2008 BMW 135i: Activating Intermittent Windshield Wipers 101

Three Things I Suck At Operating On Cars:

1) AC Units
2) Sunroofs
3) Windshield Wipers

I remember I was so happy when I finally figured out how to turn on intermittent wipers on my 06 325i only to have sold it the following week. Oh well...

My mom's Cayenne is similar to the 135i's and I hated it. Try adding to that rear windshield wipers and see how you like it. Its a shame when you have to read a manual just to use windshield wipers.

Why would you want intermittent wipers? The rain sensor works wonderfully! Just hit the button!

I had the hardest time getting used to pressing down to get the wipers to go once, but now that I'm used to that, all I do is that or turn on the auto function. The auto function will even put the wipers into turbo mode if the weather requires it.

Hands down one of the best features on the BMW.

I'm not sure the 1 series has the rain sensor.

They all have the rain sensor. The A button? That's the rain sensor.

Sometimes the rain sensor is too slow. You want to control the intermittent speed yourself.

Hmm, looks like they made it more complicated from the rain-sensing intermitten wipers on my E46 328i. Bummer.

I leave mine in auto and they work flawlessly. I haven't had to touch the wiper stalk for months! Also, try some good ol' rain-ex!

the scroll wheel with the one and two hash marks controls the sensitivity of the rain sensor.

Step 1: Push the "A" button in for automatic rain sensing

Step 2: Use the ingrained knob to adjust rain-sensing sensitivity.

It does indeed have a sensor. This is also one of the easiest to use automatic rain-sensing wipers I've seen. You push in one button. And it has an "A" for "automatic" on it. Duh.

I hate intermittent wipers - they're almost always the wrong speed at some point, too frequent, too slow, etc. I'm constantly fiddling with the stalk in rainy weather (unless it's pouring) with intermittent wipers. With the auto functionality (it IS adjustable as mentioned above) it's "hit the button and forget about it". That's exactly what you want when it's raining - not to be futzing with changing the damn wiper settings.

I knew how to work it without looking. Maybe because BMW has been using the same (badly designed) control for years, and I've driven a few of them in the rain.

Still, this is one thing that Toyota and Honda certainly do better.

wow people... this has got to be one of the simplest wiper systems out there, as has already been said by several.

To reiterate:

Step 1: Push "A". Wipers are now fully automatic, adjusting for speed and rain intensity, from infinitely variable to the constant crazy-fast speed. Use knob to adjust sensor sensitivity, if needed.

Done.

Other functions of the highly complicated and obtuse wiper system:

- Push down for mist (like most cars)
- Pull for washers (like most cars)
- Click lever upwards to turn on manual wipers (like many cars)

My only complaint with the system is that the little green light that tells you the wipers are on auto is always obscured by the steering wheel.

I'm sorry to disagree with BMW owners here, but this really is a stupidly designed system. I'm sure you would get used to it in a matter of minutes, but it still requires one to stop and think about what they are doing the first time they encounter it. This is one area where I think Mercedes actually excels(which is rare when it comes to ergonomics). To turn the wipers to Auto twist the stalk to the first position (I can't remember what its marked), to manually control continue to twist the stalk to the positions marked "I", "II", and "III" according to speed. Press in the end button quickly for one sweep or hold for washer fluid. Done.

@mercedesfan - from what you're describing, that sounds confusing as all heck. I found the auto function super easy to get used to. The electronic stalk that always returns to it's original spot and pushing down to activate the "sweep once" - that was odd until I got used to it.

"wow people... this has got to be one of the simplest wiper systems out there, as has already been said by several."

Wow bimmerjay, apparently you have never been driven many other cars besides BMWs have you?

A wiper control lever on cars from any Japanese made is simpler than this...

I have owned 4 Japanese cars over the last 9 years (Still own one). The BMW wins in ease of use. If it wasn't for the auto button, it would be a tie.

