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

[Howard]

I do think it would be kind of cool to have a castle with a moat

In any case, there's no way I'm clearing the rear screen by hand before I go, people will just have to risk their lives.

Reverse onto the drive?


It did used to annoy me occasionally when I had my Honda Accord saloon though, not being able to clear morning dew which was often thick enough for the rear screen demister not to touch it.

 

[Jamesyboyjim]

Why has my thread title been butchered?

 

[mrk]

Just Gill Will bringing the bants

 

[asim18]

Saloons do not have rear wipers because they are not required due to the way the air moves over the saloon body shape. As a result, rain does not settle on the rear screen whilst the car is in motion and quickly clears once you set off from a standstill. Mud and spray does not accumulate on the rear window of a saloon in the way it does on a hatchback or an estate.

This is why a Mercedes E Class Saloon has no rear wiper but an E Class estate does - only the estate needs it!

That's only true for forward motion no? Unless you're reversing at 50MPH water is going to settle. When driving forwards, a completely clear rear window is almost completely unnecessary, just like a van.


IMO it's useful to have a wiper on the back window even for saloons otherwise it's a bit like reversing a van where you cant just keep doing a straight line in reverse, you have to keep swinging left and right and use your side mirrors.

 

[mrk]

No it's of no use whatsoever! Even at normal town speeds the rear windscreen on a salooon/coupe/cabriolet etc will clear excess rain with airflow going over it. I have never encountered a situation on a saloon or coupe where the rear window would have benefited from a wiper.

As mentioned above, only hatchbacks and estates need them because the sheer amount of grit and grime that layers the flat rear end demands their need.

 

[asim18]

No it's of no use whatsoever! Even at normal town speeds the rear windscreen on a salooon/coupe/cabriolet etc will clear excess rain with airflow going over it. I have never encountered a situation on a saloon or coupe where the rear window would have benefited from a wiper.

As mentioned above, only hatchbacks and estates need them because the sheer amount of grit and grime that layers the flat rear end demands their need.

But there's no airflow when you've stopped to put your car into reverse. Isn't this enough time for the rear window to get raindrops on it? I would have thought the vertical-ness of hatchback windows would be better in this situation as the water has less friction to trickle down without the need for air to push it down.

 

[mrk]

Nope it's never been an issue, water just slides down because mavity, and slides faster once you start moving anyway. Can still see what's behind whether stopped or moving.

If it were to be an issue, then more saloons/coupes etc would have them, but they don't.

 

[Clarkey]

That simply isn't true though is it. Almost every journey I make at this time of year I have to put up with having no rear view because the mist/dew takes almost the entire time of the trip to clear. Same deal with rain settling while parked, can't see jack when pulling away and it's a fallacy that it will all dry in the wind, it doesn't.

 

[mrk]

I have never experienced that issue.

For what it's worth, the rear heated screen elements do their job of removing mist/dew no problem on cold mornings.

 

[Will Gill]

Why has my thread title been butchered?

It's getting worse

 

[asim18]

Nope it's never been an issue, water just slides down because mavity, and slides faster once you start moving anyway. Can still see what's behind whether stopped or moving.

If it were to be an issue, then more saloons/coupes etc would have them, but they don't.

That's pretty weird then. When I look out my living room window when it's raining at all the cars on my road, all the hatchbacks have no rain on their back windows, because they're vertical and the rain just runs off. But the saloons have more horizontal windows and the rain just seems to settle into drops on the rear window.

Yeah once you start driving it will flow off, but what if you need to reverse out?

 

[mrk]

That's pretty weird then. When I look out my living room window when it's raining at all the cars on my road, all the hatchbacks have no rain on their back windows, because they're vertical and the rain just runs off. But the saloons have more horizontal windows and the rain just seems to settle into drops on the rear window.

Yeah once you start driving it will flow off, but what if you need to reverse out?

I guess that's one issue some folks will face (reversing out) unless they sit there and let the heated screen clear mist/dew on the driveway, or just give the rear window a quick wipe with a cloth.

Again though, not an issue I encounter because I reverse park in the first place, so no need to reverse out

 

[Skillmister]

I know in my Fiesta the auto wipers were engaged by just moving the stalk to position 1 so leaving it there means auto wipers are always on.

This. What's with the poverty BMWs needing to turn auto wipers on every time you get in the car?! Or am I missing something?

 

[paradigm]

This. What's with the poverty BMWs needing to turn auto wipers on every time you get in the car?! Or am I missing something?

I don't remember having to do that in my 330d, but I might be forgetting.

