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Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

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Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#131

Post by aaronmdjones »

vel0city wrote: post #129
aaronmdjones wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My car (2012 Vauxhall Astra J Hatchback) has 5 front windscreen wiper modes (once, off, interval controlled, medium interval, short interval), controlled by the position of the lever (with fully down being once, which is also momentary, and then proceeding upward in the order above). It also has a dial on it to adjust the interval when using the interval controlled option. I don't get to control how fast the wipers m…

Yeah, I mean that sounds like just about every car I've ever personally owned across several different makes. Its fine, and I prefer having a physical stalk dedicated to this input for something as critical as managing visibility. Things like visibility controls are very critical and need good physical controls for quick adjustment and activation. I lump things like headlights, turn signals, hazard lights, and stuff…

I agree in principle but I don't use my rain sensor because it just doesn't run the wipers often enough for my liking.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#132

Post by m463 »

creativeembassy wrote: post #60

This is my #1 complaint with our new Model Y. The "Auto" setting is completely worthless. It almost never turns on when it's raining. When it does turn on, it's either too fast or too slow. It'll turn on randomly when there's no rain. But it's not just the sensor, which would be inconvenient. The lack of control makes it *dangerous*. You have to push the button in _slightly_ on the left stalk, which makes the wipers…

> The lack of control makes it dangerous.

I totally agree with you.

But I suspect some company cultures are fundamentally broken. Apple started with a one-button mouse, and will probably never make a good mouse. I think tesla has adopted their broken mindset and I think the tesla culture will never make any of us happy.

Personally if the old tesla cars with the wiper control on the turn-signal stalk could just change the two useless auto settings to slow and fast intermittent... that would be SO wonderful.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#133

Post by lucianbr »

fastball wrote: post #104
_yb2s wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is a reasonable argument that it is likely to be theoretically possible. It’s absolute madness to jump from “theoretically possible” to production without actually inventing and testing the technology. What is going on over there at Tesla? I suspect an emperors new clothes type of situation where employees are too terrified to state basic facts, like “we tested 20 ideas out but none worked, we haven’t figured ou…

Giving Musk the benefit of the doubt, probably his thinking is more along the lines of: "I'd like to solve this with vision. Sure, we can ship a $5 part to do it the tried-and-true way, but if we do that then we're probably never gonna solve it with vision, because there will no longer be a pressing need to do so. So I'm gonna force us to not ship our cars with a proper rain sensor in the hope that it will continuall…

That sounds so cool when a billionaire vision-guy says it. Too bad reality is that "pressing need" isn't magic, and sometimes just isn't enough. Like this time.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#134

Post by m463 »

jerlam wrote: post #108
creativeembassy wrote: post #60

This is my #1 complaint with our new Model Y. The "Auto" setting is completely worthless. It almost never turns on when it's raining. When it does turn on, it's either too fast or too slow. It'll turn on randomly when there's no rain. But it's not just the sensor, which would be inconvenient. The lack of control makes it *dangerous*. You have to push the button in _slightly_ on the left stalk, which makes the wipers…

These are over $300 but these are aftermarket Tesla buttons that can control the wipers and other functions: https://enhauto.com/product/four-s3xy-buttons-gen2 (not an owner, just have a good memory)

oh wow. amazing.

keep going! now a knob for volume control with push on/off, and a separate one for temperature with push on/off.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#136

Post by tw04 »

hanief wrote: post #11
pavel_lishin wrote: post #2

> This is a result of Tesla’s strategy to rely upon Tesla Vision to replace all sensors – which they’ve successfully used most recently to replace the ultrasonic parking sensors (USS) on their vehicles. Tesla believes that vision is the solution to achieving all self-driving capabilities, and this includes the elimination of extraneous sensors such as USS and radar. Why are they so hell-bent on using nothing but vide…

I think they falsely believe human only needs one sense to navigate: sight. But we actually use our hearing, smell, and touch too. So, multiple type sensors is actually better than only one.

And hearing… like the sound of rain hitting the car.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#137

Post by ikiris »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #2

> This is a result of Tesla’s strategy to rely upon Tesla Vision to replace all sensors – which they’ve successfully used most recently to replace the ultrasonic parking sensors (USS) on their vehicles. Tesla believes that vision is the solution to achieving all self-driving capabilities, and this includes the elimination of extraneous sensors such as USS and radar. Why are they so hell-bent on using nothing but vide…

Because if they had something in addition, that might cost another dollar that wouldn't be going to his Twitter debt.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#138

Post by lucianbr »

shiroiushi wrote: post #123
kccqzy wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually I'm somewhat certain that the vehicle speed is determined by the motor RPM, the known reduction gear ratio, and a known tire size. That's why speed can be inaccurate if you switch to incorrectly sized tires.

No. The vehicle speed is determined by a single sensor, the Vehicle Speed Sensor. It measures the rpm of the driveshaft (or one of them), the shaft that is the output from the transmission. You don't need the gear ratio. But yes, it does assume that the tires are a certain size, so if you put the wrong size tires on, it will be wrong. Also, it's not super-accurate: tires sizes differ slightly by brand/model, plus the…

I wonder what you mean by "accumulates". If I change the tires, the slight difference due to the previous brand and the slight difference due to the new brand do not compound. I only get the last one. And if the older ones were worn, the new ones will have less error, as they are less worn.

If the errors really accumulated, once in a while we would need to recalibrate the speed sensor, else we would be doing 90 and showing 10. In fact the error is limited to some reasonable amount.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#139

Post by imp0cat »

aaronmdjones wrote: post #131
vel0city wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I mean that sounds like just about every car I've ever personally owned across several different makes. Its fine, and I prefer having a physical stalk dedicated to this input for something as critical as managing visibility. Things like visibility controls are very critical and need good physical controls for quick adjustment and activation. I lump things like headlights, turn signals, hazard lights, and stuff…

I agree in principle but I don't use my rain sensor because it just doesn't run the wipers often enough for my liking.

Yeah, the problem is when the "auto" setting isn't good enough.

Same for the AC, sure you can have it set to "auto", but mine tends to slow the fan down in auto mode when the car reaches the preset temperature. I find that annoying, because it means less fresh air in the cabin.

Re: Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

#140

Post by spookie »

lathiat wrote: post #42
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #21

TBH, I hate auto wipers and have always believed them to be a tech solution looking for a problem. Never once have I been in rainy weather and thought "gee, what should I do?". I currently have a car with auto wipers (I'm not sure but I think they use the "standard" infrared sensor to detect rain) and I find them worse than manual, intermittent wipers in every way. I think the biggest problem is that the wipers tend…

By contrast my 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X has automatic wipers that are just magic and other than making them slightly more or less sensitive once-off (which you can do using the dial on the wiper stalk) it responds perfectly, adjusting the speed up and down with changing rain intensity in perfect harmony with what I would do myself. I never find myself wanting. That's nearly 20 years old at this point. 2018…

Great cars! :)
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