[Tullybanana1]

I've had a bit of a search on here to try and find out if anyone has tried to fit rain sensing wipers to their FD i30.
There seems to be lots of posts mentioning markets that do or don't have this option but i couldn't see anything about actually fitting it to a car that doesn't have it (i apologize if I've missed it).
I'm keen to find out because I'm in Australia and it seems other right hand drive markets had rain sensing wipers.
If it's not too expensive and all i have to do is buy the parts (sensor / combination switch etc) from O/S I'd give it a go because quite often the wiring is already there.
So has anybody else done it?

Cheers,
Brett.

[The Gonz]

You may have come across this, I'm guessing: Yaris Forum.

Real question for an elegant result is whether the FD has the loom already in place.

[Tullybanana1]

I hadn't actually come across the Yaris post but I'll keep it in mind. 
I still would prefer to fit OEM equipment if I'm able to, and yes I'm not sure if you loom in my car will support it which is why I'm wondering if anyone else has done it.

Cheers,
Brett.

[Phil №❶]

Given that the i30 insists on wiping your windscreen with dry wipers at EVERY startup, I'd give that idea a big miss. Unless you enjoy scratched windscreens at night. Not worth the expense and effort IMO. 

[Tullybanana1]

That's Interesting, has anybody else had experience with the factory rain sensing wipers? I'd be very interested to see what other people think also 

Brett.

[The Gonz]

A bit long in the tooth now but I added an aftermarket delay to my VH Commodore. It was wired in the path between the wiper switch and wiper motor and was useful in precisely NOT wiping instantly. Based on that, an aftermarket circuit would not necessarily do what's happening in the GD.

[Phil №❶]

IIRC, the wiper switch goes into Auto position, which is not available on cars that are not equipped for auto sensing, so a new switch would be required, but I suspect if you want OEM, then the sensor most likely controls something in the BCM which has the default sweep pre-programmed. To defeat this, you would have to basically do a complete independent fitting not using the existing loom IMO.

[Tullybanana1]

Yes but how do you know that the vehicles not fitted with RSW don't use the same BCM?
If you fit the switch with the "auto" setting along with the rain sensor is there a chance it might work?
A lot of the time the loom and modules are the same but the lower luxury cars do not have the hardware fitted to operate upper model features.

Brett.

[Phil №❶]

I would suspect that they do, programming functions into the BCM is probably cheaper to load them all and as you say limitation of functions are achieved by not fitting the required hardware. That's how I would do it. However, you would be stuck with the dry sweep at start up.

[The Gonz]

I agree the odds are that the software is already there and that if you want to defeat the autoscratch, you should aim at using independent logic.

[Tullybanana1]

Well i guess you could always get around the dry sweep at start up by turning the switch to the off position and switch it to auto only when it starts to rain. 

Brett.

[The Gonz]

From what I've read, that's what GD drivers are doing, Brett.

[Phil №❶]

But that's what I do when it rains, too.

If it is possible to get all this stuff fitted and working, my option would be to deny power to the wiper system for about 5 seconds at start up. This would allow the BCM to send the autoscratch ©  logically, but not mechanically to the wiper motor. This would work only if the BCM logic allows auto to be energized after start up, without performing autoscratch ©. Someone with this option fitted could verify this for us.

[The Gonz]

It seems rather primitive of Hy to not have decommissioned the AutoScratch ©  function altogether when the aftermarket systems (autolights and autowipe) I've seen quote a 5 second delay in function to avoid competing with crank power.

[Tullybanana1]

From what I've read, that's what GD drivers are doing, Brett.

I'll have to ask my sister, she's got a GD.

[Phil №❶]

It seems rather primitive of Hy to not have decommissioned the AutoScratch ©  function altogether when the aftermarket systems (autolights and autowipe) I've seen quote a 5 second delay in function to avoid competing with crank power.

I agree, it sounded like a great idea, until read about AutoScratch © 

From what I've read, that's what GD drivers are doing, Brett.

Precisely, that's exactly what we do.  We only switch to auto when it starts raining and switch to off when rain has cleared or we get home.  Once the habit is acquired, it's no drama.

The convenience of auto wipe is the reaction to the amount of rain on the screen and the corresponding required speed of wiping during intermittent rain.  Sue no longer needs to perform this function for me from the passenger seat. 

[Phil №❶]

@ouri30,

Can you confirm whether a sweep is performed, when you manually select the Auto position and the engine is already running 

[Asterix]

You would also need a new windscreen as the detector need's a blank spot to "look through" the windscreen.

@ouri30,

Can you confirm whether a sweep is performed, when you manually select the Auto position and the engine is already running 

I'm fairly certain (not 100%) that it does.  We don't select auto until it begins raining and you do get an immediate sweep but this could be related to the presence of water.

You would also need a new windscreen as the detector need's a blank spot to "look through" the windscreen.

Don't know about windscreens in other parts of the world, but Australian windscreens have a huge blank spot.  they'd be useless without it.

Seriously though, I guess I'd need to know where the sensor is located and then look at a base model to see if there is a corresponding blank spot.

[plasticphyte]

Given that the i30 insists on wiping your windscreen with dry wipers at EVERY startup, I'd give that idea a big miss. Unless you enjoy scratched windscreens at night. Not worth the expense and effort IMO. 

Which is why I only turn the auto wipers on when the windscreen is getting wet in rain *edit* I see others have already made the same comment. That's what you get for not reading the thread all the way through.

Also I can confirm that the wipers do a sweep the first time the auto switch is engaged with the engine running, this is their test function.

From memory it only happens the once though, but like other GD drivers, I only turn it on when the screen is wet, so it is hard to tell.

[Tullybanana1]

You would also need a new windscreen as the detector need's a blank spot to "look through" the windscreen.

Don't know about windscreens in other parts of the world, but Australian windscreens have a huge blank spot.  they'd be useless without it.

Seriously though, I guess I'd need to know where the sensor is located and then look at a base model to see if there is a corresponding blank spot.

If somebody with factory rain sensing wipers on their FD could take a photo of the windscreen from the front and post it on here that would be great 
Any other photos would also be appreciated like the combination switch on a RHD vehicle.

Thanks. 

[Shambles]

Click to embiggen.



There's a small area of the glass (3cm x 2cm) which is a prismatic lens, behind which the sensor sits (glued to the inside). That area of the glass seems soft to the touch, which probably accounts for the warning in the Owners Manual (see extract below)

[Tullybanana1]

Thank you very much Shambles for the detailed info, much appreciated! 
Considering the windscreen factor i may have to think twice about pursuing this further 
I must say I'm a little confused about the wiper switch being on the RH side of the steering wheel in a RHD vehicle, mine's on the left.

Brett.

[Shambles]

Yeah it's been the subject of many a discussion, as to which side is best/right for the switch.

I think you Aussies will eventually see that the UK way is the best way, once you lot get your parole

[Tullybanana1]

 
The problem i see is when the indicators are on the left in a Manual RHD car you can't indicate and change gears at the same time (well not easily anyway).
Although i guess in the UK you need the wipers switch on the right because you use it more than the indicators... 

[Phil №❶]

It's a hangover from LHD cars. 

[Tullybanana1]

It's a hangover from LHD cars. 

Absolutely!