LHD Wipers Fitted to RHD Car

Faults and Technical chat for the Volkswagen ID.3
gailjon
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Post by gailjon »

Excellent video of exactly the issue. Look at how quickly the left hand side of the screen is wiped compared to the right. The left wiper comes up almost immediately after the right has gone down, thereby clearing the left hand side of the screen. The right hand side of the screen is much slower at being cleared after the left hand wiper has come down and thrown water across the right hand side of the screen.,

My description seems to be almost as unclear as the windscreen!
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Big277wave
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Post by Big277wave »

I've just had a cracked windscreen replaced on my 1st edition and had an opportunity to look at the windscreen wiper system. There are separate motors for each of the 2 wipers and it looks like the blade shafts are in the same position. but here's the problem. The bottom 12 cm or so of the screen is black with the exception of 2 small slots about 1.5mm by 7mm long which are clear. These 2 slots are not symmetrical, mounted on the car are 2 sensors behind these slots. The car auto parks the windscreen wipers using these sensors and the slots to see the wipers. To change the position of the wipers the sensors would have to be moved (new mounts on cross beam) and a new windscreen fitted with the slots reversed. The code that drives the wipers would also need to be updated to accommodate the change, the wiring loom for these sensors would probably also need to be changed slightly. The chance of VW paying for the change to existing cars is vanishingly small as it would probably cost over £1000. Making the change at the factory would just be the cost of keeping 2 different sets of parts.
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G43FAN

Post by G43FAN »

Why would VW pay to change something they have had clearance as being approved for UK roads? There's little evidence to suggest it's dangerous and the majority of examples of it being dangerous could be resolved by the simple action of driving to the conditions.
Onr of the main complaints is that the nearside wiper flicks water across the drivers view, which can't be argued with. The last video posted is not really very helpful as the driver seems to be using a head cam mounted over their right ear so the view is strange, but it did make me think, How about removing the passenger side wiper arm altogether (etreme maybe) or in fact shortening it so it didnt't cover as far over the driver's side?
Scratch
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Post by Scratch »

It is lazy (and cheap on a £30k+ Car) of VW not to reverse the wiper functionality on RH drive cars. But, I have had the experience of driving through some torrential downpours and it was OK. Because you should be concentrating on what’s happening on the road, I didn’t really notice much about anything with the wipers. They worked. From my old memory, I’m pretty sure there have been other cars from Europe that have had the same set up, albeit some years ago.
gailjon
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Post by gailjon »

Scratch wrote: Tue Jun 07, 2022 5:27 pm It is lazy (and cheap on a £30k+ Car) of VW not to reverse the wiper functionality on RH drive cars. But, I have had the experience of driving through some torrential downpours and it was OK. Because you should be concentrating on what’s happening on the road, I didn’t really notice much about anything with the wipers. They worked. From my old memory, I’m pretty sure there have been other cars from Europe that have had the same set up, albeit some years ago.
Are you suggesting that we are driving without concentrating on the road? I raised the point that when driving in every other car I have owned or driven I have never noticed the wipers when in operation. However, in my wife's ID3 I did notice that fact that the wipers were not correctly set up for RHD.

This means that the wipers are not operating as I would expect them to for RHD cars. If they were correctly set up then I would not have noticed their operation.
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Scratch
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Post by Scratch »

gailjon wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 7:25 am
Scratch wrote: Tue Jun 07, 2022 5:27 pm It is lazy (and cheap on a £30k+ Car) of VW not to reverse the wiper functionality on RH drive cars. But, I have had the experience of driving through some torrential downpours and it was OK. Because you should be concentrating on what’s happening on the road, I didn’t really notice much about anything with the wipers. They worked. From my old memory, I’m pretty sure there have been other cars from Europe that have had the same set up, albeit some years ago.
Are you suggesting that we are driving without concentrating on the road? I raised the point that when driving in every other car I have owned or driven I have never noticed the wipers when in operation. However, in my wife's ID3 I did notice that fact that the wipers were not correctly set up for RHD.

This means that the wipers are not operating as I would expect them to for RHD cars. If they were correctly set up then I would not have noticed their operation.
Each to their own. What I said was, It's wrong for RH drive cars, but it works and is usable.
gailjon
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Post by gailjon »

Scratch wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 8:08 am
gailjon wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 7:25 am
Scratch wrote: Tue Jun 07, 2022 5:27 pm It is lazy (and cheap on a £30k+ Car) of VW not to reverse the wiper functionality on RH drive cars. But, I have had the experience of driving through some torrential downpours and it was OK. Because you should be concentrating on what’s happening on the road, I didn’t really notice much about anything with the wipers. They worked. From my old memory, I’m pretty sure there have been other cars from Europe that have had the same set up, albeit some years ago.
Are you suggesting that we are driving without concentrating on the road? I raised the point that when driving in every other car I have owned or driven I have never noticed the wipers when in operation. However, in my wife's ID3 I did notice that fact that the wipers were not correctly set up for RHD.

This means that the wipers are not operating as I would expect them to for RHD cars. If they were correctly set up then I would not have noticed their operation.
Each to their own. What I said was, It's wrong for RH drive cars, but it works and is usable.
I agree that the wipers do work, but heir operation is clearly not designed for the RHD market. As has been said by others they should have converted them correctly for the RHD market. I suppose it is a manifestation of the lack of domestic car manufacturers.

The last British car we owned was a 1992 Rover Metro 1.0C 3 dr. It was slow uphill and I doubt we would have survived a crash but the wipers were designed the the RHD market.
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Scratch
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Post by Scratch »

gailjon wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 8:30 am
Scratch wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 8:08 am
gailjon wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 7:25 am

Are you suggesting that we are driving without concentrating on the road? I raised the point that when driving in every other car I have owned or driven I have never noticed the wipers when in operation. However, in my wife's ID3 I did notice that fact that the wipers were not correctly set up for RHD.

