V90 Rain sensing wipers

[NickV90]

I was so so disappointed in my rain sensing wipers on my V90 Momentum - they seemed not to work as well as the Honda CRV ones. SO frustrated was I, that I read the manual.

Now that I have switched them on, they are brilliant!!!!

The confusion for me is that the switch just looks like the wiper stalk housing, so I hadn't realised that you have to push it to activate it! The symbol on it looks like it applies to the intermittent setting. I found it kind of by accident as I spotted the option on sensus to remember the last setting - which I have also turned on to make sure it is on at all times.

Happy days :-)
Nick

[Bernard F]

Nick something I learned many years ago and it never fails to work. "When all else fails read the instructions"

[KNVXC90]

I had over 4 months (since ordering) to read the entire manual, on a tablet, during my daily train commute. It definitely helps, especially with a car like XC90.

[NickV90]

Funnily enough I read the manual cover to cover (or screen to screen :-)) before I got the car, but age is a cruel thing so I have probably forgotten more that I have remembered!

[Torshen]

I have no idea how automatic rain sensing wipers work (happy to be educated, if anyone knows) but I tend to find that as good as they are I still end up using the intermittent setting and setting the interval myself.

Usually takes me about a minute of driving in the rain to get it right, and it always requires tweaking up/down as I drive along and conditions change slightly on a constant basis, but in my experience that still gives me the best balance. The auto-sensing wipers seem to start out ok for me but are prone to bouts of being too fast or too slow and those bouts seem to last longer than I can put up with, especially the too slow ones.

[gaby]

The rain sensor's assistant emits infrared "light" waves. If there are waterdrops on the widscreen,
some of the emitted light will be reflected and detected by the sensor.
No drops = no reflection = no rain = wipers won't wipe.
To avoid forgetting how to activate them, you can set them to auto so that the rain
sensor activated wipers are on by default.

[Torshen]

Originally Posted by gaby

The rain sensor's assistant emits infrared "light" waves.

Ooh, it's got its own assistant eh? Fancy

Joking aside, thank you, I didn't know that. Where do the infrared beams fire from? Which direction does the sensor face?

[nu11eaf]

Originally Posted by Torshen

Ooh, it's got its own assistant eh? Fancy

Joking aside, thank you, I didn't know that. Where do the infrared beams fire from? Which direction does the sensor face?

These are photos of the rain sensor (cover removed) on my old MK1 XC90 fixed to the top of the inside of the windscreen pointing outwards, the new model sensor may be different but will be in same position.
[ATTACH][ATTACH]user115367_pic6290_1365373834.jpg[/ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[Boatie]

When I ordered my V90 I insisted on a hard copy instruction manual. The dealer wanted to charge me £20 for the honour. After several comments along the lines of 'no way!' they threw it in for "free".

[bobby2000]

Originally Posted by NickV90

Funnily enough I read the manual cover to cover (or screen to screen :-)) before I got the car, but age is a cruel thing so I have probably forgotten more that I have remembered!

Know exactly what you mean.