sensors were fine until I had the windscreen replaced. The guy asked about the rain sensor and I told him there was one. Leaving work that eveningall was good. It started to drizzle and on came the wipers.

It stopped - they stopped.

Next day - nothing. Just standard operation and no sensor based activity.

So I'm watching this thread with interest despite having more important matters, like getting the Tourer running again, to deal with (see my HPFP post).

JohnnyBG

I've got other more important as well funily enough is just one the things I wanna get working again. There wasn't much material on the rain sensor on the 75 but there is a lot of material on BMWs fitted with the same sensor from my research so far if you change your windscreen you have to reset the adaptations and then you have reanitiate the sensor so essentially the sensor "relearns" the new windscreen

Odd Job · 10th November 2019, 19:18

My rain sensing wipers work. But, I have to "wake" them up before they do!

Basically, if it starts to rain, they dont come on. It could be slinging it down. - nothing.
I have to turn the control on the end of the stalk to increase sensitivity, then they " wake up " and all is good.

It's not much of a hassle but I wonder if yet another thing is about to start to pack up?

richw · 10th November 2019, 21:09

Mine didn't work on my car. Setting the stalk to intermittent/auto did nothing. I had to use the off or slow or fast setting.

I took apart the box under the rear view mirror and unplugged the PCB. This caused the intermittent setting to behave like a normal car (intermittent, rather than sensing). So my PCB was causing a difference. I thought it would be the stuff stuck onto the screen, or the PCB. I was able to acquire a replacement PCB on here, so tried swapping it. It works nicely now.

Changing the sensing surface or the stalk looks possible, but much more difficult!

Mike Noc · 11th November 2019, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Odd Job

My rain sensing wipers work. But, I have to "wake" them up before they do!

Basically, if it starts to rain, they dont come on. It could be slinging it down. - nothing.
I have to turn the control on the end of the stalk to increase sensitivity, then they " wake up " and all is good.

It's not much of a hassle but I wonder if yet another thing is about to start to pack up?

That is how they are designed to work - you don't want them trying to come on with the wipers frozen to the screen because you forgot to turn them off.

Odd Job · 11th November 2019, 11:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Noc

That is how they are designed to work - you don't want them trying to come on with the wipers frozen to the screen because you forgot to turn them off.

Many thanks!

Something that works like it should on my car!!! I thought it was yet something else that had got a mind of it's own!
Found I have a dodgy fuel gauge at the weekend!

Randyjim · 11th November 2019, 12:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Noc

That is how they are designed to work - you don't want them trying to come on with the wipers frozen to the screen because you forgot to turn them off.

So the "Automatic" wipers require a driver input to make them work? Doesn't seem very automatic to me.

I recently retro-fitted an auto-dip mirror, so I rewired my a pillar plug to add reverse sensing. As the donor loom had a rain sensor plug on it I also connected the extra wire to the wiper motor in case I ever want to add the rain sensing hardware. I don't think I'll bother based on this news.

thanos.m · 14th November 2019, 14:46

Today my new sensor arrived and I installed it without the replacing the pad since it's in good condition and what followed was when I switched on the wipers to intermittent there was a very long pause about a minute long and then rain sensing wipers started working initially the system seemed "confused" as to speed or cycle to choose but after a couple spins around the block they started working propairly.

Mike Noc · 14th November 2019, 20:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randyjim

So the "Automatic" wipers require a driver input to make them work? Doesn't seem very automatic to me.

Yep they are clever, but not that clever.

Pretty much the same as an automatic gearbox though - you still need the driver input to tell it whether to go forwards or backwards.

richw · 14th November 2019, 22:10

It is a good thing to have to flick the switch before they commence.

My wife's Nissan Note has similar, but they can be left on. Start the car the next day, and if the window is icy they try to move. Bad idea.

10th November 2019, 19:03	#11
trikey Premium Trader Rover 75 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Devon Posts: 33,763 Thanks: 8,837 Thanked 14,831 Times in 8,030 Posts	It's usually the ecu on the back of the screen that fails. __________________ Lest we forget..

10th November 2019, 19:18	#13
Odd Job Gets stuck in MG ZT 2.0 cdti Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Derby Posts: 909 Thanks: 298 Thanked 191 Times in 149 Posts	My rain sensing wipers work. But, I have to "wake" them up before they do! Basically, if it starts to rain, they dont come on. It could be slinging it down. - nothing. I have to turn the control on the end of the stalk to increase sensitivity, then they " wake up " and all is good. It's not much of a hassle but I wonder if yet another thing is about to start to pack up? __________________ ….And the latest thing to break is..... ### MG STANDS FOR "MY GREMLIN" !!!

10th November 2019, 21:09	#14
richw Avid contributor Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Stockton-on-Tees Posts: 243 Thanks: 6 Thanked 64 Times in 49 Posts	Mine didn't work on my car. Setting the stalk to intermittent/auto did nothing. I had to use the off or slow or fast setting. I took apart the box under the rear view mirror and unplugged the PCB. This caused the intermittent setting to behave like a normal car (intermittent, rather than sensing). So my PCB was causing a difference. I thought it would be the stuff stuck onto the screen, or the PCB. I was able to acquire a replacement PCB on here, so tried swapping it. It works nicely now. Changing the sensing surface or the stalk looks possible, but much more difficult!

14th November 2019, 14:46	#18
thanos.m Avid contributor Rover 75 saloon Join Date: May 2019 Location: West Sussex Posts: 220 Thanks: 54 Thanked 41 Times in 26 Posts	Today my new sensor arrived and I installed it without the replacing the pad since it's in good condition and what followed was when I switched on the wipers to intermittent there was a very long pause about a minute long and then rain sensing wipers started working initially the system seemed "confused" as to speed or cycle to choose but after a couple spins around the block they started working propairly.

14th November 2019, 22:10	#20
richw Avid contributor Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Stockton-on-Tees Posts: 243 Thanks: 6 Thanked 64 Times in 49 Posts	It is a good thing to have to flick the switch before they commence. My wife's Nissan Note has similar, but they can be left on. Start the car the next day, and if the window is icy they try to move. Bad idea.