Certainly never had to do anything other than "leave the stalk where it is" in any of my Audis though

Also, for the record, I've never once thought "I wish my saloon had a rear wiper arm".

 

[mrk]

I don't remember having to do that in my 330d, but I might be forgetting.

Certainly never had to do anything other than "leave the stalk where it is" in any of my Audis though

Also, for the record, I've never once thought "I wish my saloon had a rear wiper arm".

It's the case on the E46, E39, E90, E92 etc. The rain sensor resets when you turn the car off, so even if the stalk is in the auto setting, you still need to re-activate it on next startup because the rain sensor is in the sleep state until you do. Or you can just jog the sensitivity dial up and down or whatever to bring the rain sensor back online.

I guess it's misinterpretation on the most part for many owners. Because the auto wipers are indeed auto, but the auto bit refers to automatic speed and interval detection via the rain sensor, not automatic wiper activation every time it rains every time you get in the car if the stalk is in auto mode.

This is logical by design, you don't want the wipers coming on when a bird poos near the sensor, or a sudden spit of water lands on it, or when you go through a car wash (*shudder*) and so on and so on.

If that makes sense.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

But there's no airflow when you've stopped to put your car into reverse. Isn't this enough time for the rear window to get raindrops on it? I would have thought the vertical-ness of hatchback windows would be better in this situation as the water has less friction to trickle down without the need for air to push it down.

Its more to do with soiling as the low pressure zone literally drags the road spray on the road to the rear of the car whilst you drive, on hatchs and estates that is the rear glass. Saloons don't have this issue on the glass so it doesn't block vision... It does however dirty the rearview cameras hence deployable cameras are making an appearance.

 

[grudas]

It's the case on the E46, E39, E90, E92 etc. The rain sensor resets when you turn the car off, so even if the stalk is in the auto setting, you still need to re-activate it on next startup because the rain sensor is in the sleep state until you do. Or you can just jog the sensitivity dial up and down or whatever to bring the rain sensor back online.

I guess it's misinterpretation on the most part for many owners. Because the auto wipers are indeed auto, but the auto bit refers to automatic speed and interval detection via the rain sensor, not automatic wiper activation every time it rains every time you get in the car if the stalk is in auto mode.

This is logical by design, you don't want the wipers coming on when a bird poos near the sensor, or a sudden spit of water lands on it, or when you go through a car wash (*shudder*) and so on and so on.

If that makes sense.

yup that's how it seems to work on my Z4.

My mazda with auto wipers doesn't work like that tho.

If you're in "auto" mode the wipers activate as soon as there's water on the sensor. The speed is altered depending on the amount of water going so it's fully automatic.

going through car wash you'd have to turn it off but it's not something I ever do

Z4 is 2007 mazda is 2007 too so not "new age" tech.

 

[ttaskmaster]

So initially you seem to be criticising automatic wipers because they take away the need for people to think about what they are doing...

Automatic everything, actually, and not because it takes away the need, but because people forget the need still exists.

now you're complaining because you think that they somehow require more thought?

Given the debates about how they do or don't work even among those here who do have them, I think that point is somewhat supported... Extend that to all the other auto and semiauto features, such as headlights, and there ya go...

Every post you make just further highlights that you've got no idea how it works - which is fine but why have such a strong view on something you've limited experience off?

It seems different ones work differently anyway, but it's the principle of having functions taken away from me and the vehicle incorrectly deciding things when I know better.

I have never encountered a situation on a saloon or coupe where the rear window would have benefited from a wiper.

Mercedes C250D, unmodded - Driving up the motorway at (ahem) speeds, with the same rain droplets still all over the rear window that were there two hours ago when I left the house... Aerodynamic design not functional in the slightest.

 

[Rilot]

So where do you draw the line? What about fuel injection or do you prefer carbs? CV carbs or do they have to be flatslides? Flatslides too automatic, how about manual mixture adjustment? What about CDI ignition? Prefer points? How about manual timing advance?

All of these things make operating a car easier but the average driver has no idea about fuel mixture or ignition timing. Does this mean they are worse drivers because that knowledge requirement has been taken away? No, it doesn't.

 

[[TW]Fox]

That's only true for forward motion no? Unless you're reversing at 50MPH water is going to settle. When driving forwards, a completely clear rear window is almost completely unnecessary, just like a van.

I can't ever remember it being an issue so I'd suggest it isn't one. You hardly reverse very far for very long.

To be honest I only find myself using the rear wiper in the Mini when the rear screen is dirty - it never gets switched on as a matter of course just because it's raining.