Auto Lights Warnings

[AdrianM]

Have you tried the sensitivity button for the auto-wipers?

Yes, but I want an intermittent function that doesn't change speed until I want it to.

Couldn't agree more. I've got auto wipers on the Passat and they drive me nuts. I find myself adjusting the damned things constantly where a fixed interval intermittent wipe would work perfectly. Worst invention ever, VW.

Just goes to show that it takes all sorts. I think the rain sensor/auto wipers are cool and seem to work well mostly. In my Volvo I find I spend too much time fiddling with the intermittent speed dial to get the right speed.

[p3eps]

Worst invention ever, VW.

Agreed!  The ones on my MK5 were dreadful!  Full speed when spitting, and never on in heavy rain.  Its a shame they don't have an auto slot, THEN an intermittent slot that you can choose your speed.

[VWKev]

Prob a good thing then that my xenons just stay on all the time...

+1

[Rolfe]

I had the automatic wipers in my last car, since 1998, and I liked them.  The main problem was that occasionally they would go absolutely doolally, top speed for no apparent reason.  I had to switch them off when they did that.  So far as I could make out, it was associated with freezing temperatures, possibly ice on the windscreen.

It will be interesting to see if the Golf does the same thing.

Rolfe.

[keelaw]

I don't quite understand Warning 1 - don't the fogs come on by pulling the light switch out one click?

Not if you have selected autolights, you need to turn the lights on and then pull out the fogs!!

I guess going back to auto means the lights go out for a moment until the sensor realises it's dark, then switch them on...

I had a little check just now.  Reason why it goes dark is because the switch goes via the "side lights" before it gets to the "auto" setting hence loss of main headlights.

Noted also that the fogs very weak compared to the xenons... well when reflected in the car in front anyway!   

[p3eps]

The auto wipers on my GF's BMW are good.
There is a button to push on the end of the stalk to turn them on.
When you switch the car off - the button turns off.

It means that you only turn them on when you want, rather than leaving them on all the time by mistake!

So when a random fly get splatted on the sensor on a dry day, the wipers dont go mental!!!

[rjwojcik]

Which BM model is that?

[keelaw]

E60 530i SE has that feature

[ub7rm]

I don't quite understand Warning 1 - don't the fogs come on by pulling the light switch out one click?

Not if you have selected autolights, you need to turn the lights on and then pull out the fogs!!

I guess going back to auto means the lights go out for a moment until the sensor realises it's dark, then switch them on...

I had a little check just now.  Reason why it goes dark is because the switch goes via the "side lights" before it gets to the "auto" setting hence loss of main headlights.

Noted also that the fogs very weak compared to the xenons... well when reflected in the car in front anyway!   

Seems odd, on my mk5 when you switch from auto to headlights on all the time there is a delay so before it reacts so the lights don't dip at all (i.e. it doesn't 'see' that you were, for a fraction of a second, on the sidelight setting).  A bit silly not to have carried that feature forward to the mk6...

[keelaw]

So on the MkV the switch from "auto" to "on all time" doesn't go via the sidelights?