Rear Wash/wipe

[Yelramp]

Good morning All,

my Rav4 runs like a dream but something's been puzzling me for a while.

Can't remember which way you twist the control but there's a setting which just activates the rear washer without the wipe function. Why would you want to wash without the accompanying wipe? Or am I missing something.

The normal rear wash/wipe and rear wiper delay functions all work fine.

Many thanks in advance.

Phil.

[dwilson]

I would use it when the rear window had got dirty to loosen the muck first rather than risk scraping the blade across the screen. Rather like when washing the car, hosing down and getting worst off and making all wet before attempting to wash with a mitt or sponge etc. So quite a useful feature but few cars have it!

[Yelramp]

Thanks David, I never thought of that, but I don't expect much muck would get shifted with just the washers alone. Maybe I'm over-thinking it...?

Phil.

[firemac]

Good morning All,

my Rav4 runs like a dream but something's been puzzling me for a while.

Can't remember which way you twist the control but there's a setting which just activates the rear washer without the wipe function. Why would you want to wash without the accompanying wipe? Or am I missing something.

The normal rear wash/wipe and rear wiper delay functions all work fine.

Many thanks in advance.

Phil.

On ours, if you twist the end of the wiper stalk away from you, as it were, through intermittent and then permanent "on" and continue against the spring pressure, you get the washers and wiper simultaneously.

From the "off" position, if you twist the end of the stalk the opposite way, i.e. towards you, only the washers operate. As you've noted, it's hard to see the purpose.

[bonjo]

Thanks David, I never thought of that, but I don't expect much muck would get shifted with just the washers alone. Maybe I'm over-thinking it...?

Phil.

I use it to wet the screen as much as possible first. when you have dried mud together with the wiper they act like a scourer until the fluid gets to them. this will scratch the glass so by doing this, you just reduce it a bit.

on better engineered cars the there is a couple of second delay after the front washer is activated before the wipers are enabled

[TomdeGuerre]

Thanks David, I never thought of that, but I don't expect much muck would get shifted with just the washers alone. Maybe I'm over-thinking it...?

Phil.

I use it to wet the screen as much as possible first. when you have dried mud together with the wiper they act like a scourer until the fluid gets to them. this will scratch the glass so by doing this, you just reduce it a bit.

on better engineered cars the there is a couple of second delay after the front washer is activated before the wipers are enabled

On "worser" engineered cars like the old Ford Cortinas they had a manual pump so you could deliver as much washer fluid as you liked before you switched on the wipers. Very handy with muddy roads and in winter time with frost, slush etc to melt.

[bonjo]

tom

totally agree with you. what you described is what i call backward progress.

can you imagine the mess on an insect squashed windscreen after many dry summer days when few drops of rain fall and the auto sensing wipers get into action.

it is all abt marketing and removing the brain from behind the steering wheel!!

Sad to say it has worked judging by the increasing number of monkeys behind the steering wheel. Well that is what's called progress