Wiper Delay issue - driving me crazy!

[shiltonsr]

I have a 2002 PA. When I work the washers - all is good. Twist the switch for a single wipe - all is good. Wipers on full time - fine on both speeds. But set the delay to any setting and I get nothing! So, during a light shower, I find myself occasionally twisting the switch to work the wiper but this gets annoying. In whatever mode the wipers work in, the wipers do park in the correct place. I have read elsewhere in this forum where others had a similar issue but the wipers would not park correctly but that is not my case. I have read something about a laser detection sensor that adjusts the speed based on sensing the volume of rain--not sure if that factors in or not. The switch on the stalk seems to work, at least in the non-intermittant positions. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

 

[RD_Atlanta]

I don't own a PA but I think the pulse logic PCB is located within the wiper motor.

 

[DrivenDaily]

My 2005 Les has the RainSense wipers.

From the time I bought it, moving the twisty sleeve switch to any intermittent setting would let it wipe one time and no more. On normal or high speed, it wiped continuously at the set speed.

One day I was cleaning around the inside mirror and I bumped the RS sensor. It fell of the WS so I unplugged it and took it inside to examine.

The next rainy day my intermittent wipers wiped intermittently! YAY!

A few months ago I had the WS replaced and the tech installed the RS sensor for me since the WS came with the special gel gasket for it. The next time I used intermittent wipers, they wiped one time, and then when a little more rain hit the WS, they wiped again without any input from me!

I now have fully-functional RS wipers!

All it might for your intermittent to wipe more than once is to unplug the RS sensor. If so, then consider ordering the gel gasket to reinstall the sensor, then plug it in and see if they start working again.

 

[shiltonsr]

I like it! Where is the sensor located--behind (windshield side) of the mirror???

 

[DrivenDaily]

It is the square below the mirror in this image, looking in from outside. You can see how mine was coming unglued.

 

[shiltonsr]

Got it--thanks!

 

[shiltonsr]

It is the square below the mirror in this image, looking in from outside. You can see how mine was coming unglued.

View attachment 49514

After finding out where this was, I removed the black plastic cover over the sensor, removed the plug and tried the wipers--I NOW HAVE WIPER DELAY AGAIN! Mine also looks like it has seen better days and needs to be reattached. I will have to find out what is used to glue this to the WS. This whole process is counterintuitive to me--removing the sensor from the circuit allows the wipers to work. BTW, how does the RainSense system work? I remember a couple of years ago, i noted that when the wipers were on and it began to rain harder, the wipers speeded up--is that its basic function?
Thanks so much for the help!

 

[DrivenDaily]

After finding out where this was, I removed the black plastic cover over the sensor, removed the plug and tried the wipers--I NOW HAVE WIPER DELAY AGAIN! Mine also looks like it has seen better days and needs to be reattached. I will have to find out what is used to glue this to the WS. This whole process is counterintuitive to me--removing the sensor from the circuit allows the wipers to work. BTW, how does the RainSense system work? I remember a couple of years ago, i noted that when the wipers were on and it began to rain harder, the wipers speeded up--is that its basic function?
Thanks so much for the help!

Short version: TIR - total internal reflection. There is a transmitter LED and a receiver/sensor.

Anytime light crosses into a new medium (such as through a glass, water, etc.), the refractive index of the new medium will bend light differently, and internally it will reflect differently.

When there is no water on the WS, the transmitter reflects off the WS and back to the receiver. When there is water on the WS in front of the sensor, the water reflects the light to a different spot and the receiver no longer senses the transmitted light. That is when the RainSense system signals the wipers to wipe, wiping as often as needed to remove water from the wiped area in front of the sensor.

Sometimes you may get a single wipe at regular speed, sometimes a couple of wipes, and occasionally continuous wiping at either normal or high speed.

I love 'em!

You might be able to find the mounting gel pad since the sensor is likely just fine. The pad can be found on Amazon and probably other places as well.

 

[RD_Atlanta]

Short version: TIR - total internal reflection. There is a transmitter LED and a receiver/sensor.

Anytime light crosses into a new medium (such as through a glass, water, etc.), the refractive index of the new medium will bend light differently, and internally it will reflect differently.

When there is no water on the WS, the transmitter reflects off the WS and back to the receiver. When there is water on the WS in front of the sensor, the water reflects the light to a different spot and the receiver no longer senses the transmitted light. That is when the RainSense system signals the wipers to wipe, wiping as often as needed to remove water from the wiped area in front of the sensor.

Sometimes you may get a single wipe at regular speed, sometimes a couple of wipes, and occasionally continuous wiping at either normal or high speed.

I love 'em!

You might be able to find the mounting gel pad since the sensor is likely just fine. The pad can be found on Amazon and probably other places as well.

That was educational, thanks. I never had them, now I want them.

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

I don't own a PA but I think the pulse logic PCB is located within the wiper motor.

cover. the cover of the wiperr motor has the logic.