Yeah, that is neither easy nor obvious. My Mazda3 has rain-sensing wipers, and the wiper stalk has 5 positions. Tap up to wipe once. One click down is auto, two clicks is low, and three clicks is high. There's a ring around the entire stalk that can be twisted to adjust the rain sensor's sensitivity. And to activate the washer, you pull it towards you.

All of this is clearly marked on the stalk, even if it wasn't it seems logical anyway, and I never had to look at the manual.

German cars might excel at a lot of things, but the controls are generally unintuitive.

I have to try that on my e46... I don't really like the auto wipers. None of their intensity settings seem ever right, leaving me wishing for a manual intermittent setting. BTW: I'm not a fan of any auto setting be it headlights or anything... The only thing that is set on auto is the transmission lol (manual mode has none of the benefits of a real manual)

"Still, this is one thing that Toyota and Honda certainly do better."

Very true.

Overengineering. Just like their awful HVAC and useless gadgets/add-ons (LED underlighting, active steering, self-drying brakes).

I hate that this kind of thing never is discussed in the regular car reviews on edmunds. How often does it rain in CA?

"Wow bimmerjay, apparently you have never been driven many other cars besides BMWs have you?

A wiper control lever on cars from any Japanese made is simpler than this..."

I've owned Japanese, European and American cars.

This wiper stalk works essentially the same way as on many Japanese cars. The other typical Japanese way (like Nissan/Infiniti) is a twist selector on the stalk, instead of using the stalk's detents itself.

The only major difference with the BMW is that it has an "Auto" button. All other inputs are basically the same motion. Once you've adjusted the sensitivity to your preference with the little dial the first time, these wipers are completely one touch with the auto button. How could it be any simpler than that? Even the headlight washers are automatic (which I hate, rather have a button).

By the way, the material of that thing looks like it belongs to the Ford Focus... How much does this car cost by the way? Something like $40k?

Does it have real leather again?

I once dated this girl who refused to turn her wipers on. She would only use the trigger for a single wipe, so she drove around hitting the stalk every 10 seconds whenever it rained.

This has no bearing on the current post, other than it made me remember this odd story. I wonder what she'd do in a Beemer.

actually, the most annoying thing about the bmw automatic rain-sensing wipers is that the "sensitivy" scroll wheel does not make any noticeable difference in our e90...

scroll up, scroll down... the sensitivity makes no noticeable change.

I think the most annoying thing (which has already been said) is the position of the LED light and how difficult it is to see. In addition, "automatic" doesn't seem to be automatic (between drives) I always have to push the button in when it rains, it won't start on automatic like it "used" to (2004 E46, the 2007 X3, etc.)

At least with those automatic would eventually come on once it rained hard enough (I found they didn't start up right away--like with mist or sprinkle conditions) unless I toggled the stalk, then they would be sensitive to mist.)

I live in Portland, trust me I've tested the wiper features extensively :)

This is really complicated. Everyone else with Auto wipers simply replaces the intermittent position with auto. In Japanese cars with auto wipers the ring that would have controlled intermittent time is now used to adjust sensitivity. If you didn't know the car had auto wipers you probably couldn't tell from the control stalk or wiper operation. Same controls as non auto wiper cars so there is no learning curve. GM does it the same way on their vehicles.

"This is really complicated. Everyone else with Auto wipers simply replaces the intermittent position with auto. In Japanese cars with auto wipers the ring that would have controlled intermittent time is now used to adjust sensitivity. "

That's exactly what this car does. Intermittent is replaced. The dial that controls intermittent time now controls sensitivity. Again, the only difference is a button to activate.

"In addition, "automatic" doesn't seem to be automatic (between drives) I always have to push the button in when it rains, it won't start on automatic like it "used" to (2004 E46, the 2007 X3, etc.)"

Yes, it shuts off when you turn off the car. It's a safety thing. If for example you forget to turn them off when you're having your car handwashed, and oh say the guy with the chamois goes for the windshield, causing the wipers fly on at max speed, grabbing it from his hands and flinging it clear over the car next to you... you realize why BMW wants you to turn it on every time (or make the damn LED visible). Not that something like that has ever happened to me.

