Windshield Wiper Rain Sensor problem
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Windshield Wiper Rain Sensor problem
This has not worked on my car since I bought it (6 months ago) Anyone else have the same problem? Dealership said part is going to take a while to come in....
....not impressed....one more thing to add to the list.....
![Why Me](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/whyme.gif)
#4
Intermediate
Thread Starter
What do you mean it doesn't exist? It says in the brochure it has them. The mechanism is located at the top of the windshield where the rear view mirror is....
#5
Well, now, the manual saying it exists is not the same as having on the car, is it? No one here has reported that such a feature is activated on their Advanced/Elite. It certainly does NOT exist on my Advanced -- I can tell you that for sure.
#6
Pro
In Canada they are standard on the Tech and Elite models. I can confirm they do exist on my Elite model and they work very well except in the situation noted below.
Click Here and read some comments other members have made about them. This was in the TLX forum, but I included an image from RDX manual that shows the location of the sensors.
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#8
#9
Pro
I have always left my wipers in the auto position since taking delivery. They have worked very well until the day we had fluffy snow flurries.
From Wikipedia (CLICK)
Modern rain sensors are based on the principle of total internal refection. An infrared light is beamed at a 45-degree angle into the windshield from the interior — if the glass is wet, less light makes it back to the sensor, and the wipers turn on.
I guess the "dry" fluffy type of snow flakes do not change the reflection characteristics of the glass, and the wipers do not operate.
I'm still not sure what Desert Ridge is speaking about.
From Wikipedia (CLICK)
Modern rain sensors are based on the principle of total internal refection. An infrared light is beamed at a 45-degree angle into the windshield from the interior — if the glass is wet, less light makes it back to the sensor, and the wipers turn on.
I guess the "dry" fluffy type of snow flakes do not change the reflection characteristics of the glass, and the wipers do not operate.
I'm still not sure what Desert Ridge is speaking about.
#10
"I have always left my wipers in the auto position since taking delivery."
Not necessarily a good idea - as the OM points out. You don't want them activating in a car wash for instance.
Not necessarily a good idea - as the OM points out. You don't want them activating in a car wash for instance.
#11
Pro
But I understand your warning. Even with plain old intermittent wipers I was sometimes taken by surprise when scraping ice from the windshield.
#14
Pro
I'm about an hour north of Toronto. I never wash my vehicles during the winter months. In late fall I coat the shiny painted surfaces with a premium sealant, and I coat the hidden and underside areas with Krown rust treatment (an oil spray). I feel that washing the vehicle during the winter will only wash away the protection, especially a commercial car wash.
#16
What's going on here?
So is the function there or not? If the manual says that function exists, that means you have paid for it and it is the manufacturer's responsibility to fix it. Sounds simple.
So is the function there or not? If the manual says that function exists, that means you have paid for it and it is the manufacturer's responsibility to fix it. Sounds simple.
#17
Pro
Last edited by RDX-Rick; 01-22-2016 at 01:25 PM.
#18
I've never had an issue with the wiper not turning on while on auto when it was supposed to.
Actually, I have an opposite issue. If "effective" rain was rather high (ie driving on the freeway in a drizzle) and then it abruptly drops off (I hit traffic and slow down), the wipers will often keep going at their original speed. So my wipers continue to wipe away at a pretty dry windshield. Keeps doing that unless I turn the wipers off and then back to auto--that seems to get it to snap out of it.
Not trying to hijack this tread or anything, just wondered if anyone else had a similar issue.
Actually, I have an opposite issue. If "effective" rain was rather high (ie driving on the freeway in a drizzle) and then it abruptly drops off (I hit traffic and slow down), the wipers will often keep going at their original speed. So my wipers continue to wipe away at a pretty dry windshield. Keeps doing that unless I turn the wipers off and then back to auto--that seems to get it to snap out of it.
Not trying to hijack this tread or anything, just wondered if anyone else had a similar issue.
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CanTex (06-24-2017)
#20
Pro
And just to confirm your stalk is in the off position....You lift it to the highest position (which is the spring loaded position) and then allow it to drop on it's own with no downward pressure from your hand. Pushing downwards to the next indent is the auto position.
Acura seems to have made a real mess of these wipers. In some vehicles they don't work at all, in other vehicles they forgot to install them, and now a vehicle in which they are always on, despite the fact that the manual suggests to turn them off in automatic car washes.
#21
Just to clarify what you are saying...... When your control stalk is in the off position your wipers will operate when water drops hit the windshield?
And just to confirm your stalk is in the off position....You lift it to the highest position (which is the spring loaded position) and then allow it to drop on it's own with no downward pressure from your hand. Pushing downwards to the next indent is the auto position.
Acura seems to have made a real mess of these wipers. In some vehicles they don't work at all, in other vehicles they forgot to install them, and now a vehicle in which they are always on, despite the fact that the manual suggests to turn them off in automatic car washes.
And just to confirm your stalk is in the off position....You lift it to the highest position (which is the spring loaded position) and then allow it to drop on it's own with no downward pressure from your hand. Pushing downwards to the next indent is the auto position.
Acura seems to have made a real mess of these wipers. In some vehicles they don't work at all, in other vehicles they forgot to install them, and now a vehicle in which they are always on, despite the fact that the manual suggests to turn them off in automatic car washes.
#22
Pro
Have you returned to the dealer to have this repaired?
My wipers seem to work normally. But on the other hand I have left them in the auto position since I picked it up. I guess I should turn them off one day and see if they will operate like yours.
I thought purchasing the extended warranty would be a waste of money, but I'm beginning to feel better about my decision now.
