Windshield wiper issues...

[DillonInCO]

Common thing to have issues with, I know, but I have a couple problems and couldn't find the solution by searching. Sooo many threads to dig through. Most of the threads I found pointed to the lens for the rain sensor being bad, and that's not the case with me.

But yes, I do have rain sensing wipers. The gel pack (or whatever is holding the sensor on the windshield) looks fine. Windshield isn't dirty, but it WAS replaced at some point, and it's not a BMW windshield. However, the wipers worked perfectly up until a few months after I bought the car. Both of these problems started happening around the same time.

Problem 1: Wipers don't reset to the correct position. They go down all the way, then come back up and stop part way up the windshield. You can push them down, by hand, to where they're supposed to be, but they never stop there on their own. I tried pushing them to the correct position and unhooking the battery, thinking maybe the computer would re-learn where they're supposed to reset to, but that did nothing. What could've caused this to just suddenly happen? Is there a way to reset them back to where they should be?



Problem 2: Wiper speed and frequency. Video link below (can't get the tag to work), but here's a description.

In the dry (no rain), turning the wipers to position one causes them to swipe once, like they should. BUT, afterward, they swipe every 5 - 10 seconds, at a regular interval. The timing of the interval changes each time I turn the wipers on. Moving the rotary / interval switch has absolutely no effect. When it's actually raining, they always swipe twice in a row, seemingly whenever they feel like it. Again, rotary switch has no effect. I pulled the fuse for the rain sensor (41) and it didn't change a thing

Also, I don't know if our cars are supposed to have automatic headlights triggered by the sensor like the newer BMWs do, but mine have never worked if so. Edit: Just did some more research on this, mine has a 9/2000 build date even though it is a 2001, and apparently light sensors didn't come until 10/2001?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as it's been raining almost every day here, and the snow is only a couple months away I have just been using a combination of position 4 (move the stalk down) and position 2 (low speed) but this is getting annoying!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5JVEfOQH-A

[bcredliner]

The rain sensing windshield the feature is not going to function properly unless you test it when it is raining. In the rain sensing switch position the wipers stay at about the place they are in the video. When you shut the wipers completely off they should return to the proper position.

[DillonInCO]

This is from the owner's manual:

"To activate the rain sensor: Move the lever to position 1 with the ignition key in position 1 or higher. The wipers travel once across the windshield, regardless of the weather conditions. You can leave the lever permanently in position 1."

In other words, if that's true, I have to disagree with you. If it's not raining, when you engage the rain sensor position, it should swipe once, then stop. But I think you're right about it parking in that position, if the rain sensor is on. A fault in the rain sensor system would explain why it's doing that. Somehow though, I doubt it's the sensor itself.

In the rain, it behaves erratically. It always swipes twice in a row, and at no specific interval, regardless of how hard it's raining. This post sounds exactly like my problem.

So far I have seen the following suggestions:

- Replace wiper relay. Doing this tonight if I can find one locally.

- Take the blades off the motor, turn the wipers on to engage the motor, turn them off when it stops, then put the wipers back on the correct spot. I don't think this would fix my wiper position, since they do swipe all the way up and down, it's just that they "park" in the wrong spot.

- Replace the wiper motor. I hope that's not it as that's not a cheap fix.

[e30cabrio]

Do your auto headlights turn on & off with light?

My rain/headlight sensor was improperly attached and when the windshield was replaced with an oem mount both the wipers & headlights were fixed.

[DillonInCO]

I don't think I have auto headlights, if I read the right thing then my X was built before that feature came along.

Here's what the mirror looks like, it may not be an OEM windshield but it's clearly the right one for having a rain sensor equipped. Forgot to take pictures of the outside but I'll try to do that tonight.

Doing some more reading, it seems it's entirely likely that the sensor did go bad

[DillonInCO]

Tried taking pictures of the sensor but it's not easy with a cell phone, reflections block the view...anyway the dots on the windshield are tiny specs of dirt. I'll clean the windshield but I highly doubt that's the problem.

Anyone have any suggestions? Some way to test the sensor maybe?

[GunnyGlow]

Originally Posted by DillonInCO

I'll clean the windshield but I highly doubt that's the problem.

Anyone have any suggestions? Some way to test the sensor maybe?

Test it while you clean the window.

I would assume that if the sensor is working the act of spraying water, or in this case glass cleaner, on the window where the sensor is the wipers will come on.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[DillonInCO]

I'll do that, but I meant testing the sensor itself (like maybe using a volt meter?), not necessarily the sensor system. I know the sensor system doesn't work, but I don't know if it IS the sensor, or if something else in the system could cause it to go haywire.

I'll restate what it does in the rain, since my first post wasn't too clear:

- Swipes twice in a row
- Does not actually sense rain (speed and frequency doesn't change with how hard it's raining)
- Rotary (interval) switch does nothing
- Frequency changes with vehicle speed

[GunnyGlow]

Gotcha. I didn't read far enough into previous posts.

I found this discussion on another forum. http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=535754

Seems like it could aid in troubleshooting.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[DillonInCO]

Thanks, I read through that thread, seems like my next step will be to pull the cover off where the sensor is located and check the wires with a volt meter. I don't know what voltage to look for, but I'll take measurements. I think soon I'm just going to take it to an indie shop and have them take a look. Maybe re-initializing the GM will work.

A slight update, I cleaned the windshield (both inside and out), then I washed the car and left the wipers on. With just a little bit of water on the windshield, the wipers did the same thing they do when it's not raining: swipe twice, every 5 seconds or so. When I sprayed the windshield with the power washer, they came on full blast. SO the sensor IS working, sort of. I have to wonder if something else---maybe whatever is causing the wipers to "park" in the wrong spot---is the source of all this.