ture on the windshield . The rain sensor wiper intervals depend on
t he sensitivi ty setting as well as vehic le speed . Dur ing brief st ops,
wiper motion wil l adjust in re lation to the amount of rain on the
windshield .
During br ief stops, e.g. at a red light, wiper mot ion wil l auto m ati -
ca lly be reduced to the next lower speed . Wipers already turning at
low speed. change to i nterm ittent w ip ing.
When the ignition is turned on, the washer jets are heated .
With the low beam headlights switched on, pull the wiper lever
towards you only briefly to clean the windshield.
Hold ing the w iper
lever wou ld also engage the headlight washer system each time you
clean the w inds hie ld and wou ld dra in t he washer flu id reservoir
pr ematurely .
&
WARNING
•
Wiper blades are crucial for safe driving! Only when they are in
good condition are they able to clear the window s properly to
provide uncompromising visibilit y. Worn or damaged wiper blades
are a safety hazard
::::>
page 82, "Installing new wiper blade s"!
•
The rain sensor is only designed to assist and support the
driver. It remains entirely th e driver' s responsibility to monitor
outside weather condit ions and to manually activate the wipers as
soon as rain or drizzle reduces visibility through the windshield.
•
The windshield mu st not be treated with water-repellent mate -
rials . They can increase glare under poor visibility condition s such
as wetness , darkness , or when the sun is low on the horizon. In
addition , they can cause the wind shield wipers to chatter.
0
Note
In free zing or near freezing conditions:
•
Always check that the wiper b lades are not frozen to the glass
bef ore you turn the w ipe rs on. Loosen a wiper b lade w hich is frozen
Controls and equip-
ment
Cl ea r vision
in place before operating the wipers to prevent damage to the wiper
bl ade or the wiper motor.
•
Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted window. Using the
wipers as a conve ni ent ice scraper will des t roy the wiper blades .
•
Before you take your vehic le to an automatic car wash, make sure
you have the w inds h ield w iper system switched off (lever in po sition
O), otherwise the windshield wiper system could get damaged in the
car was h if it should suddenly come o n.
[ i ]
Tips
•
Make sure the washer flu id reservo ir in the engine compartmen t
is topped off before going on a long trip . Look up:::> page 323 for
check ing and f il ling the washer conta iner.
•
If you sw itch off the ignition with the windshield wiper lever st ill
in the inte rval wi p e pos iti o n and t hen com e back a wh ile lat er and
drive off, the rain sensor wil l reactivate itself after the vehicle speed
has exceeded 4 mph (6 km/h) .
•
Worn or dirty windshie ld wiper blades cause smearing which
ca n affect t he opera t ion of the rain senso r. Check the condi t ion of
your windshield wiper b lades regu lar ly. •
Headlight
washer
system
The headlight w asher syst em cle ans the head li ghts.
-
Oper at e t he win dshiel d w ip er/was her sy st em G) wit h t he
hea dli ghts t ur ned on by holding t he lever fo r lo nge r t han
on e seco nd ::::., page
80,
fig. 76.
The washe r j et s extend f o rward out of the fron t bumper dr iven by
water pressure to spray the front head lights with water .
You should inspect the head lights regu lar ly (for examp le when refu -
eli ng) and c lean off any sol id dirt or i nsects from the lenses.
~