My wipers seem to work normally. But on the other hand I have left them in the auto position since I picked it up. I guess I should turn them off one day and see if they will operate like yours.
I thought purchasing the extended warranty would be a waste of money, but I'm beginning to feel better about my decision now.
#23
I don't think there is anything wrong with mine. If I'm driving and it's obvious that I will need the wipers I will turn them on myself. When there is a light rain - just enough to get the windshield wet - they come on by themselves for a few wipes.... and if needed I'll turn them on during the rain. They work just like the wipers in my friend's mazda CX-5.
#24
I don't think there is anything wrong with mine. If I'm driving and it's obvious that I will need the wipers I will turn them on myself. When there is a light rain - just enough to get the windshield wet - they come on by themselves for a few wipes.... and if needed I'll turn them on during the rain. They work just like the wipers in my friend's mazda CX-5.
#25
No. I have never used water to clean my RDX. (For that matter, I have never driven anything I owned through a carwash.) I use prolong waterless carwash. I clean the car in the hangar regardless of the weather outside.
#26
Pro
You may be quite happy with the way yours works, but it is a malfunction, and you might as well get it repaired under warranty. If you wait too long the defective components may cause more severe problems such as totally inoperative wipers.
#27
My 2016 Advance has rain sensing wipers and they work identically to my previous Audi rain sensing systems (except they were reversed bottom/top compared to the Japanese cars) and my wife's Mazda rain sensing system. The lever gets moved down one level. There is a dial that can be changed to accommodate heavier versus lighter rainfall. I live in The Pacific Northwest so these wipers are a really nice feature.
#28
![](https://st.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/5/2015/07/2015-Acura-TLX-24-windshield-wipers-selector.jpg)
It rains, push stalk down 1 notch to Auto. Adjust the rain sensing knob, with the water drops on it, for amount of detection.
When not raining, leave in off position so you don't forget it when washing your car.
And yes... it does work!
/lesson
#29
Touring
Apparently there's some variability on how well this works, and Acura doesn't seem to be able to help. They don't know how it's supposed to work, either. In my 2016 RDX Advance, when set to the AUTO position, the sensitivity knob works just like a timer control would on interval wipers. Setting to low sensitivity runs the wipers every 20 seconds or so. Setting to high sensitivity runs them in an almost continuous sweep. This is whether it's raining or not. I can't leave the control in AUTO, because the wipers will run 2 - 3 sweeps per minute all the time. I suppose a trip to the dealer is in order.
#30
My Advance rain sensing wipers work fine. I've noticed that speed changes coupled with rain changes can cause them to shift into a rapid wipe. So depending on speed and rain intensity I have to adjust the sensitivity knob accordingly. But overall the system works fine. I live in Vancouver, WA and the wipers get plenty of use. In fact--it's raining today by some stroke of luck.
#32
the automatic wiper system doesn't work like we think how it should work. I thought the wipers would automatically come on when it rains, but it doesn't work like that in Acura, at least in our RDXes. you will still need to turn the wipers on and off yourself, instead of using the dial to manually adjust the intermittent wipers speed, you set it to auto, so the system will automatically adjust the intermittent speed for you depending on how much rain and your speed. when the rain stops, you set it back to off. That's it. there is no automatic on or off, just automatic intermittent speed adjustment.
#33
Touring
the automatic wiper system doesn't work like we think how it should work. I thought the wipers would automatically come on when it rains, but it doesn't work like that in Acura, at least in our RDXes. you will still need to turn the wipers on and off yourself, instead of using the dial to manually adjust the intermittent wipers speed, you set it to auto, so the system will automatically adjust the intermittent speed for you depending on how much rain and your speed. when the rain stops, you set it back to off. That's it. there is no automatic on or off, just automatic intermittent speed adjustment.
#34
the automatic wiper system doesn't work like we think how it should work. I thought the wipers would automatically come on when it rains, but it doesn't work like that in Acura, at least in our RDXes. you will still need to turn the wipers on and off yourself, instead of using the dial to manually adjust the intermittent wipers speed, you set it to auto, so the system will automatically adjust the intermittent speed for you depending on how much rain and your speed. when the rain stops, you set it back to off. That's it. there is no automatic on or off, just automatic intermittent speed adjustment.
Can someone with a properly operating auto wiper in RDX give an input please.
#35
In auto mine will not usually go unless needed. In other words, the wipers will stop if/when the rain abates and return to operation when more rain collects. They will, however, seem to get "confused" and go to constant on at times in steady but relatively light rain, in which case I "reset" them by lifting to off and back down to auto. I would not call that operating correctly.
#36
The "constant on" which my wipers switch over to happens often enough to be irritating. Anyone else have this issue? This, of course, is one of those things the dealer will not be able to replicate.
#37
My wife's 2016 Civic rain sensing wiper works perfectly. I am not sure what Acura's problem is.
#38
I've had the speed up too but it's tied to rain speed and the setting I'm using on the adjustable dial. When it happens I reduce the dial to the slowest speed on the auto sensing system and if need be--I move the wiper lever to off then back on. This has only occurred a couple times. I think it's mostly the windshield sensor picking up rain, combined with the speed of the vehicle.
#39
Speed should have nothing to do with it, only insofar as it causes you to run into more rain. It's actually light dispersal which activates the wipers. If they need to be "reset" to work properly they aren't working properly. Are they?
#40
Actually speed seems to affect them too, though it may be as you say, less rain hitting the windshield. But mine will even stop when I'm stopped even though it's raining. The dial controls the sensitivity of the system.