Rain Sense Wipers

[Big Blue]

I wonder if it could be that the sensor gets blocked by dead bugs or bird droppings? On my Escape, I've had a message come up with something about the camera for anti collision braking, etc is blocked and I need to clean the lens. It's behind the lower gravel shield, which collects a lot of bugs and road debris. the warning goes away by itself after about 15 minutes.
I have turned off all of the "driver annoyance" features that can be done without Forscan.

I believe the camera/sensor for rain sensing wipers is up on the windshield on our Rangers. It together with the bumper sensors is used for auto braking. Wouldn't think a sensor buried low in the front would work too well for rain sensing. Only sensor low in the grille I know of is the radar for ACC, which needs to be relocated when adding bull bars or changing bumpers.

But, what do I know, my XLT doesn't have ACC or RSW. It does have collision avoidance though.

(added thought) Random wipes maybe a loose connection some place.

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[Clump]

Hi Charlie,

Hmmmm....not sure but maybe speed sensitive wipers at zero speed do not wipe? Maybe not in drive? Just a guess....

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Good points Phil!

Next time I'll put it in Drive and see what happens. No storms in the forecast, but 90s with 100% humidity, so there's always a chance.

 

[micl9]

So it seems the camera is the same for collision avoidance, lane keeping. I just enabled the speed limit sensing today, which uses the same camera.
Assuming the rain sense is the same camera I wonder if its possible to enable in ForScan...

 

[danotech]

The Courtesy Wipe, as an attribute, is one automatic feature in a long line meant to help reduce driving distractions in a Ford F150. The goal of this feature is to catch the remaining windshield wiper fluid left on a windshield after washing it.

 

[Big Blue]

So it seems the camera is the same for collision avoidance, lane keeping. I just enabled the speed limit sensing today, which uses the same camera.
Assuming the rain sense is the same camera I wonder if its possible to enable in ForScan...

I only dug into it a little but I think the rain sensor is a separate sensor. I may be wrong. Would love to be, want to be able to turn on RSW on my XLT. Might also need a different lever on the steering column. I'll need to wait for spring now, all we are getting is snow now.

 

[Rviator]

Wipers coming on without warning is a bit disconcerting to me so I disabled the automatic rain sensing wipers via the menu. The steering wheel stalk that adjusts the sensitivity with auto wipers enabled becomes the wiper variable speed selector. Pretty clever of Ford to do this, and to allow the disable option.

 

[Motorpsychology]

Wipers coming on without warning is a bit disconcerting to me so I disabled the automatic rain sensing wipers via the menu. The steering wheel stalk that adjusts the sensitivity with auto wipers enabled becomes the wiper variable speed selector. Pretty clever of Ford to do this, and to allow the disable option.

I have RSW on my Escape and disabled it from the menu. For my preference, they don't come on soon enough and quit either early or late

 

[Kristina]

Auto wipers function is not so effective as it was last year. It’s like working somehow but not really. Mostly I control wipers manually. Have tried several setting and no difference - kind of manual work.
Got her wired and it showed me auto wipers OFF even though they were set ON on truck. Tried to set opposite and checked from PC - no change.
I don’t get it. Any ideas?

 

[jtzako]

On a previous car that would happen if the sensor in the windshield (behind the mirror) had something on it. I assume the Ranger does something similar. I'm not sure if that still happens if you do not have rain sensing wipers. The sensor is still there so it may still wipe if needed.

 

[JACKSMYDOG]

I turned my RSW on after a year of not knowing the truck had them. After a few rain events I turned them off because the system is erratic. Even on the lowest setting in a very mild mist/rain, they start out working fine with an occasional wipe, but randomly they would increase frequency and speed until they were going at full speed and no pauses in between even though there was no water on the windshield. Just dry wiping for unnecessary wear and noise.

 

[notsolinear]

I’m willing to bet that the original design intention was that you use the wiper stalk the same way as without rain sensing. You push it up one notch into the intermittent position when it’s raining and you push it down into the “off” position when it stops raining. The only difference will be that those without rain sensor wipe at a consistent (adjustable) time interval whereas those with the rain sensor adjust interval based on rain load.

Leaving the stalk in the intermittent position, with rain sensing wipers, may appear to work because wiping will stop when the rain stops, but I doubt this is intended. There is always chance of something triggering false positive with the sensor and wiping. I don’t want that happening when the windshield is dry so I make sure my stalk is in off position when it’s not raining.

 

[Kristina]

Worked perfectly last year until winter.
I got used to it and I want it back.
What I find weird Forscan shows auto wipers OFF even if they are turned ON.

 

[Motorpsychology]

Worked perfectly last year until winter.
I got used to it and I want it back.
What I find weird Forscan shows auto wipers OFF even if they are turned ON.

Could it mean that the wipers are turned "On" and in stand by, not swiping because it's not raining, and Forescan is reading "Off" because, they aren't moving?

 

[Kristina]

Could it mean that the wipers are turned "On" and in stand by, not swiping because it's not raining, and Forescan is reading "Off" because, they aren't moving?

Got her wired again and tested with spay bottle. The answer is “no”. Nothing.
At the same time auto wipers worked like they do - not smooth but can’t say they didn’t work. Sensitivity is not good.
Live data graph also showed nothing while wipers were working.

 

[daczone]

Got her wired again and tested with spay bottle. The answer is “no”. Nothing.
At the same time auto wipers worked like they do - not smooth but can’t say they didn’t work. Sensitivity is not good.
Live data graph also showed nothing while wipers were working.

Enabling RainSense requires a few tweaks in Forscan and a new Stalk ($70) and a rain sensor ($35). You have to wire the sensor as well, which isn't hard. 3 wires, power/ground and the sensor wire goes to a wire in the SCCM module (accessed under the steering wheel column cover).

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