Rain sensor joy?

[clickman]

Another day of liquid sun here on the Wet Coast.

Who's got the rain sensor by the mirror to control the wipers?

Does it work well?

Does it adjust wiping speed as needed? Shift up to high speed when required?

Did you install it yourself? How tough is it to run the wire from the sensor to the relay panel?

I appreciate all replies.

[Richard Hamilton]

I bought the Porsche retrofit kit and find it works very well. It does not adjust wipe speed - it only wipes at the slower speed. I found it easy to install - took about 45 minutes. I ran the wire across the top of the screen, down behind the A pillar trim and straight down to the relay board.

The kit that I got from Porsche is not the same as the one they describe in the TSB. The TSB says that the wiper delay control becomes a sensitivity control - that isn't the case, the control becomes redundant. It also says that if you leave the sensor in the 'on' position when you switch off the ignition, you have to reactivate it by switching the stalk to off/delay - that also isn't the case, it's active all the time with the ignition on and the stalk in the delay position.

The kit is made by Xanonex in Germany (www.xanonex.de) and it would have been considerably cheaper to buy it direct from them.

I think it works well, and am very pleased I got it.

[summoboy]

I bought the Porsche retrofit kit and find it works very well. It does not adjust wipe speed - it only wipes at the slower speed. I found it easy to install - took about 45 minutes. I ran the wire across the top of the screen, down behind the A pillar trim and straight down to the relay board.

The kit that I got from Porsche is not the same as the one they describe in the TSB. The TSB says that the wiper delay control becomes a sensitivity control - that isn't the case, the control becomes redundant. It also says that if you leave the sensor in the 'on' position when you switch off the ignition, you have to reactivate it by switching the stalk to off/delay - that also isn't the case, it's active all the time with the ignition on and the stalk in the delay position.

The kit is made by Xanonex in Germany (www.xanonex.de) and it would have been considerably cheaper to buy it direct from them.

I think it works well, and am very pleased I got it.

I have one in my car. It was an option I believe. It works wells and was self adjusting the speed based upon the amount of rain - it was pretty amazing.

[pk2]

Another day of liquid sun here on the Wet Coast.

Who's got the rain sensor by the mirror to control the wipers?

Does it work well?

Does it adjust wiping speed as needed? Shift up to high speed when required?

Did you install it yourself? How tough is it to run the wire from the sensor to the relay panel?

I appreciate all replies.

Calling in from the left coast. Got a stock one on my BMW and it really works quite nice. Probably the same science on the p-car. If I thought it would ever rain here again I would look into it.

Regards, PK

[clickman]

I bought the Porsche retrofit kit and find it works very well. It does not adjust wipe speed - it only wipes at the slower speed. I found it easy to install - took about 45 minutes. I ran the wire across the top of the screen, down behind the A pillar trim and straight down to the relay board.

The kit that I got from Porsche is not the same as the one they describe in the TSB. The TSB says that the wiper delay control becomes a sensitivity control - that isn't the case, the control becomes redundant. It also says that if you leave the sensor in the 'on' position when you switch off the ignition, you have to reactivate it by switching the stalk to off/delay - that also isn't the case, it's active all the time with the ignition on and the stalk in the delay position.

The kit is made by Xanonex in Germany (www.xanonex.de) and it would have been considerably cheaper to buy it direct from them.

I think it works well, and am very pleased I got it.

Thanks, Richard. When you say it only wipes at the slower speed, does it do a few wipes at the regular speed and then pause for a bit or does it adjust the wipe interval to the amount of rain?

I'm not familiar with a TSB. I'd be getting the Tequipment version (Porsche, I assume. Xanonex according to you)

But if there's an aftermarket unit out there in NA that would work with the relay, I'd go for that. Anyone?

[Richard Hamilton]

Thanks, Richard. When you say it only wipes at the slower speed, does it do a few wipes at the regular speed and then pause for a bit or does it adjust the wipe interval to the amount of rain?

It senses droplet movement across the sensor, so if it is very light rain it will wipe once and stop. As water builds up again it will wipe again and stop. In heavy rain it runs continuously. As I said, it does not change the wiper speed - it only wipes at the first (slower) speed setting, so you have to switch the stalk manually to the higher speed setting in torrential rain.

It was the Tequipment part that I got, which came in a Xanonex box with a Porsche sticker on it.

[Westcoaster]

Thanks, Richard. When you say it only wipes at the slower speed, does it do a few wipes at the regular speed and then pause for a bit or does it adjust the wipe interval to the amount of rain?

It senses droplet movement across the sensor, so if it is very light rain it will wipe once and stop. As water builds up again it will wipe again and stop. In heavy rain it runs continuously. As I said, it does not change the wiper speed - it only wipes at the first (slower) speed setting, so you have to switch the stalk manually to the higher speed setting in torrential rain.

It was the Tequipment part that I got, which came in a Xanonex box with a Porsche sticker on it.

Hmmm, mine does not appear to work that way (factory installed my06), there is asensitivty adjustment on the stock, nad on the most sensitve mode they speed of the wiping definitly increses as more water hits the windshield.

If it is pouring out, the wipers fly, working hard to keep up.