Auto headlights with auto wipers--do yours work?

[Bob999]

According to the manual the headlights should come on automatically when the wipers are automatically continuously activated.  This is described on p. 88 of the manual.

 

AUTOWIPERS (IF EQUIPPED)

...

Note: If autolamps have been switched on in conjunction with

autowipers, low beam headlamps will illuminate automatically when the

rain sensor activates the windshield wipers continuously.

 

But the headlights on my SEL with auto wipers don't come on when the wipers are activated continuously.  I confirmed this by spraying water on the windshield to continuously activate the wipers.  I will have the dealer check it out when the car is in for service.

 

But I wonder if anyone else has had the probem--or even checked to see if the feature works.

[grggwlkr]

Mine do not either.

[lowbar]

My wife came home complaining of the same thing yesterday.

[zhackwyatt]

Using the Left Steering Well controls, choose Settings > Vehicle > Lighting > Auto Light Rain

 

 

It may take a few minutes for them to come on as the wipers have to be operating continuously.

[Bob999]

Using the Left Steering Well controls, choose Settings > Vehicle > Lighting > Auto Light Rain

 

 

It may take a few minutes for them to come on as the wipers have to be operating continuously.

I rechecked this setting after reading your reply and it is set to "ON".

 

When I did my check I sprayed it until the wipers switched to on continuously--actually to high speed as well-- and the lights still did not come on.

 

Have you confirmed that yours work??

[grggwlkr]

done that. Please define continuously. There is off, auto with variable sensitivity,continuous low, continuous high. If it is continuous low or high then the low beams do not come on when auto wipers are selected, or is it when placed in auto position and set to highest sensitivity.  

[lowbar]

Using the Left Steering Well controls, choose Settings > Vehicle > Lighting > Auto Light Rain

 

 

It may take a few minutes for them to come on as the wipers have to be operating continuously.

 

Thanks for the suggestion.  Mine was set to 'On" too.

[zhackwyatt]

And you also have your headlights set to Auto-On obviously.

 

Hmm, that's strange.  I haven't personally confirmed this works but other members here have: http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/index.php?/topic/963-i-didnt-know-i-had-automatic-wipers/?p=11671

Edited May 5, 2013 by zhackwyatt

[Bob999]

And you also have your headlights set to Auto-On obviously.

 

Hmm, that's strange.  I haven't personally confirmed this works but other members here have: http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/index.php?/topic/963-i-didnt-know-i-had-automatic-wipers/?p=11671

Yes I have the lights set to auto--and the wipers set to auto.

 

The wipers work as described in the manual--coming on with rain.  What doesn't happen--even with a heavy spray of water that triggers the wipers to continuously on at high speed--is for the headlights to come on during daylight.

[frbill]

I too have not seem the lamps come on when in Auto Wipe, Auto Lamps, Auto Lamps Rain On. I found a thread on this board which stated that the Auto Lamps only work when in Constant or High modes. It seems to defeat the purpose of the Auto Lamps on feature in settings. And definitely does not meet the manual description.

[Bob999]

I too have not seem the lamps come on when in Auto Wipe, Auto Lamps, Auto Lamps Rain On. I found a thread on this board which stated that the Auto Lamps only work when in Constant or High modes. It seems to defeat the purpose of the Auto Lamps on feature in settings. And definitely does not meet the manual description.

My experience is that when wipers are set to the Auto position the operate when the sensor detects precipitation.  With very light or intermittent precipitation the wipers do not operate continuously.  With steady precipitation the wipers begin to operate continuously and with heavy and steady precipitation the wipers operate continuously at high speed.

 

What I understand the manual to say is that if Auto headlights is also on then the headlights should illuminate when the wipers are operating continuously.  While I would prefer that the headlights operate any time wipers are activated I suspect the designers were trying to avoid the headlights switching on and off in rapid succession which is what they would do if the Auto Wiper feature were was operating in intermittent mode (very light or intermittent precipitation).  Hence my presumption is that the designers chose for the headlights illuminate automatically only when the wipers operated in continuous mode (steady precipitation).

[fotomoto]

Bob999 if your presumption is correct, then an easy solution would be a longer headlight time out after auto-activation (say 2 minutes?).  That would eliminate any possible strobing/flashing affect.

[LizM]

I was driving home in a steady rain this past Sunday and have the auto wipers set to come on for sensitivity to precipitation and they were going very steadily and continuously.  But, no headlights came on...I had to switch to non-auto headlight for the lights to come on.

[zhackwyatt]

I was driving home in a steady rain this past Sunday and have the auto wipers set to come on for sensitivity to precipitation and they were going very steadily and continuously.  But, no headlights came on...I had to switch to non-auto headlight for the lights to come on.

Is it possible that they were on but the indicator light on the dash does not light up when they come on for rain?

[ceemax71]

I was driving home in a steady rain this past Sunday and have the auto wipers set to come on for sensitivity to precipitation and they were going very steadily and continuously.  But, no headlights came on...I had to switch to non-auto headlight for the lights to come on.

 

It looks like the lights will not come on unless the wiper switch is set to the low or high speed setting.

