Speed sensitive rear wiper

[PhilT]

Until last week, i didn't even know it existed, but as a fellow Hamiltonian (Windex) pointed out, the rear wiper on the wagon is speed sensitive. The faster you go, the faster it goes.

 

What would be really nice is if someone could figure out how to tap into the controls so that you could manually set the frequency. Personally I find it wipes way too often at highway speeds.

[jj808]

Hell, i wish the sedan version HAD a rear wiper...

[vet]

Never heard that one, I'll have to check that feature out. I agree it goes too fast. Its almost as if the faster you go the less you need the wiper.

[Scotty]

I think it wipes too often regardless of speed. It needs at least a 10 second delay.

[gt_ltd]

according to the owner's manual that came with my forester, rear wiper's motor may overheat if it stays on for too long..

[mwiener2]

it does that!? I never noticed

[racerdave]

Until last week, i didn't even know it existed, but as a fellow Hamiltonian (Windex) pointed out, the rear wiper on the wagon is speed sensitive. The faster you go, the faster it goes.

 

What would be really nice is if someone could figure out how to tap into the controls so that you could manually set the frequency. Personally I find it wipes way too often at highway speeds.

 

+1

 

a 10 delay would be great.

[Guest *Jedimaster*]

Until last week, i didn't even know it existed, but as a fellow Hamiltonian (Windex) pointed out, the rear wiper on the wagon is speed sensitive. The faster you go, the faster it goes.

 

What would be really nice is if someone could figure out how to tap into the controls so that you could manually set the frequency. Personally I find it wipes way too often at highway speeds.

Is this for real? I didn't see it in the owner's manuel.

[firedawgs]

I do like the fact that if the wiper is on int. and you put it in reverse it goes full speed to help clear the view for backing up.

[PhilT]

I do like the fact that if the wiper is on int. and you put it in reverse it goes full speed to help clear the view for backing up.

 

Really ? didn't know it did that either, gotta try that today.

 

Yes, it's for real, I suspect that most dealers don't know about it either.

[mwiener2]

i knew about the reverse thing, but not the speed sensitive

[iyalla]

i knew about the reverse thing, but not the speed sensitive

 

On the Outback I think the rear wiper comes on if you put the car in reverse even if the rear wiper is OFF as long as the front wipers are ON. The Legacy wagon doesn't do this, instead its rear wiper has to be ON then it will go from intermediate to regular if you put it in reverse.

 

Never heard of the speed sensitivity. I got to try that.

[mwiener2]

ok, well when i remember, i'm gonna try the R and wiper things

[PhilT]

While I was out earlier this morning i timed it. At a standstill it wipes every 13 secs, at 70 mph it wipes every 5 secs, way too often !

 

Also tried in reverse, and it just wipes every 13 secs, unless you were to go 70 mph in reverse I don't see it changing. Of course this is all on intermittant, one more click and it's continuous anyway.

[drewster]

On the Outback I think the rear wiper comes on if you put the car in reverse even if the rear wiper is OFF as long as the front wipers are ON. The Legacy wagon doesn't do this, instead its rear wiper has to be ON then it will go from intermediate to regular if you put it in reverse.

 

Never heard of the speed sensitivity. I got to try that.

manual transmission OBXT, nothing changes when I shift into reverse in any and all combinations of the switches which is a good thing, last thing i want is the car telling me when i want the window wiped.

[Guest *Jedimaster*]

I tink dis is a joke mon.

[iyalla]

manual transmission OBXT, nothing changes when I shift into reverse in any and all combinations of the switches which is a good thing, last thing i want is the car telling me when i want the window wiped.

 

Maybe its just for the auto.

[Windex]

I checked my vacation pictures, and they show that the rear wiper only seems to do the full-speed-in-reverse thing on the 5EAT, dunno why.

 

As Phil said, 5 secs is just too quick at highway speeds. Heck, 13 secs is still too fast imho. Anyhoo, my pics show that the Body integrated module controls the show, so unless theres some reprog option through subaru, extending the interval aint gonna happen:(

[elpete77]

It's been 120 days since we've had any rain in AZ, I've had the car since August 05 and never used the wipers. Boy do I miss my wipers.

[meier motor sports]

50mph and up gets a 3 second pause

31-50mph gets a 6 second pause

12-31mph gets a 9 second pause

0-12mph gets a 12 second pause

[Windex]

^ that's the point. SOA got the timing completely bass ackwards. It needs to go faster at a stop, and slower when moving. It's like the engineers:

1) never asked anyone who drives a wagon

2) never bothered to even drive the car in the rain to test their programming.

 

I hate crappy engineering. The "rear wiper guys" need to talk to the "washer fluid bottle guys" - they got that perfect - holds a full gallon, with a wide neck that I can fill in 10 seconds - beautiful.

[PolarDog]

I noticed this in the Toyota Avalon loaner car that I was driving for a while: At higher speeds, the wiper speed was fast and while at a stop, the wipers were much slower. My guess is that you run into more raindrops when you are driving versus when you are standing still.

 

I look forward to trying the rear wiper phenomena when I get a chance. (The Toy didn't have a rear wiper...)

 

PolarDog

[H2OSB]

Hell, i wish the sedan version HAD a rear wiper...

 

+1!

 

I had an Outback before I bought the LGT. I really really miss having a rear wiper.

 

H2OSB