I had the pleasure of engaging the windshield wipers in our long-term Saturn Aura XR for a good portion of the recent rains here in Southern California and particularly enjoyed their variable delay intermittent mode, especially the range of delays available. Between the non-stop urgency of "high" mode (FWUMPFWUMP! FWUMPFWUMP! FWUMPFWUMP!) and the laid-back assistance of "low" mode (fwumpfwump...eh, let's give it another coupla secs...a little bit more...ok, how about now...fwumpfwump), there's a nice selection of in-between options available with just a quick twist of the adjustment band on the wiper stalk (sorry about the fuzzy pic, attempts to get the stalk on its own just didn't work)...
While adjustable intermittent windshield wipers are definitely not the most exciting aspect of driving the Aura, the ability to fine-tune your visibility to what Mother Nature hands down is huge.The less time I have to spend thinking about and fiddling with the windshield wipers while I'm negotiating wet, crowded -- and sometimes unfamiliar -- roadways and my toddler is singing along to the "Juno" soundtrack from the backseat, the better. It's not just about convenience, it's about safety, and it's just the right touch for a midsize family sedan. Not too shabby.
Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com @ 11,966 miles
sabastian says:
04:44 PM, 01/28/08
"Not too shabby."
Cheers.
On to the wipers...My car only has 3 speeds which isn't enough. I always have to fiddle with them.
thebigal says:
05:45 PM, 01/28/08
love infinite wiper setting...
desmolicious says:
06:27 PM, 01/28/08
My 02 Wrangler has that. Who knew that car is luxurious?!!
Don't know about my Bimmer, it does it automatically via a rain sensing thingy.
bimmerjay says:
06:51 PM, 01/28/08
The Bimmer is truly infinitely variable.
billt9 says:
07:24 PM, 01/28/08
Infinite? Why do you boys make things so complicated these days?
In my days, it was "on", or "off". That's ease of use. If "on" don't work for you, then you must have developed cataracts like the rest of us.
SubyTrojan says:
07:30 PM, 01/28/08
Just to play devil's advocate, billt9, "on" and "off" without any sort of intermittent setting doesn't make a lot of sense (to me). If there's not much moisture on the windshield, the wipers functioning at their normal "on" interval will try to wipe a windshield that's already dry. Not only would that be unnecessary, but it would also cause premature wear to the rubber wiper inserts.
willin58 says:
08:37 PM, 01/28/08
Bryn, did you happen to notice that the wipers are speed sensitive? As you drive faster, the delay between wipes becomes shorter; longer delays for slower speeds. Not too shabby at all.
stovt001 says:
10:45 PM, 01/28/08
My Cobalt has what I assume to be the same windshield wiper speeds. The stalk is the same. I think I notice a little bit of interval adjustment with changing speed, especially on the higher interval levels, but I might just be imagining things.
mjd1123 says:
11:42 PM, 01/28/08
The way the wipers on the Aura work is as follows: There are the two standard modes, low and high. Then there is the intermittent mode, which allows you to select how fast you would like to wipe. This mode is also speed sensitive. When you reach 50mph, the wipers can automatically switch to the same speed as the standard low. When you drop below 50, they slow down again. Pushing the button sprays the windshield and swipes four times. Pressing the stalk down once performs a single swipe.
gobryngo says:
10:18 AM, 01/29/08
willin58, I hadn't checked out what all the symbols meant before my drive time started, so I didn't know about the speed sensitiveness then. pretty cool. thanks for bringing it up.
mjd1123, thanks for the succinct explano of the wiper operation. I really like the single swipe action. feels really purposeful, solid and smooth.
joefrompa says:
03:34 PM, 01/29/08
In 1938 the first VW Bug (not known as the Bug then) had 2-speed windshield wipers, High and Low.
Glad that 70 years later, people are still appreciating it :)
It's a fairly common feature to have on cars nowadays, intermittent wipers are...my 06 Civic SI has them. My wife's 03 Saturn Ion has it (in fact, her car has auto on/off headlights, for which she always rags on my car for not having!).
If this blog entry was about an import, it'd be considered bias to praise such a standard feature :)
(hehehe)
misterfusion says:
05:42 PM, 01/29/08
I've had my Aura XE since October 2006, and yet it wasn't until last week that I discovered that the wipers are speed sensitive!
That's more of a testament to how freakin' dry it's been in L.A. than my own ignorance. No, really.
I remember my grandfather, when it was raining lightly, used to click the wipers "on", let them wipe once, and then click them "off". My grandma would ask why he did that, and he'd joke, "I'm saving 'wipes'. I plan on owning this car a long time!" He would've loved intermittent wipers.
mjd1123 says:
06:05 PM, 01/29/08
This topic really shows how you should read your owner's manual!