 

Just saw this message issued by Ford on OASIS (12/12/2012):

 

SSM 12063 - 2012-2013 Focus 2013 C-Max, Escape - Rain Light - Proper Operation

2012-2013 Focus and 2013 C-Max and Escape vehicles equipped with the Rain Light feature will not work with the wiper switch set to intermittent/delay mode by design. This feature will only work when the wiper switch is set to the low or high speed settings during daylight operation, and the headlamp switch set to Autolamp mode with a 5 to 10 second delay before headlamps/park lamps turn on. After the wiper switch is turned off, the lamps will remain on for approximately5 to 10 seconds.

[Bob999]

 

It looks like the lights will not come on unless the wiper switch is set to the low or high speed setting.

 

Just saw this message issued by Ford on OASIS (12/12/2012):

 

SSM 12063 - 2012-2013 Focus 2013 C-Max, Escape - Rain Light - Proper Operation

2012-2013 Focus and 2013 C-Max and Escape vehicles equipped with the Rain Light feature will not work with the wiper switch set to intermittent/delay mode by design. This feature will only work when the wiper switch is set to the low or high speed settings during daylight operation, and the headlamp switch set to Autolamp mode with a 5 to 10 second delay before headlamps/park lamps turn on. After the wiper switch is turned off, the lamps will remain on for approximately5 to 10 seconds.

Thanks for posting the message.  It may be the explanation for the problem I am experiencing.  

 

But, in my opinion, it isn't quite on point as written.  The issue here is when the wipers are set to the "Auto" mode but the SSM is talking about when the wipers are set to the "intermittent/delay" mode.  The owners manual addresses intermittent wipe on page 87 and auto wipe on page 88.  It appears to me, from the way the manual is written, that vehicles equipped with auto wipe don't have a separate intermittent wipe mode and, conversely, vehicles with intermittent mode don't have the auto feature.

 

Perhaps the manual and/or SSM 12063 suffer from poor writing and/or inadequate understanding of the vehicle features because it appears  that it is unlikely that both descriptions are correct.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Bob999

[Bob999]

Is it possible that they were on but the indicator light on the dash does not light up when they come on for rain?

I confirmed that mine did not work by standing in front of the vehicle and using a hose to spray the windshield with water.  I confirmed that the headlights did not illuminate.

[ceemax71]

From the owner's guide:

 

If autolamps have been switched on in conjunction with autowipers, low beam headlamps will illuminate automatically when the rain sensor activates the windshield wipers continuously.

 

This contradicts what SSM 12063 says. 

[MichaelM]

Mine only illuminate if the cloud cover makes it dark enough to triger the auto lamps.

I agree that according to the manual as written that when the wipers come on so should the lights.

With the rain sensing wipers there is no intermittent setting that I can find, only sensitivity.

I have tried it both with autolamps on and off, and couldn't get it to work the way the manual says.

Edited May 7, 2013 by MichaelM

[Bob999]

From the owner's guide:

 

If autolamps have been switched on in conjunction with autowipers, low beam headlamps will illuminate automatically when the rain sensor activates the windshield wipers continuously.

 

This contradicts what SSM 12063 says. 

The owners manual is talking about a car with autowipers and a rain sensor.  SSM 12063 is addressing cars with the "Rain Light feature". 

 

It is not clear that they are the same thing.

 

I did a search on the electronic version of the owners manual for "rain light feature" not find a match for the term.

 

I think Ford needs to clarify this matter with appropriate revisions to SSM 12063 and/or the owners manual.

[zhackwyatt]

Well the Engineer isn't the one that writes the manual :)  Communication issue between the two departments.  I wouldn't be surprise if this was updated in a future revision of the manual.

Edited May 7, 2013 by zhackwyatt

[fredsw]

I bought my SEL as a used car last week and saw this forum. We were having a very heavy rain today. BTW, I'm in Ohio part time and Florida as a snowbird. This was in Ohio, so not in Andrea's wake. I set the wipers on constant low, the headlights on auto and after a minute or less, the headlights came on. We continued our trip and later, before arriving at our destinatation, the rain had stopped. I shut off the wipers and a minute or less later the headlights shut off. I have to believe the "setting" worked proper.

Thanks so much for this forum, it's helping me learn what the manual doesn't do...understand function.

Fred

[JohnTrigger]

Thanks all for the information flow on the last two pages on this issue.  Mine were not working as I thought they should either (I noticed this yesterday in moderate to heavy rains from TS Andrea with the wipers in Auto mode, even if the wipers were running constantly the lights did not come on--had to turn headlights on manually (it wasn't dark enough during the day for the lights to come on due to darkness--that part works fine BTW)).  It sounds like all of our wiper/headlight "interconnect" is working as designed; I'm just not sure that any of us, nor the manual, nor perhaps even some at Ford understand how they were designed.

[fotomoto]

Heavy rain storm here yesterday and with lights in auto mode, they came on when auto-wipers activated.  I now LOVE auto-wipers after that drive which saw everything from raining cats and dogs to drizzle to light mist to occasional spray from oncoming traffic.  I never had nor wished to adjust the wipers the whole trip.  NICE!

[Bill-N]

Thanks all for the information flow on the last two pages on this issue.  Mine were not working as I thought they should either (I noticed this yesterday in moderate to heavy rains from TS Andrea with the wipers in Auto mode, even if the wipers were running constantly the lights did not come on--had to turn headlights on manually (it wasn't dark enough during the day for the lights to come on due to darkness--that part works fine BTW)).  It sounds like all of our wiper/headlight "interconnect" is working as designed; I'm just not sure that any of us, nor the manual, nor perhaps even some at Ford understand how they were designed.

 

My experience exactly.