My 2004 A8 has a rain sensor which is unacknowledged in the owner's manual. It controls the wipers when the switch is at the intermittent position. The slider on the switch which is supposed to control the frequency of intermittent wipes doesn't seem to do anything. Anyone know anything about this? Does it do something?

So does the intermittent not work at all? Or only at one rate independent of the setting?

I find it odd that the "loaded" 2001 VW New Beetles have a rain sensor but 2004 A8L's don't. Maybe European market models do. Perhaps ejrowland has an A8L for the European market.

It really is rain sensing. It works just like it did in my Mercedes. The frequency of the wipes varies with the intensity of the rain, not the speed of the car or position of the slider. I can leave the switch in that setting and it will not move the wipers at all when dry and will automatically shift them to high speed in a downpour. I've never had to move the switch to low or high. I do have to turn it off so the wipers don't go in a carwash.

There is a sensor in the windshield glass.

Apparently it was, because my car has it and the integration of the sensor into the windshield was clearly done at the factory--the frit follows it around the edge of the glass & the interior box matches my amaretto interior. But it also appears that it wasn't formally recognized--hence my question. I haven't found it in the sales information or the owner's manual. Maybe it was buried in an option package or bundled with the solar sunroof or something. Mine is not a euro spec car, but maybe someone screwed up at the factory if no one else here has this condition.

If you do, save the car along with the stamp which displays the upside-down bi-plane!

Greenie, you know there is a chance his car somehow has the feature. His description of the car wash activation describes the way that feature works. If he posts a picture of the car and the sensor, will that be enough or will you need to see a copy of the VIN plate and bill of sale?

When I worked for a Tier 1 automotive component supplier, we would slip a new feature on some controlled vehicles in order to monitor real world performance of these bells & whistles.

The 2004 brochure has the standard statement that says "However, specifications, standard equipment, options and colors are subject to change without notice".

Ill be waiting by my mailbox!

I just thought he was...

I'll say it nicely...

**confused**

=)

Boy--You sound like a service writer in training. You know my car without ever seeing it. Explain to me then why they behave like rain-sensing wipers if they're not.

It's not rocket science technology & it's standard on many new cars, including my old 2001 Mercedes S500 AMG. There's an infra-red sensor adhered to the inside of the glass which measures changes in the refraction of the light. When the light has changed enough, it activates the wipers.

My question isn't whether I have them or not--I DO have them. My question is whether anyone else does and what, if anything, the intermittent slider does.

I'll post a picture when I get a chance.

ad nauseam. The 04s DID NOT come through with this feature. I dont really care if it is standard on many cars. There is no relevancy to that point.

is that when it rains, the wipers stop!!!!!!

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/123509/img_5681.jpg"></center><p>Here's the car, built in 02/04.

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/123509/img_5684.jpg"></center><p>Here's the sensor from the outside. The white thing is my Ipass.

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/123509/img_5685.jpg"></center><p>Here's the sensor from the inside.

I'm new to this site, so I'm not aware if this has been discussed before. My point to you, greenie, is that my particular car does have the rain sensor, regardless of whether other 04's have it or not, so don't presume that I'm wrong. I apparently drew the lucky straw.

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/102428/100_1485.jpg"></center><p>Thanks for posting those photos. My car looks similar since I also have an IPass transponder in a similar spot! My velcro or whatever the Illinois Tollway supplies is not as pretty as yours as I used four smaller pieces.

No rain sensor on my car though!

Photo attached.

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/102428/100_1484.jpg"></center><p>Sorry for the dirty windshield. No time to wash the car during income tax crunch time. AMT is no fun-OUCH!

FYI Greenie, IPass also works on all EZPass roads &amp; bridges. Including the Pennsylvania Turnpike-America's first superhighway!

without rain-sensing wipers.

And I dug some info and found that very late build '04's did indeed have Rain Sensing Wipers.IIRC it was fo vin 18500 and later.

The rotory knob adjusts the sensitivity.

As far as I can tell, it does adjust the sensitivity to a certain degree, but the speed and intensity of water hitting the windscreen has a far bigger impact on the actual intermittent speed that results, so in most conditions, it will behave fairly consistently regardless of adjuster position.

Having said that, sometimes in light drizzle, especially if you're standing still, you can see the effect of going from most to least sensitive, although it does take a short while for a change to take affect. Changing to a quicker wipe seems to happen sooner than slowing down again, which makes sense from a safety point of view.

I normally leave mine set to one down from 'fastest', and that suits most conditions.

and my #6625 has/had the same "gizmo" on the windshield. Thanks DK. Hope you are well.

Mine is a 2004 live in western Pa Greenie, If you care to come out i will show you how they work. I can leave them in the on position and they will go on when it rains only. Harder rain makes them wipe more often.

I have a 04 A8 (nothing handy with the VIN, however was purchased in March 2004)that without question has rain sensing wipers. As previously mentioned the rate of wiping is dependent on how hard it is raining. The only thing is, sometimes I have to pull the stalk in to get it to make the first wipe. I just leave it in the intermitent position all the time.

Thanks. I'll try that out.

Rob-

Thanks for that suggestion. My Benz would always make one pass when I started the car to remind me that the wipers were on. I've been moving the slider to get the Audi to take the first wipe.

I'm glad to see that I'm not alone.

Mine is just past 19400.