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Really impressed with the auto rain sensing wipers

3K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  davewg 
#1 · (Edited)
On the way back from my 1000 mile trip to San Diego and back I caught a bunch of rain from drizzle to down pour. I was totally impressed how well the auto wipers worked varying the speed and intermittent levels. When it drizzled they'd stroke like every 5 seconds and when it down poured they'd stroke on full force. I had mine set at the lowest sensitivity setting and it was just perfect for me. I also had the lights set to turn on with the wipers. I was pleased to see when they came on it did not dim the display to the night setting.

The manual says to turn off the wipers (not engage rain sensing setting) when not in use. I really didn't see why this was an issue until hours later when it was sunny out I hit the spray to clear some bugs off and the wipers when a little crazy going full speed for like 5 seconds, guess it thought it was a down pour.

I also drove thru some bad fog on the freeway, maybe 100 foot visibility, for several miles. I felt much more secure with the auto cruise control on at its longest setting knowing the radar might pick up a car before I see it and slow down. Some idiots didn't have their lights on.

Love this truck even though Ron Burgundy says it's terrible (see Conan clip, funny stuff)
 
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#3 ·
i love the rain sensing wipers. i don't have the auto cruise but that sounds awesome
 
#5 ·
Yep, a definite +1 on the wipers, and the lights on with wipers setting.

Here in NJ, and in NY, we have a "wipers on, lights on" law, but as always many folks don't bother to follow this. It's the same numb-skulls who don't turn their lights on in foggy conditions, or until its almost fully dark out.

Glad they worked well for you too, and good call on trying the auto-cruise in the fog too.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Yeah, I mentioned this is my initial review. I'm generally very impressed with all of the "auto" features on the Durango as they pretty much work as one would "hope" they work. (Translation...they work better than you actually expected they would!)

Our '08 Lexus GS350 is the first car we bought that had pushbutton start (with touch entry) and rain sensing wipers. Once you use them, it's hard to imagine going back to a car that doesn't have them. This is one reason I did not consider the GM Lambda platform. Doesn't have any of this tech.

I was fearful that the implementation of adaptive cruise, rain sensing wipers and auto high-beams would be sub-par on the Durango and I'd end up not using them. That is absolutely not the case. They work great.

The only niggle I have with any of the auto features at the moment is the auto headlights. (Not the auto high beams, but the auto on-off). When driving around dawn or dusk, it sometimes switches too often from lights on to lights off and vice versa. Not a big deal, but if they could tweak the software so that it's not quite so sensitive, it would be perfect. For example, once the lights switch from on to off...they should be forced to stay off for at least several minutes unless there is a dramatic change in light level.
 
#7 · (Edited)
The only niggle I have with any of the auto features at the moment is the auto headlights. (Not the auto high beams, but the auto on-off). When driving around dawn or dusk, it sometimes switches too often from lights on to lights off and vice versa. Not a big deal, but if they could tweak the software so that it's not quite so sensitive, it would be perfect. For example, once the lights switch from on to off...they should be forced to stay off for at least several minutes unless there is a dramatic change in light level.
Yup, same here. Really bugs me so don't use the auto feature anymore. Talked with my dealer's service manager who experiences the same in his jeep and he said there is no adjustment for it. Every Dodge survey/questionnaire I get I always mention this in hopes they might offer a software update for this someday.
 
#8 ·
My '05 Denali has auto lights too, and I experience the same behavior as on the Durango. So, its not just Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler that exhibit the problem.

It would be nice if the sensor tied into the vehicle clock/calendar/GPS and could adjust behavior based on general light levels at "x" time of day at "x" time of year to help stabilize the on/off/on cycling we see.

What's a few hundred more lines of code...
 
#13 ·
lstowell;935819The auto wipers should be turned off when you are washing the vehicle unless you are into being startled.[/QUOTE said:
The salesman who walked my wife through the entire UConnect system (he knew it backwards and forwards, I was very impressed) made her uncheck the auto wipers.

His reasoning - only for use once you knew how to turn them on/off on your own because he'd seen to many vehicles come back from car washes with wiper damage when an owner a)forgot to turn off the feature, or b) didn't know how.
 
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