[kjohnr2001]

Hi all, 2011 3.0l Prem Lux with 75k on the clock - got an issue with the intermittent wipe function...

On most other vehicles I have owned previously (including 3 S Types and a 2006 XK,) the intermittent wipe function appeared to work exactly as expected, with a pre-determined, selectable period between wipe operations.

The XF (also the same on a 2107 VW Transporter), appears to operate on some random indeterminate sweep pattern, regardless of what is selected on the stalk or what the amount of rain/drizzle etc. is being thrown at it...

Is this a common thing, has something gone U/S, or have the car gods gone berserk, again???

 

[chrisjp]

Does your car have rain-sensing wipers? If so, the default operation of the intermittent wipe control is to vary the sensitivity of the rain sensing. You can usually turn off rain sensing in one of the menus and, if you do this, the intermittent wipe control will revert to the operation you describe - pre-determined, selectable periods between wipes.

 

[jberks]

Never seen an option to turn off the rain sensor.
In any case, it's always a bit hit and miss - I generally adjust it slightly until it's wiping as I want. If it's playing up, then often it's grease etc on the screen near the sensor so it can't see the water droplets properly. I also believe poor wiper blades could cause it problems. So clean screen, decent blades and it should be fine. Otherwise the sensor can be recalibrated - but that's normally only needed with a new screen, and even then, not always.

 

[chrisjp]

My XE has rain sensing wipers but I soon lost patience with this "feature". Sometimes the wipers would start when there were only a few dops of rain on the screen, scraping across and potentially scratching it. Other times the screen would be so covered with rain that I could hardly see through it before the wipers would start. I soon found the option in one of the menus to turn rain sensing off, and now I have 6 consistent intermittent wiper speeds that I can choose from - one of them is always just right for the amount of rain.

 

[Ianboom]

How do you calibrate the sensor on an XF?

 

[kjohnr2001]

Does your car have rain-sensing wipers? If so, the default operation of the intermittent wipe control is to vary the sensitivity of the rain sensing. You can usually turn off rain sensing in one of the menus and, if you do this, the intermittent wipe control will revert to the operation you describe - pre-determined, selectable periods between wipes.

I believe it does, yes - I thought I had been through the menus pretty thoroughly, must have missed that...
Wherabouts is that located please?
Thanks for the response BTW, very helpful

 

[jberks]

How do you calibrate the sensor on an XF?

I believe it needs some specialist kit - I'd ask Auto Windscreens etc and worst case the dealer. Recalibrating is quite common when replacing windscreens, though I don't remember the guy doing it on mine.

 

[Ianboom]

I have SDD, but could never find how to calibrate the sensor. Setting it to intermittent and not rain sensitive would be good.

 

[chrisjp]

I believe it does, yes - I thought I had been through the menus pretty thoroughly, must have missed that...
Wherabouts is that located please?
Thanks for the response BTW, very helpful

On my MY20 XE you use the left hand buttons on the steering wheel to get the menu options in the middle of the instrument cluster and then select Vehicle Settings, then Convenience Features, then Wipers and then deselect Autowipe

 

[PetA]

The X250 and XE are very different cars, especially when it comes to electrics/electronics..

 

[chrisjp]

The X250 and XE are very different cars, especially when it comes to electrics/electronics..

Indeed so, but I would think that all cars with rain sensing wipers must have a way of turning this feature off. It's just a matter of finding it in the menus and sub-menus!

 

[jberks]

Indeed so, but I would think that all cars with rain sensing wipers must have a way of turning this feature off. It's just a matter of finding it in the menus and sub-menus!

Nope.
The ability to turn it off is the exception not the norm. There is no such option (that I’ve ever seen ) on the X250. Nor was there one on my previous E classes.
I suspect the base XE had the sensor as an option. Hence it was programmed with intermittent. The XF didn’t.

 

[chrisjp]

I stand corrected - and surprised. I generally hate anything where the car has a mind of its own and I can't turn it off.

 

[Phil F]

You can turn the wipers off if that's what you mean ? You can also turn them onto continuous wipe at low or high speed .There is no intermittent wipe on the x250 as far as I'm aware only an auto rain sensor feature that is fully adjustable for sensetivity. Mine wipersare left switched on auto as are the auto light. The only time it's a problem is if I drive a car that doesn't have the auto feature and have to remember to manually switch them on.
The XE however is a different car of which I know little .

 

[chrisjp]

Since the XE is effectively a scaled down version of the x250 XF, it's very surprising to hear that it doesn't have an intermittent wipe setting. Heck, even my 1993 Vauxhall Cavalier V6 had intermittent wipe, albeit only one time interval between wipes.
The XF will certainly come from the factory with rain sensing on by default and therefore no intermittent wipe, like my XE. But I found I could turn rain sensing off in the instrument panel vehicle settings menu, and then the rain sensing sensitivity setting control then became an intermittent wipe time interval adjuster. Surely the XF has the same ability?

 

[NM_OLDER]

My old XJ has intermittent wiper settings and rain-sensing all selectable from the wiper stalk so I'd be surprised if the XE and XF don't have intermittent settings?

 

[PetA]

Since the XE is effectively a scaled down version of the x250 XF, it's very surprising to hear that it doesn't have an intermittent wipe setting. Heck, even my 1993 Vauxhall Cavalier V6 had intermittent wipe, albeit only one time interval between wipes.
The XF will certainly come from the factory with rain sensing on by default and therefore no intermittent wipe, like my XE. But I found I could turn rain sensing off in the instrument panel vehicle settings menu, and then the rain sensing sensitivity setting control then became an intermittent wipe time interval adjuster. Surely the XF has the same ability?

Nope, it's a scaled down version of the X260...