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Windscreen wash/wipe system?

A general rant but does anyone else think it's a bad design that some cars have the windscreen wipers operate whenever you squirt the washers? One wipe of the blades is enough to clear my windscreen but I have to endure the mandatory 6 wipes before it decides to park! The screen will be dry after 2 wipes so I end up with 4 extra wipes of squeaky juddery wiper movement. I always use screenwash but even that sometimes freezes in very severe winter and there's nothing worse to come to use the washers only to find no water comes out but the wipers will still operate to smear all the s**te across the windscreen making it even harder to see through!

Anyway, after a bit of messing about in my fusebox I managed to locate the electrical relay unit that operates the wash/wipe system and simply bent the offending spade connector out of the way. Perfect, I am now ready for winter:)

Reply to
Mark
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Here, Here!

I like to wet the screen thoroughly before the wipers start in order to minimize wiper damage. On my car, the wipers do the first sweep before any screenwash is forthcoming!

I also dislike some other "driver aids" that are becoming commonplace, for example auto-aircon when defrost is selected. If the heating/demisting is designed properly, it shouldn't be nessesary to run the aircon and take a 10% fuel penalty. I also hate the fact that when I turn the blower fan off, re-circ is automatically engaged. I really struggle to see the point of that.

One neat point I spotted is that Mk5 Golfs, which have the windsceen wipers below the bonnet line when parked, can be made to raise the wipers halfway up the screen by operating the wiper switch with the driver's door open. This enables you to clean or replace the wiper blades easily. (Sadly, it was about the *only* thing I liked when I test drove one!).

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

The old Mk1 cav's were the first cars I drove with that feature, irritating.

Reply to
chris

Could be you've got a faulty one way valve.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Good thinking, I'll check that out

Thanks

Reply to
Chris Whelan

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