"actually, the most annoying thing about the bmw automatic rain-sensing wipers is that the "sensitivy" scroll wheel does not make any noticeable difference in our e90...

scroll up, scroll down... the sensitivity makes no noticeable change."

My '06 E90 had a less noticeable sensitivity range than my late-'07 and '08's.

@bimmerjay:
Another great reason for auto not coming on after starting the car is to keep you from dumping snow into your car if the door is open. Again, no experience with that and a Mazdaspeed3 or anything like that. :)

I do believe it was said that this setup supports BOTH automatic AND intermittent. Anyway, this is sounding like a bikeshed (http://bikeshed.com/) discussion, since there is really nothing wrong with this setup. It arguably does give you everything you could possibly want out of a wiper control (besides bare minimalism).

I prefer to do my own wiping rather than to hand it over to HAL9000.

I guess I'm just a technology/convenience hater.

@altimaedude00:
Did you rig up a foot switch for your wiper (like the old high beams switch)?

One button and a sensitivity knob to set wipers on once and never have to fiddle with them again for your entire rainy trip is obviously an example of ridiculous German overengineering. Bimmerjay don't you understand??

Also: "Tap up to wipe once. One click down is auto, two clicks is low, and three clicks is high. "

That's exactly how this one works, except instead of one click down being auto, there's a dedicated button for it, and the rest of the range of clicks down is different speeds....

Also "I prefer to do my own wiping rather than to hand it over to HAL9000." that just sounds dirty :p

@altimadude00 - how much time to you spend fiddling with your stalk? Seriously, with this feature enabled - you don't even have to THINK about the wipers when it's raining. It's a safety aid - one less thing for your brain to actively think about - so you can focus on the other idiots fiddling with their stalks...

"so you can focus on the other idiots fiddling with their stalks..."

That also sounds dirty.

"One button and a sensitivity knob to set wipers on once and never have to fiddle with them again for your entire rainy trip is obviously an example of ridiculous German overengineering. Bimmerjay don't you understand??"

LOL, what are we at, 36 posts now? And people still don't get that you actually push a button once and everything is done. And the manual control works exactly like practically every other wiper system on earth and surrounding planets. Oh, I guess it does get complicated when you want to turn the wipers off. You have to push the same button *again*. How stupid and over-engineered is that!??

Now excuse me while I go back out to my car and try to figure out how to open the door (is it pull the lever or push?).

amazing.

just push the button and the wipers are on automatic.

to turn it off, press it again.

otherwise it operates like most other cars.

push, pull, up, down, etc to control other functions.

I can understand when Idrive is over complicated, but the wipers? no.

What gets me is how many people seem to think RTFM is optional, something to be avoided, like ebola. You're spending thousands of dollars on a car (it doesn't matter what the make of the car is) but you don't want to know how it operates?
And then you get mad when you can't figure it out because it isn't at a third grade level, so you actually have to crack open that fat book in the glovebox. European cars have ALWAYS been like this -- this is nothing new! Yes, you have to RTFM -- it is part of the experience. If you don't like it, don't buy the damn car. There's the CamCordAlti6 for you.
That only confirms my opinion that not everyone should be allowed to drive. I wonder how many people would fail their drivers license exam if the question "How do you turn the automatic or intermittent function of your car's windshield wipers on?" was on the test...

"What gets me is how many people seem to think RTFM is optional, something to be avoided, like ebola."

Exactly!

Ha, so true (RTFM). Whenever I get a new car I RTFM cover to cover, a couple chapters a night with a review of what I learned the next day on the way to work. :)

Now that cars have complex infotainment systems and other advanced features, I think this is necessary now more than ever.

sgude,
Wow, so angry. I understand RTFM for things like figuring out iDrive and climate control but something that's supposed to be intuitive like a windshield wiper lever? It's raining, let me activate the wipers, oh wait let me pull over and RTFM first. Gimme a break.

