Dipped beams = too bright , auto wipers = arghh, rear saloon wipers = ?!?!

TheVoice said:
The reason for DRLs was to increase the visibility of cars coming towards you. If conditions require rear visibility then lights should be turned on just the same as when DRLs weren't a thing.
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You're missing the point. When a car with Auto lights has the switch in Auto, DRLs will be on in daylight and the car can work out for itself if it needs to have lights on other than DRL and in most cases, it's accurate.

Instead, these drivers leave their light switch in the off position (which still gives them DRL) because they've been told they are Auto lights and they don't have to touch anything.

I can understand why though, when my BMW goes in for a service, the light switch always comes back in the off position as when it's indoors in the garage the Auto light would present the dipped beams.
 
Seems the more we take away the need for people to think about what they're doing, the more goes wrong on the road!!
First thing I'm doing when I get my car is turning down (hopefully off) the stupid auto-wiper rain sensor thing. I can play drums, fly a helicopter and ride a motorcycle, as well as operate the indicators, headlights and MFD computer on the car I'm driving... I think I can cope with tapping one more lever down to wipe the windscreen!!
 
I don't really see any drawbacks of auto wipers. I loved it when I had them. They always seemed to work flawlessly.
 
Acme said:
I don't really see any drawbacks of auto wipers. I loved it when I had them. They always seemed to work flawlessly.
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Auto wipers, auto headlights, auto sunshade, auto dimming mirrors. Ahh I've come a long way from fitting a catless 3" exhaust to my VTEC Prelude :P
 
Acme said:
I don't really see any drawbacks of auto wipers. I loved it when I had them. They always seemed to work flawlessly.
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when the work well theyre brilliant, but not all systems are that good.

mate of mine had a c4 with a rain sensor and all it did was turn on the intermittent wiper when it started raining, and then didn't turn it off again when it stopped.

i'll confess the standards of bmw's auto stuff seems pretty good, lights, wipers, rear mirror, 2 second hillstart hold etc all pretty integrated to the point you can forget it's there.
 
Django x2 said:
You're missing the point.
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No I'm not, the post and my subsequent reply had nothing to do with auto lights. The purpose of DRLs isn't so people who are too stupid to know how headlights work are still visible.

ttaskmaster said:
Seems the more we take away the need for people to think about what they're doing, the more goes wrong on the road!!
First thing I'm doing when I get my car is turning down (hopefully off) the stupid auto-wiper rain sensor thing.
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Why? It's really useful. I'd rather focus on the road and the conditions than be adjusting the speed of my wipers all the time or having to react to when a truck splashes water over my car as it goes past.
 
TheVoice said:
Not sure what you mean, modern cars have proper, dedicated DRLs. In Canada etc cars in the past have just run with dipped headlights on at all times so the rear would be on as well by default.

Honestly, I can see reasons for and against. Brake light effectiveness during daytime is one reason not to have rear DRLs.
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Rear lights (using bulbs) are 5w, brake lights are 21w so very hard to mistake? My Saab has 21w front lamps and 5w rear. That is how DRLs should work. When the headlights are switched on, the front lights reduce to 5w sidelights.

The car was built in 1978.
 
Acme said:
I don't really see any drawbacks of auto wipers. I loved it when I had them. They always seemed to work flawlessly.
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I'm sure they do work... but I don't feel the need to have something else that can break, which automates a tiny action that takes maybe 1/3 of a second... Just more features that take away my control over what's happening in the vehicle and lets dealers charge (other) people stupid money to service/fix it.

TheVoice said:
I'd rather focus on the road and the conditions than be adjusting the speed of my wipers all the time or having to react to when a truck splashes water over my car as it goes past.
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I'd reckon that if that little causes you to lose focus on the road, you need more training... that, or a car that auto-steers and auto-brakes, as well!!

Then again, I'm primarily a biker, so I'm used to not even having wipers...
 
ttaskmaster said:
I'm sure they do work... but I don't feel the need to have something else that can break, which automates a tiny action that takes maybe 1/3 of a second...
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I don't think you understand what they are for.

They are not there so you don't need to turn your wipers on when it starts to rain - indeed some systems such as the BMW system still require you to manually switch the wipers on the first time it rains in a journey.

What they do is ensure the speed of the wipers is always matched to the amount of water hitting the screen - manual intermittent ones are never quite right and can't deal with a sudden deluge from a passing truck, or variable consistency rain, or whatever. My girlfriends car doesn't have them and it's infuriating how much you miss them when they are not there!

I would not be without them and have never experienced failure of them on any car, ever. They just work?
 
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ttaskmaster said:
I'm sure they do work... but I don't feel the need to have something else that can break, which automates a tiny action that takes maybe 1/3 of a second... Just more features that take away my control over what's happening in the vehicle and lets dealers charge (other) people stupid money to service/fix it.
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But there is no need to keep changing the intermittent speed. Just turn them on and leave it. The ones on my Corolla seemed to get it pretty much perfect all the time. Speeding up and slowing down as the rain got heavier/lighter, or as my speed changed. :)

Once you've had them you notice when you don't have them anymore. It drives me nuts continually changing the intermittent speed. I try leaving it on just one speed but it annoys me if they are sweeping too fast for the amount of rain hitting the screen. :p
 
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ttaskmaster said:
I'd reckon that if that little causes you to lose focus on the road, you need more training... that, or a car that auto-steers and auto-brakes, as well!!
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Dunno, I'm not the one claiming that manual control of window wipers and headlights makes me a better driver. They're just convenient features, turning them off doesn't prove anything.

Will you be disabling one-touch open/closing windows and the central locking too? :p
 
Friend of my Dads who is in his 70's has a brand new Honda Jazz, and he religiously turns off auto lights, auto wipers, parking sensors, traction control, everything, every time he gets in the car!

Mental.

Maybe he wants to enjoy the raw thrill of driving a Honda Jazz, just man and machine with no gizmos. :D

TheVoice said:
Will you be disabling one-touch open/closing windows and the central locking too? :p
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My MX5 doesn't have one-touch windows, and the central locking doesn't work. It doesn't actually bother me at all. (maybe it would if it had more doors and a normal boot) But lack of auto wipers does!
 
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Acme said:
Once you've had them you notice when you don't have them anymore. It drives me nuts continually changing the intermittent speed. I try leaving it on just one speed but it annoys me if they are sweeping too fast for the amount of rain hitting the screen. :p
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there was a time when wiper arms and blades were decent that intermittent at a constant speed was fine, but all the new cars these days seem to judder no matter what you do, unless you have auto wiping.

it's not perfect, obviously it relies on water being on the sensor (water flicking up from the bonnet when its dry after rain for example coats the bottom 2 thirds but doesnt trigger the sensor)
 
adolf hamster said:
there was a time when wiper arms and blades were decent that intermittent at a constant speed was fine, but all the new cars these days seem to judder no matter what you do, unless you have auto wiping.

it's not perfect, obviously it relies on water being on the sensor (water flicking up from the bonnet when its dry after rain for example coats the bottom 2 thirds but doesnt trigger the sensor)
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Just tap the sensitivity up and back down, job done :p
 
Interesting timing as this just crossed my mind recently on a long drive down the country. I noticed it more in my rear views than head on though.
 
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