What's going on with my wipers? (2015 AWD)

[Alfer]

So this morning I passed by a rogue yard sprinkler that sprayed water across my windshield so naturally I pushed the wiper stalk up to do the quick wipe, but nothing happened. I pushed up on it 2-3 times, nothing. I tried to use the other "low" and "high" settings and nothing came on. I sprayed my washer fluid and hit the quick wipe again and after 2 more tries they finally came on. WTF? Several months ago I noticed the quick wipe took a couple of tries but thought it was just a fluke. So now I'm wondering if some circuit is failing at this point??

Anyone have/had similar issue?

 

[skipgen]

So this morning I passed by a rogue yard sprinkler that sprayed water across my windshield so naturally I pushed the wiper stalk up to do the quick wipe, but nothing happened. I pushed up on it 2-3 times, nothing. I tried to use the other "low" and "high" settings and nothing came on. I sprayed my washer fluid and hit the quick wipe again and after 2 more tries they finally came on. WTF? Several months ago I noticed the quick wipe took a couple of tries but thought it was just a fluke. So now I'm wondering if some circuit is failing at this point??

Anyone have/had similar issue?

I can't speak to that particular issue, but my rain sensing wipers seem to only work when they feel like it - they only reliably come on in the car wash!

 

[Alfer]

Yea that's a whole other topic. Mine have a mind of their own. My windshield could be covered in water and wipers don't do anything and I force them on, but if I get 2 small drop of water from say a puddle splash, they come on. Makes no sense (pardon the pun).

 

[Kraig Wilkinson]

Yea that's a whole other topic. Mine have a mind of their own. My windshield could be covered in water and wipers don't do anything and I force them on, but if I get 2 small drop of water from say a puddle splash, they come on. Makes no sense (pardon the pun).

After I replaced my Battery I had some weird stuff like that happen to me.. Has anything like that been done recently to your ride?

 

[EdP]

I can't speak to that particular issue, but my rain sensing wipers seem to only work when they feel like it - they only reliably come on in the car wash!

Have you ever had the dealer check them out? My selector has been in "auto" mode for months and they work well from light shower to downpour.
Maybe a calibration needed?

 

[RyanB]

I had the same thing happen to me this week. Went to spray my windshield for a quick wipe and nothing happened. Moved the stalk from auto to on, and nothing. Moved it to off and then back to auto and then it started working again. I have also been having issues with the rain sensing and I am finding myself having to switch from auto to off and back to auto for them to start working. But this was the first time it was unresponsive when trying to use them manually. Random Gremlin number 127! I swear every day it's like driving a different car. Some days it's as smooth and quite and the next day vibrations, rattles and non working electronics.

 

[Markymark]

No issues here. They work great, like Ed P's.

 

[SuperKing]

Thought I was the only one.... lol... oh well, it's almost time for a new car soon anyways.

 

[skipgen]

Have you ever had the dealer check them out? My selector has been in "auto" mode for months and they work well from light shower to downpour.
Maybe a calibration needed?

Maybe... They did work fine yesterday though.

 

[skipgen]

Yea that's a whole other topic. Mine have a mind of their own. My windshield could be covered in water and wipers don't do anything and I force them on, but if I get 2 small drop of water from say a puddle splash, they come on. Makes no sense (pardon the pun).

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[StarPower]

If pushing the wiper stalk up or using the lo and hi settings doesn't do anything, then it's likely a problem with the stalk or the associated wiring.

 

[Suburbazine]

So this morning I passed by a rogue yard sprinkler that sprayed water across my windshield so naturally I pushed the wiper stalk up to do the quick wipe, but nothing happened. I pushed up on it 2-3 times, nothing. I tried to use the other "low" and "high" settings and nothing came on. I sprayed my washer fluid and hit the quick wipe again and after 2 more tries they finally came on. WTF? Several months ago I noticed the quick wipe took a couple of tries but thought it was just a fluke. So now I'm wondering if some circuit is failing at this point??

Anyone have/had similar issue?

If they only work intermittently or not at all when the switch is pushed into a manual mode, you've got two points of failure

1. The multi-function stalk module has multi-malfunctioned.
2. The wiper drive unit has malfunctioned

The system will usually set an error on the dash and in dealer diagnostics if the wiper drive unit has malfunctioned. If the stalk is malfunctioning then you'll get nothing.

The rain sensor is a whole 'nother monster altogether. The main issue with its temperamental behavior stems from the fitment between the top of the windshield and the mirror modules. The sensor is an IR-Diffusion type sensor that measures the refraction of several infrared beams through the glass to calculate the density and intensity of water hitting the windshield. If the sensor has gotten fogged up (old age, also use of sprays or skin moisturizers in the car) it will significantly narrow the detection window for rain to only trigger in the most intense of rain (and then it will usually kick into high speed mode). The other possibility is that someone replaced the windshield and the person doing the job didn't ensure proper fitment of the sensor into the section of glass designated by the masking.