Rain sensor

[jilgal]

I hope someone can help with this (had a look around but didn't see the same problem...if that's what it is, in this forum).
Are the rain sensing wipers supposed to come on automatically if it rains? or do you have to turn the switch back to off then to auto each time to get them to activate? I always leave them in the activated position and it can be bucketing down with rain and they won't work unless I switch them to off then on again. Turn the car off and you have to go through the same procedure again to get them going. The way I read the handbook, it seems they should work automatically as it advises turning them off in car washes.
Is this a fault? should I ring the dealer, it was only delivered in March.

[helicopter pat]

They seem to be working correctly. Yes you do need to reset them each time you start the car, If they were always on they would activate in a car wash and that would do no good to them.
Pat

[SteveM3]

Quote: Originally Posted by helicopter pat

They seem to be working correctly. Yes you do need to reset them each time you start the car, If they were always on they would activate in a car wash and that would do no good to them.
Pat

Pat is right. Also in colder weather they could freeze to the window and you don't
want them to come on then. I only got mine as part of a package, I wouldn't have
bought them by choice. Now I have them I think they are great and I'll definitely
buy them if I get another Mini .

[S33BBY]

Ah, I've always wondered why rain sensing wipers should need to be activated. We used to have a Lexus RX300 with a rain sensor that did not need activating. The Porsche Cayenne we have now does need activating, which I thought was a bit strange, until now...

[Richard L]

At least I now know mine are not faulty as I found I had to reset each time. They are nice to have but I do wonder about the need. I tend to usually know when its raining!

I have automatic headlights on my Mini and find that when they come on when not needed (coming out of the garage for example) they take quite some time before they go off even with the sun blazing down. Eventuallly they do.

[S33BBY]

Quote: Originally Posted by Richard L

I have automatic headlights on my Mini and find that when they come on when not needed (coming out of the garage for example) they take quite some time before they go off even with the sun blazing down. Eventuallly they do.

I think is what my dealer meant about them being a bit annoying.

[bigturtle]

Mine work the same as yours Jill. I just turn 'em off and back on again when it starts raining, and let it do it's thing.

How are you enjoying the car? Still having a ball I hope?

[jilgal]

Quote: Originally Posted by bigturtle

Mine work the same as yours Jill. I just turn 'em off and back on again when it starts raining, and let it do it's thing.

How are you enjoying the car? Still having a ball I hope?

Hey Peter! Yeah, still having lots of fun, how 'bout you? ....glad I've got theses wipers sussed now, another technical hitch surmounted!

[bigturtle]

Still loving ours too. It's always tempting to take the long way home.

[AndrewH]

Oh, so everyone's auto wipers do this Now if the engineers were really smart, they would have designed them so they didn't come on automatically if the temperature were below say 5 degrees. That way, in most normal circumstances, they could come on automatically by themselves

[jilgal]

Quote: Originally Posted by AndrewH

Oh, so everyone's auto wipers do this Now if the engineers were really smart, they would have designed them so they didn't come on automatically if the temperature were below say 5 degrees. That way, in most normal circumstances, they could come on automatically by themselves

I thought that was how they worked anyway....never gave iced up windows a thought. They should be smart enough to distinguish raindrops!

[le_knut]

Quote: Originally Posted by AndrewH

they would have designed them so they didn't come on automatically if the temperature were below say 5 degrees. That way, in most normal circumstances, they could come on automatically by themselves

I would not like that having 6 month of winter with a lot of snow, I also need the wipers to work with low temperatures. And they do work well when it snows.

[Paul]

..and then there's still the car wash issue.

[Yellow/Black OneD]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett

..and then there's still the car wash issue.

It should be Illegal to take your MINI to the car wash - those nice plastic brishes embedded with grit swirling around your paintwork!

Sorry to anyone who has a Car Wash business!

[AndrewH]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett

..and then there's still the car wash issue.

Are rear spoilers still getting ripped off in carwashes? After hearing a few people report this in the early days, I haven't ever taken my minis through a carwash that uses brushes. I haven't taken my current mini to one of those high pressure do it yourself carwashes either as I have a theory that (in the places in my part of the world at least) they add chemicals to the detergents that make you window rubbers squeak (maybe some kind of rubber revitalisation chemical?? ). My last two cars had really bad window squeaking. So far, this car is squeak free