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Wiper rain sensor too sensitive

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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 08:21 AM
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When it is barley drizzling, and i have the rain sensor set on the least sensitive setting.....the wipers will wipe with no pause between, or a really short pause. Is this normal?
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 08:30 AM
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Originally Posted by ktlocklear' post='818233' date='Mar 16 2009, 09:21 AM
When it is barley drizzling, and i have the rain sensor set on the least sensitive setting.....the wipers will wipe with no pause between, or a really short pause. Is this normal?
Sure, if the knurled wheel is set to the highest setting on the wiper stock...

Adjust the knurled wheel to adjust the sensitivity. Otherwise - RTFM (Page 71 in my manual).
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 08:35 AM
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Originally Posted by or_550i' post='818244' date='Mar 16 2009, 12:30 PM
Sure, if the knurled wheel is set to the highest setting on the wiper stock...

Adjust the knurled wheel to adjust the sensitivity. Otherwise - RTFM (Page 71 in my manual).
wow pretty harsh eh?

I noticed the same thing. the rain sensor is too sensitive. even on the lowest setting it still swipes too often. Just another thing on the list that I wish BMW had a manual option for.
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 09:00 AM
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My solution is to use a lot of super Glaco and occasionally operate the wiper by hand. One of those cases where BMW seems to think it knows what's best and gives you an expensive solution to a problem that really doesn't exist. I hated the wipers on the 325, and I still hate them on the 545i. even at the slowest setting, it's not slow enough. Much prefer intermittent settings available on other cars.
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 09:20 AM
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Originally Posted by or_550i' post='818244' date='Mar 16 2009, 11:30 AM
Sure, if the knurled wheel is set to the highest setting on the wiper stock...

Adjust the knurled wheel to adjust the sensitivity. Otherwise - RTFM (Page 71 in my manual).
Well..as stated in my first post, the wheel is adjusted to the least sensitive setting.
Maybe it's the Rain X screwing it up, since the water beads up and off so quickly

The loaner 335 I had was rain x free, so the windshield was one big blur when wet, and the rain sensor worked pretty good
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 09:44 AM
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Originally Posted by ktlocklear' post='818286
Maybe it's the Rain X screwing it up, since the water beads up and off so quickly :think:
Maybe. I have Rain X on mine and the only time I have a problem is when it's a moderately hard rain that normally pools and flies away. There are bigger droplets near the sensor. At that point I just turn off the wipers as the wind+Rain X does a better job than the wipers will ever do.

I don't have any problems in light rain with Rain X...
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by ktlocklear' post='818233' date='Mar 16 2009, 11:21 AM
When it is barley drizzling, and i have the rain sensor set on the least sensitive setting.....the wipers will wipe with no pause between, or a really short pause. Is this normal?
Weird. I use Rain-X as well, but have the opposite problem. Sometimes I have to manually tap the stalk, even on the most sensitive setting?
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 09:56 AM
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Originally Posted by CWS530' post='818312' date='Mar 16 2009, 06:54 PM
Weird. I use Rain-X as well, but have the opposite problem. Sometimes I have to manually tap the stalk, even on the most sensitive setting?
I got this same situation, I also need to tap manually few times grrr, in my old e39 it works better.
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 11:07 AM
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I have to agree with ktlocklear, my wipers are sometimes going flat out when intermittent would be fine, really annoying.

Jason
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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 12:11 PM
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Originally Posted by jasonprice07' post='818371' date='Mar 16 2009, 02:07 PM
I have to agree with ktlocklear, my wipers are sometimes going flat out when intermittent would be fine, really annoying.

Jason
Yeah...very annoying when they come on non stop and the windshield is barley wet, and the wipers skip along the whole path
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