Rain Sensing wipers

racer08 · #1 11-15-2012, 11:51 AM

Hi everyone. New user here. Just picked up a 2010 X5 with M-sport package about a week ago. Loving it so far! Quick question about the rain sensing wipers as mine do not seem to be working correctly. When I press the button on the end of the stalk the LED will illuminate and the wipers will wipe one time to confirm that they are turned on. Also if I adjust the sensitivity wheel in an upward direction they will give a confirmation wipe. However, once I turn them on they never wipe on their own. I've driven in mist and pouring rain and end up just having to press up on the stalk to turn the wipers on. I'm guessing maybe the sensor has gone bad. Any other ideas before I make a service appointment?

Thanks.

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Price · #2 11-15-2012, 02:12 PM

If they never wipe on their own, yes, probably faulty sensor. What I've noticed with mine, sometimes if strong rain changes to mist for a while, and then back to strong rain, the wipers don't re-engage themselves. My layman theory is the glass gets dirty too gradually, and the sensor can't distinguish change before the glass gets too dirty for it to work at all. One wipe and sensor is working fine again.

black325xi · #3 03-17-2014, 11:21 PM

Recently purchased a 2011 x5d CPO. Drove in the rain for the first time and the rain sensor appears to not be working. I get the first wipe when engaging the auto mode but nothing more. Has OEM BMW glass. When I inspected the sensor looking through the windshield there appears to be bubbles around the eye. Have found many pictures of the square sensor but none of the later round ones. Can someone post a picture of the round sensor through the windshield from a working system? Secondly, any chance this would be covered under the CPO?

Thanks
Dan

Engin33r · #4 04-01-2014, 01:49 PM

I'm in the same boat.... '11 CPO, rainsensor not working...

it's in the dealership now, getting the sensor re-initialized.... hopefully that works..

the glass is the Saint-Gobain - sekurit glass, which doesn't have a BMW logo... but that's the same brand as OEM as i'm told...

so annoying of BMW to make this sensitive as it is, and not even provide the option to default to basic intermittent without losing the auto lights.

Suge206 · #5 04-01-2014, 04:03 PM

mine usually just needs to have a manual bump using the lever and then I can hit the auto button and its cool. but if I hit auto and then wait for it to start on its own its longer than a normal person would wait to wipe the windshields. a slight annoyance...

Suge206 · #6 04-01-2014, 04:03 PM

mine usually just needs to have a manual bump using the lever and then I can hit the auto button and its cool. but if I hit auto and then wait for it to start on its own its longer than a normal person would wait to wipe the windshields. a slight annoyance...

VNYD DOG · #7 04-01-2014, 06:14 PM

I hate my '08 wipers. While my sensor does work, I hate that I can't leave it in "auto" mode like I could on my Audi. Audi has a positive dial setting for auto and you can just leave it on. With BMW, you MUST re-engage every time you start the car. Why the extra step?
Also, what gives with the rear wiper?? If you push the stalk back to engage the wiper, she runs, but again, if you turn off the car, and restart with the stalk still in the "on" position, the rear wiper doesn't re-engage, you seem to have to again pull it forward and then push it back. WTF?

JCL · #8 04-01-2014, 06:58 PM

They reset to off so that you don't scratch the glass if it isn't raining when you come back.

VNYD DOG · #9 04-03-2014, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

They reset to off so that you don't scratch the glass if it isn't raining when you come back.

Man I don't know what kind of wipers you use in Canada but here in California I'm pretty sure my rear wiper made of rubber isn't going to scratch my glass if it were activated while glass is dry. Anyway, I think BMW wiper OS is not intuitive and requires too many unnecessary steps.

ard · #10 04-03-2014, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

They reset to off so that you don't scratch the glass if it isn't raining when you come back.

Spot on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VNYD DOG

Man I don't know what kind of wipers you use in Canada but here in California I'm pretty sure my rear wiper made of rubber isn't going to scratch my glass if it were activated while glass is dry..

Spot off.

Dirt and grit can collect once the car is parked, the rain stops and sun (and pollen and dirt and whatever) come back out.

A dry wiper with grit on the blade or glass CAN CERTAINLY scratch.

Love OPs that join, post once, gone forever....

But for the OP, I would ask "did the prior owner replace the windshield? (with the wrong kind of glass)"

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