Wiped Out

[Conrad_K]

My modern cars all have fancy intermittent windshield wipers with half a dozen speed adjustments. They also have a quick-wipe mode, which is almost useless. All of them scrape the wipers across the windshield three times, so if you're in a light mist and hit the button, the (unnecessary and unwanted) second and third wipes squeak and judder across the windshield. Sometimes I can fiddle with the wiper switch and turn the wipers off at *just* the right spot, and they'll park after one wipe.

My old Capris (1971-1974) had only two speeds on the wipers. I wouldn't have minded a third, but two worked okay. They also had a big button on the floor by the clutch pedal. That was the foot pump for the windshield washers. I don't think that actually worked on any of the Capris I had. But there was a little metal ring around the button, and that activated the wipers. You could tap the ring with the side of your shoe, and the wipers would make precisely one (1) swipe up, down, and then park. I loved that, and so did my wife, who drove Capris for a decade or so.

More isn't always better, and three wipes isn't better than one.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

My first Land-Rover (2A Light-Weight) had one of those little rubber 'pump' buttons, that were presumably, a one-way valve for the washers

 

[cyberknight]

pah !
go back to hand operated wipers .

 

[Smokin Joe]

Rear wash/wipe is the worst. It takes forever to get any water out of the jet, by which time the wiper blade has dragged itself across a filthy screen two or three times. I'd like a two position switch for the washer, half way down for water only and all the way to start the wipers.

And don't get me started on those automatic rain sensitive wipers, fortunately I've only had them on a couple of cars I didn't own myself.

 

[fossyant]

Had rain sensitive wipers for 22 years. Work fine.

 

[the_mikey]

More isn't always better, and three wipes isn't better than one.

That used to be my gripe with the Ford Transit Connect I used to drive, especially this time of the year, especially when driving on the motorway, when the windscreen would get caked in road salt quite quickly, a quick squirt of screenwash triggers the wipers, which wipes once, and the screen is clean, but then it wipes again, the screen has already accumulated some road salt by this time and it smears across the screen, a third wipe happens and the screen is once again caked in road salt and I have to start all over again. It used to drive me nuts.

Currently drive a Suzuki Swift and it performs a single wipe when using the screen wash, which is awesome.

 

[Drago]

Half the motorists round here seem happy to drive in a misted up igloo with zero visibility.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I employ my butler to keep my screen clear whilst driving

 

[Profpointy]

Had rain sensitive wipers for 22 years. Work fine.

I had them on a 406 Peugeot, an interim company car which I had for a few months. They weren't perfect but did by and large work quite well I thought.

 

[Drago]

I employ my butler to keep my screen clear whilst driving

View attachment 759011

I make my butler lick the screen clean.

 

[gbb]

I liken the subject to 'how many jackets do I need for cycling'. ? .the answer is virtually impossible to find.
Anywhere between lightly wet and drenched tool cold, too hot or too windy...I had three jackets and it still didn't cover it.

Wipers? I find the rain sensing ones on the Mazda 95% perfect but there's still odd occasions where it's just not quite right. It's virtually impossible to cover every eventuality because they're infinate.

Also, condition, quality and type of blades itself could well influence things hugely.
The Mazda does fine on the whole

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've only once driven a car with rain sensitive wipers. It was a hire car and it frightened the life out of me when they came on.

 

[lazybloke]

I'd like cars to automatically switch the ####### fog lamps off!

But going back to washers, i'm sure i had cars with a long thin button sticking out of the dashboard which was the piston to manually pump screenwash. You had to use your thumb to pump it. Foot-pumped would have been a luxury.

 

[Conrad_K]

I'm sure I've seen headlight washers with a hand pump, with a knob in the dash you pushed and pulled like a bicycle pump. Probably foreign, and a long time ago, though.

 

[Alex321]

And don't get me started on those automatic rain sensitive wipers, fortunately I've only had them on a couple of cars I didn't own myself.

I take it you don't like them?

I've had them on my last 4-5 cars, and love them. And the automatic headlights, though you do have to override them in fog, they can't yet sense that.