[dgrahamr]

I'm having trouble understanding the rain-sensing wipers, and the manual doesn't shed any light. On my wife's Lexus, once rain-sensing mode is turned on, the wipers come on automatically whenever it rains, and shut off when it doesn't. If I turn the car on and off, it retains the previous setting. We leave rain-sensing mode on all the time, shutting it off only for car washes.

On my 328xi, as far as I can tell, rain sensing mode is automatically shut off whenever the car is turned off. When it starts to rain, I can press the button in toward the steering wheel on the wiper lever on the right side of the streering wheel, and that will engage rain-sensing mode. The dial on the lever allows me to adjust how sensitive it is. But if I park, turn the car off, and then restart, I will have to press that button again to reengage wipers.

Is my car buggy, or is this how it is supposed to work?

[Dish]

That is how it works on mine.

[LEDZEP]

The system is switched off when you shut the car off.

[iatacs19]

Basically, rain-sensing wipers in the BMW are equal to Lexus' intermittent setting. BMW auto-sensing wipers are poorly designed and you have much less control compared to Lexus.

[FrankoQ]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

The system is switched off when you shut the car off.

Yep. that's how it works. SUCKS.
The same story for:
- Car parked ventilation
- Fog lights

[LEDZEP]

Originally Posted by FrankoQ

Yep. that's how it works. SUCKS.
The same story for:
- Car parked ventilation
- Fog lights

Depends on your point of view I guess. I had a 2002 MB that had auto sensing wipers, and if you left it on it would wipe a single time every time you started the car. In other words, it would wipe accross a dry dirty windshield! I hated that, and left the system off.

[FrankoQ]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Depends on your point of view I guess. I had a 2002 MB that had auto sensing wipers, and if you left it on it would wipe a single time every time you started the car. In other words, it would wipe accross a dry dirty windshield! I hated that, and left the system off.

Sounds like a defect.
I'd want to assume that auto wipers won't start unless there is rain to
wipe. sensor should be smart enough.

As for my other 2 items:

- parked car ventilation. I wish you could schedule this for every day.
so you only need to program it once and then leave it on until you switch it off. As it is now, you have to set it every day.
I can see how this might be as is to save the battery.
But I'm too lazy or I just forget to set it daily.

-Fog lights. In my old Celica, I was able to leave the switch on for the fogs
and they will come on whenever I turned on the headlights. The same with my Mitsu SUV. I just like to have fogs on when my headlights are on.
but with the bimmer, I have to manually turn them on.

[msimon18]

THAT IS EXACTY HOW THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK IN A BMW !! YOU HAVE TO ARM THEM (push the button in - etc.) EACH TIME YOU TURN THE CAR ON IF YOU WANT THEM TO BE AUTO WHEN IT RAINS.

Exactly one of my concerns with BMW is that they decide for you how some of these things are supposed to work. If they are RAIN SENSING they should come on by themselves if it starts to RAIN (logical to me), but BMW says "we need to protect you from a car wash if you forget to turn the rain sensing off - so we will do it this way so the wipers are protected".

Similar issue with the AUTO DIMMING MIRROR(s) - ever try to turn it off ???? No can do !!

[AndrewAZ]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Depends on your point of view I guess. I had a 2002 MB that had auto sensing wipers, and if you left it on it would wipe a single time every time you started the car. In other words, it would wipe accross a dry dirty windshield! I hated that, and left the system off.

I have the same problems we always keep the auto setting off until it rains. Apparently the dust or dirt will set off the benz sensor and if a bugs splats it can set it off also.

I prefer the BMW method better, but then again it rains maybe 10-15 days a year where I live.

[msimon18]

A programmable option would be nice... Satisfy those that like it the way it is and those that want it ON all the time.... Seems easy enough to me ....

[C-Dub7]

I don't use rain sensor as much. I usually let the rain falls on the windshield until i can't see anything, then i will turn on the wiper....manually adjusting the speed..... rain x helps too..

[stingq]

the auto rain sensor on my Lexus GS is perfect. I just leave it on auto and forget about it. It never goes off because of dusty windshield or even when I have many bug splats, only when it drizzles or rain.

[Max_!]

I like that it switches off and that the stalk stays in the same position regardless.

The audi A4/A6 rainsensing wipers annoyed me to no end both because the stalk wasn't where it should be when it was on, and because they were very erratic compared to the BMW. In the BMW they usually wipe just at the right time.

[msimon18]

Agree - Lexus has implemented this (and many other) options flawllessly .... They even give the drive options on whether to use them or not like the rain sensing wipers, the anti-reflective mirrors; the headlight washers etc.