The rain season finally arrives, and I've been using the wipers consistently now.

I have trouble discerning any changes in the intermittent wiper speeds based on how fast I am driving. The only thing that varies is the max INT speed setting and only when the vehicle is stopped vs being driven.

Is this a problem?

 

Mine seem to do what I expect them to do.

 

Wait, the INT wipers speed up with vehicle speed????? (Note to self, find the manual and read it!!! )

 

I don't recall that feature. Not saying I memorized the manual, just never heard of it.

 

They do not work that way. What they do is stop wiping when you are stopped and wipe in the first speed when driving. My TSX, and RL worked the same way. Nothing is wrong. I use to think the wipers would speed up with speed too.

 

i dont think they work by the cars speed but they do work i actually played around with it last night

 

They are speed sensitive but only on the Intermittent setting. They are only speed sensitive up to 15mph I think. Basically, when the car is stopped, the wipers are moving as they would on the INT setting. But once you start moving and hit 15mph, the wipers move like they are on Low. Its nothing special, even my old Accord did this.

 

I realize only the INT setting is "speed-sensitive", but I only notice the max INT setting is speed sensitive in a binary sense (low continuous vs fast intermittent). I have not found it to stop wiping when I'm stopped.

 

Speed-sensitive int wipe is a programmable function. My dealer asked if I wanted this activated at delivery. I assume settings can be changed using the MID.

When on int, the wipers swipe out of sequence if you are on the brakes and then lift off them, like leaving from a stop.

 

From Page 131 of the manual:

INT - The length of the wipe
interval is varied automatically

according to vehicle’s speed.

 

Read it many times, but have trouble noticing any variability with vehicle speed. Anyway, I guess I'm the only one.

 

No you are not. I do not notice any difference either. I will recheck my mid settings and test.

 

Are the wipers automatic on when it rains? When I test drove the 2010 TL Base, the wipers turned on automatically when it rained. I bought the 2009 TL Tech and I didn't notice it. Should it be on a specially setting?

 

No. That would be a BMW...

 

I have a car with the "rain sense" wipers, and have had two others with it. I hate them with an absolute passion. You cannot control the intermittent timing at all with them. Every one I've had they wipe too often for my tastes. They do have a control that is supposed to vary the sensitivity, but I find that to virtually not work at all.

I think the new Chryslers you might be able to turn the rain sense feature off. That would be a good thing.

 

+1

My wife has a RX330 with "rain sensing" wipers. Very annoying and just plain counterproductive IMHO. It often wipes when I don't want it to wipe, and thus sometimes smearing the windshield with streaks of water/dust, which I would then have to use wiper fluid and turn on the wipers manually anyways.

It's one feature I would probably pay to have it deleted.

 

That's interesting to hear you guys say that. The auto wipers seem to be one of the items that some reviewers (and some on this forum) frequently gripe about as being a "surprising" omission given the car's intended audience. Maybe Acura knew what they were doing. I certainly have not felt a great need to have my wipers turn on automatically.

 

Rain Sensing wipers huh? I did switch the stock ones to Rain X Latitude. Could this be it? How do you turn the auto feature on?

 

The '05/'06 MDX had rain sensing wipers. People complained about them so Acura dropped that feature.

 

My complaint is about the VEHICLE SPEED VARIABLE feature of the intermittent wiper.

So for each individual speed on the intermittent wiper, there is only 2 variations within (as somebody pointed out this change occurs at 12mph).

Another words, as I go from say city driving speed to highway speeds in the same rain condition I have to manually change the speed setting to get the wiper to wipe at a suitable speed. This IMHO defeats the purpose of SPEED-SENSITIVE WIPER.

Ideally it should work in a way so for each rain condition I just have to pick a single setting and the wiper speed will vary at multiple vehicle speeds (say at 20mph, 40mph, 60mph, 80mph) and I don't have to keep changing it while I drive. I feel like the single speed changing mark of 12mph is not very useful (and if you have to pick 1 speed maybe put it at 45mph or something like that).