Spoonie G

I can never get the right setting. This is the first car that I've had with the feature. I always thought that the intermittent wipers would be "set it and forget it" but no, You always have to tinker with it.

On the max setting the intermittent wipers:

1) Didn't wipe often enough and let too much rain build up on the windshield, to where it was obstructing vision.
2) Kept wiping a window that only had a few drops of rain on it, to the point where the wipers started to make streaking noises.

On any other of the lower settings, the wipers didn't wipe often enough, or wiped a dry window.

I read the manual and understand that after each setting change to the intermittent wiper frequency, there's a confirmation wipe. What happened here was long after I made the adjustment. Right now I just use the normal wiper adjustments and consider the intermittent wipers to be pretty much worthless. I'm sure some folks will say "They work fine" I just wished that I was them. Rant over.

OOOO S3

I know exactly where you are coming from. You can't really set it and forget it.

Do you have the rain sensor or is it just the intermittent wiper settings?

I simply leave it on auto and have the sensitivity set to low and if I need to wipe prior to it wiping itself I just pop the staulk down and back up once and it wipes. Kind of a pain but oh wells.

Spoonie G

There's a sensor. I had better luck with my last vehicles speed sensitive setup.

Syrome

I've found that intermittent wipers fail not because of their inherent design, but due to changing speed of both the vehicle and the rain, it's not a set it and forget it solution. Hence the introduction of rain sensing wipers. More things to charge you for.

Spoonie G

The S3's intermittent operation is indeed rain sensing. The sensor is behind the rear view mirror. I was washing my car once and sprayed the windshield with water and the wipers came on. Rain sensing doesn't appear to work all that good as well.

EGainer

I use aquapel and literally do not use my wipers at all. I've done this for years. Wipers only get snow or standing water off when I'm parked.

It's hard to decide what kind of auto wipe you want, so I agree. It's not set and forget. That's why I went with aquapel

Dr. Jekyll

Wow, glad I'm not the only one frustrated with the S3's rain sensing wipers. By far the worst rain sensing wipers I've used. It'll work well for a minute then stop wiping completely. Or, it'll go crazy and keep wiping a dry window. I don't think they've worked like they are supposed to for more than a few minutes.

I ended up just turning off the rain sensor in the MMI. So now the different settings just change the frequency like a non-rain sensing setup would operate.

bradenalexander

I have found the sensor to be unpredictable in this car. My last car's wipers were brilliant. They truly were set and forget. I have found the same issues as you.

tex2670

You wash your car with it running? You mean at the car wash?

audiq4me

Same here in 09 S5 AND 2013 Touareg. Very annoying!! I would of thought the Germans would have had a better handle on their wiper systems by now.