My service advisor told me that it's normal for the wipers to wipe once back n forth when I start the engine. Is this normal in auto mode? He told me Jeeps do the same thing. Seems like a lot of wear and tear on the inserts.

 

Not normal for my '09. Something is amiss I suspect, and your dealer doesn't know how to fix it.

Rain sensor uses an optical sensor embedded in the windshield (I believe, I originally thought it was in the back of the rear view mirror mounting where it is flush with the windshield but my new windshield is listed as having the rain sensor so I now wonder where it actually is). The optical sensor uses software to determine whether the light coming through the windshield is obscured by rain drops (rather than dirt or darkness). When it judges that the windshield is covered with rain drops it activates the wipers on intermittent speed appropriate to the density of the rain drops it "sees". The speed of the wipers depends on the intensity of the rain detected and the sensor will speed up the wipers up to and including the highest continuous speed as if you switched to that speed manually. It is a clever system and works perfectly 99% of the time. Occasionally, in light rain it seems to get confused and one must manually activate the single wipe function occasionally which seems to re-set the optical sensor software.

 

You mean they wipe once every time you start the car, no matter whether the switch is on or not? That can't be normal. You do know that you can turn off the wipers, right? It may not be that obvious since the switch's first "on" position is really an "enable". Turning it to the first click only enables the rain sensors to do their magic, as explained above. If it's not raining, though, they won't wipe, unless, perhaps as in your car, when you first start the car. I've never noticed my car doing that, even when I've forgotten to turn off the wipers to completely off. (Be careful not to leave the wipers in the first click "on" position all the time. If you do, when you go to a car wash, the wipers could go on and get damaged.)

 

And if snow is on the windshield and your door or window is not closed yet you get snow inside the car.

 

I leave the adjustment handle one click up (automatic mode). Not it doesn't happen everytime, but most of the time on start up, it swipes twice. One is normal, if it's twice something most be obstruction the optical sensor. hmmmm?

 

This is not how it's supposed to operate. No rain or snow on windshield means no wipe. In fact, it's bad for the wipers to wipe when the windshield is dry.

 

I never tried this on my XF, but on my wife's Mercedes, if either front door is open, the wipers won't wipe -- to avoid what you just described.

 

Maybe Jaguar will issue a software update now it snows so much in the UK! (sure enuff).

 

I had a 2010 XF as a loaner today and the wipers were fine. Did not wipe at all when I started the car. I spray some water on the outside and they activated immediately...is there a flaw with my car? Or should I clean the windshield with some protective spray that won't leave any dust?

 

the sensor is mounted to the windshield not the back of the mirror. But the windshields have differant mounts becuase the mirrors are differant. Some sensors are more sensitive than others. also if theyre loose they will jiggle and more sensitive. differing light refractions will set them off on a sunny day too. But theyre no where near as problematic as they used to be for this...

 

On my car there are options for sensitivity for the auto-wipers. If the car doesn't keep wiping, however, I'd say that there is an electrical gremlin in there causing the double wipe on startup.

 

The extra wipe is also a function of windshield washer activation. The washer cycle wipes several times, then pauses and then a single wipe occurs to complete the cycle. I mention this because either this or the rain sensor could be at fault here.