1. RTFM makes sense for owners wanting to use odd features. Spouses shouldn't be expected to read a 300 page tome so they can use a wiper. My wife likes driving BMWs but she always grumbles about some of the odd things in it (and her Audi). Have to agree with her and the blogger.

2. "I once dated this girl who refused to turn her wipers on. She would only use the trigger for a single wipe, so she drove around hitting the stalk every 10 seconds whenever it rained." - I do that too. I don't need the wipers going more than every 5-10 seconds and no delay is ever timed correctly. Unless it's pouring (which rarely happens here) I tap my wiper when needed. At speed - 60+ most newer cars clear their windscreens as you drive.

I stand by my original post - BMW over engineers many things that do no need changing.

The main thing you gotta remember is that most people own one car and own it for at least 2-3 years, often times more. While this takes a bit of figuring out, once you've got it down, it works. If you think about it too much, it gets complex, but if you don't think about it, it just works. My wife figured it out and this is her first BMW. (09 335i) Just press A for auto.

shaddai--@altimadude00 - how much time to you spend fiddling with your stalk?

Yes, pulling my wiper stalk down one detent to engage intermittent involves lots of brain power and concentration. Turning the ring around the stalk to adjust the frequency of the wiping truly taxes my concentration at driving. It's amazing that more people haven't lost control into fiery balls of flame while engaging their wipers because of the amount of distraction and concentration needed to operate them!

In Florida, rain pours buckets, then stops. I flick my wipers to low/constant...drive through the rain...then turn them off. Yeah...lots of time dedicated to my wiper stalk. Maybe an hour over my lifetime, even. Such a waste!

Caroline, did you read the manual before driving the car to find out about ANY of its features? Or did you just hop in, press the button and go, as I suspect?
My post isn't "anger," but irritation, and it comes from the perspective of an owner, not someone who jumps into the car for a short period of time and expects it to be as intuitive as a mass-market CamCordAlti6.
While you say "gimme a break," I stand by what I wrote -- as an owner, not a reviewer who's driving the car for a short time. If you needed the wipers that bad, just flip the lever up, like a whole bunch of other cars. While I understand the thought behind common action for common functions, I, as an owner spending a lot of money on my car, don't want my car to be exactly like every other one -- even on something as mundane as the operation of the wipers.

As the owner of TWO e90s - it's got a lot of bad design decisions in the interior. I could write a book about the ways BMW screwed up the e90's interior:

Start control (unless you have comfort access)
Bad window control placement (even on the 2009s)
Window controls in the wrong place (better on the console)
HVAC dial-a-temp at the top of dash (equally idiotic on the e46)
HVAC underpowered
Dual zone HVAC
Stereo washes out with polarized sunglasses
Logic 7 stereo sound/reception is awful
Center console isn't tilted toward driver
Steering wheel peeling problems
Door handle peeling problems
Gray headliner (tacky - alcantara is better)
Cruise control design (push/pull - just put it on the wheel)
OBC design
Lack of oil pressure gauge (performance sedan but no gauges)
Cheap grey plastic on steering wheel (this flimsy stuff is embarrassing!)
Long shifter-throws (common BMW problem)
High doorsills (feel like you're in a bathtub)
Short gearing in 6th (not really interior but so annoying that the engine doesn't loaf at 80-90 mph)
Wiper control setup (no real intermittent setting)
turn signal setup/detents (3+ years with this and it still is a bad design)
Door detents (lack thereof - doors don't stay open)
Pop-out cupholders (e46 had a better design - used for holding cell phones)
iDrive control/placement (worthless junk that robs space - see above for why)
Air conditioned/heated cupholder in center glove box (an engineer at BMW needs to be fired for even creating that)

The e90/e86 was a step backward for BMW in terms of interior quality and driver ergonomics compared to the e46. The windshield washer design is just one of many problems with the interior of the e86/e9x cars. Would I still buy a 128i if I didn't have an infant? Yep. For now I'll stick with my 335i but I'm not gonna delude myself into believing different for the sake of different is better.