This means that the wipers are not operating as I would expect them to for RHD cars. If they were correctly set up then I would not have noticed their operation.
Each to their own. What I said was, It's wrong for RH drive cars, but it works and is usable.
I agree that the wipers do work, but heir operation is clearly not designed for the RHD market. As has been said by others they should have converted them correctly for the RHD market. I suppose it is a manifestation of the lack of domestic car manufacturers.

The last British car we owned was a 1992 Rover Metro 1.0C 3 dr. It was slow uphill and I doubt we would have survived a crash but the wipers were designed the the RHD market.
NO! I Did not imply that people are not concentrating on road conditions but personally, I have never given it a thought, whilst driving, that there was a problem with the wiper operation. Each to their own means. you have your opinion and I have mine.
G43FAN

Post by G43FAN »

Each wiper arm is the same length and is situated the same distance into the windscreen relatively, each wiper (also identical lengths) completes the same 90 degree arc in the same time frame. (they have to operate in the same time or they'd hit each other). The wipers are not RHD or LHD if any thing they are M(iddle)HD.
The other thing I notice is that traditionally wipers were moved by a motor (or 2) that spin in a continuos rotation with the attached cam allowing the side to side movement, this gives a continuous smooth action, the ID seems to 'flick' the wipers one way then the next, as if the motor is being stopped and reversed each time (I think) and it makes the wipers look odd as they appear to lurch from top to bottom on the sweep.
Big277wave
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Post by Big277wave »

There's some clever programming of the wiper motor operation. I presume that they are stepper motors which allow them to move in controlled incremental steps. As the speed of the wipers increases in heavy rain the nearside wiper doesn't return to the fully down position to ensure that the wipers don't collide. When the wipers are turned off, they stop a few degrees before the park position and then slowly move to the park position.
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SDH7
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Post by SDH7 »

Does this issue affect the ID4?
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monkeyhanger
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Post by monkeyhanger »

SDH7 wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 2:24 pm Does this issue affect the ID4?
Yes. LHD optimised wipers, drum rear brakes and likely Bridgestone tyres all add up to ID3/ID4 being a complete death trap in the lightest of drizzles. So in lieu of deposit contributions, VW UK are now offering free life insurance cover for all new orders. :lol:
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Dinsdale
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Post by Dinsdale »

Resurecting a very old thread here, but I reported this issue to Volkswagen UK today, they have "contacted my retailer to have a look" which they will do when it goes in on friday to see if they can sort the bluetooth out (it keeps on dropping out).
I know they wont be able to do anything, but this is a 2023 car on software 3.2 from the factory and still they fit the wipers the wrong way. So the more people who report it the better I guess.
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JohnEG
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Post by JohnEG »

I don't understand this thread.
Goodness knows we've had enough rain in the past months to test the wipers!
I've experienced no visibility problems driving in really bad weather.
Maybe some people have an April 1 model!!
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generationgav
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Post by generationgav »

SDH7 wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 2:24 pm Does this issue affect the ID4?
No.
I'm not sure if the ID.4 has different wipers LHD and RHD, but the id4 wipers are more "traditional" and there's two wipers going the same direction. So it doesn't have the same timing issues as the ID.3
Dinsdale
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Post by Dinsdale »

JohnEG wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:11 pm I don't understand this thread.
Goodness knows we've had enough rain in the past months to test the wipers!
I've experienced no visibility problems driving in really bad weather.
Maybe some people have an April 1 model!!
Strange, I have in a week in Cumbria, not surprising though, they call it the Lake District for a reason. The pattern leaves a line right in the drivers line of sight, its really not great.
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gailjon
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Post by gailjon »

Dinsdale wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:24 am
JohnEG wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:11 pm I don't understand this thread.
Goodness knows we've had enough rain in the past months to test the wipers!
I've experienced no visibility problems driving in really bad weather.
Maybe some people have an April 1 model!!
Strange, I have in a week in Cumbria, not surprising though, they call it the Lake District for a reason. The pattern leaves a line right in the drivers line of sight, its really not great.
Totally agree.
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sidehaas
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Post by sidehaas »

Mine is a problem in very heavy rain on faster roads. In lighter rain there is no noticeable effect because the left hand wiper doesn't leave behind enough water to be noticeable in my line of sight. I wouldn't have said it's dangerous, I can still see ok, but it's annoying. It isn't going to be fixed without a mechanical refresh. I doubt they will even do it on the facelift as that appears to be purely minor cosmetic changes. Left/right hand drive shortfalls are one of the few bugbears I have with the ID3, although the, miniscule glovebox perhaps more than the wipers.
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s9bl
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Post by s9bl »

sidehaas wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 7:57 am Mine is a problem in very heavy rain on faster roads. In lighter rain there is no noticeable effect because the left hand wiper doesn't leave behind enough water to be noticeable in my line of sight. I wouldn't have said it's dangerous, I can still see ok, but it's annoying. It isn't going to be fixed without a mechanical refresh. I doubt they will even do it on the facelift as that appears to be purely minor cosmetic changes. Left/right hand drive shortfalls are one of the few bugbears I have with the ID3, although the, miniscule glovebox perhaps more than the wipers.
My thoughts exactly. I also find it annoying, but not dangerous, and if I had to pick I'd go for a bigger glovebox.
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N21
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Post by N21 »

Doesn't really bother me when it's raining. It's when it dries out and leaves residue on the windscreen!
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