# Do you use your wipers in the rain?



## mdfraz (Oct 17, 2017)

Thanks. When it's on the stalk, I think I'd prefer having more control over the wipers, but especially in a heavy storm and/or poor visibility I don't want to be taking my eyes and hands off the wheel just to make the wipers do what I need them to do. Always seemed like a really poorly thought out design to me.


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

mdfraz said:


> Thanks. When it's on the stalk, I think I'd prefer having more control over the wipers, but especially in a heavy storm and/or poor visibility I don't want to be taking my eyes and hands off the wheel just to make the wipers do what I need them to do. Always seemed like a really poorly thought out design to me.


I may be odd on this one, but I don't use my wipers a lot and prefer infrequent swipes.

I actually do single swipes in my car.

I'm looking forward to the button the left stalk, but I may relent and go with auto wipers if they work well.

We'll see...


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## mdfraz (Oct 17, 2017)

I have to imagine being in South Florida that you have frequent rain, if not always a deluge, no? I know here in Kansas in a massive thunderstorm if you don't have the wipers working at their max you literally can't see the front of your car at any significant speed. Not the time to take your eyes and a hand off the wheel.


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

mdfraz said:


> I have to imagine being in South Florida that you have frequent rain, if not always a deluge, no? I know here in Kansas in a massive thunderstorm if you don't have the wipers working at their max you literally can't see the front of your car at any significant speed. Not the time to take your eyes and a hand off the wheel.


It rains 50% of the time in the "sunshine state" go figure.

I have found that the combination of a frequently washed car with a good glass treatment beads water very well. At highway speeds especially, I can basically drive continuously (safely) without using wipers at all.

Now if it's a downpour that's a different story and that's not an everyday thing here.


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## mdfraz (Oct 17, 2017)

Glass treatment would be helpful in a lot of circumstances I'm sure. But, there are plenty of times around here where "torrential" is the perfect word to describe what's hitting my windshield and the best product at beading up water isn't going to help a bit. Thanks for your thoughts.


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## RiggerJon (Sep 8, 2017)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> It rains 50% of the time in the "sunshine state" go figure.
> 
> I have found that the combination of a frequently washed car with a good glass treatment beads water very well. At highway speeds especially, I can basically drive continuously (safely) without using wipers at all.
> 
> Now if it's a downpour that's a different story and that's not an everyday thing here.


I put a ceramic coating on the windshield that works really well at speed. I generally don't need to wipe unless I'm moving slowly in a mist-like rain.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

mdfraz said:


> Glass treatment would be helpful in a lot of circumstances I'm sure. But, there are plenty of times around here where "torrential" is the perfect word to describe what's hitting my windshield and the best product at beading up water isn't going to help a bit.


I completely disagree. A glass treatment is *most* effective in torrential rain. I strongly recommend that you buy a small bottle of Rain-X and give it a try. I never use the "fast" wiper setting on my car, and like @SoFlaModel3, I'm usually just using single swipes because there's no need for anything more.


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

garsh said:


> I completely disagree. A glass treatment is *most* effective in torrential rain. I strongly recommend that you buy a small bottle of Rain-X and give it a try. I never use the "fast" wiper setting on my car, and like @SoFlaModel3, I'm usually just using single swipes because there's no need for anything more.


Here's what I use:


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## Thomas Mikl (Jun 26, 2017)

Never needed wipers above 20mph... Rain-X does it and we have heavy heavy rain storms.


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## JWardell (May 9, 2016)

I usually use single swipe for light rain as needed, anything above that turn on auto wipers.

I’ve done extensive testing and find Aquapel much better than Rain-X but still they are only helpful at highway speeds depending on aerodynamics. Around here you are lucky to be doing over 10mph in traffic.


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

I also use rain-x and mostly just do single swipes when stopped or at lower speeds than will clear the water off the glass.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

JWardell said:


> ...but still they are only helpful at highway speeds...


Even at low speeds (or at rest), the beading action makes it so much easier to see.

I forgot how bad plain old glass is. I had the windshield replaced in my leaf a few weeks ago. Then I drove it home in the rain. It wasn't even that hard of a rain, but it felt like I couldn't see out of the windshield, even with the wiper speed on high. I immediately cleaned it and put on Rain-X after getting home.


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