S-Class (W221) 2007-2013: S 320 CDI, S 350, S 450, S 500, S 550, S 420 CDI, S 600

very strange quirk - wipers turn on when making a left turn

Old Oct 23, 2008 | 04:18 PM
  #1  
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'07 s550 4matic
very strange quirk - wipers turn on when making a left turn

Anyone else experience this? if I have my rain sensing wipers switched on, they will occasionally 'swipe' immediately after making a left turn... and no I am not hitting the wiper switch. I took it to the dealer, but they haven't been able to replicate the problem.. so they say it can't be diagnosed.
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Old Oct 23, 2008 | 05:40 PM
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Originally Posted by hotwiredbenz
Anyone else experience this? if I have my rain sensing wipers switched on, they will occasionally 'swipe' immediately after making a left turn... and no I am not hitting the wiper switch. I took it to the dealer, but they haven't been able to replicate the problem.. so they say it can't be diagnosed.

thats simple STOP making rite turns
kidding aside, is the rain sensor mudule on the windshield loose or something..
that might have some effects on the wiper if it slightly moves or something when making those turns.
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Old Oct 23, 2008 | 07:44 PM
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Originally Posted by RajwanyS550
thats simple STOP making rite turns
*cough* left turns *cough*
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Old Oct 23, 2008 | 07:52 PM
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Originally Posted by xolinlevh
*cough* left turns *cough*

I saw that too.

Anyway, I bet hotwired ends up having to get a new turn signal stalk/switch. Sounds like the "single wipe" feature, by pressing inward on the stalk, is getting activated due to a short or defect in the stalk itself.

Does it wipe only once? I made that statement above with the thoughts that "swipe" meant once. Or does it wipe more than once?

Last edited by trumpet1; Oct 23, 2008 at 07:57 PM.
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Old Oct 23, 2008 | 07:58 PM
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Originally Posted by trumpet1
I saw that too.

Anyway, I bet hotwired ends up having to get a new turn signal stalk/switch. Sounds like the "single wipe" feature, by pressing inward on the stalk, is getting activated due to a short or defect in the stalk itself.

Does it wipe only once? I made that statement above with the thoughts that "swipe" meant once. Or does it wipe more than once?
yes it just swipes once. The frustrating part is that its impossible to get the dealer to replace anything unless they can replicate the problem.
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Old Oct 23, 2008 | 08:10 PM
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Originally Posted by hotwiredbenz
yes it just swipes once. The frustrating part is that its impossible to get the dealer to replace anything unless they can replicate the problem.
I know that's got to be frustrating. How often does it happen when you're not at the dealership? How old is your car/mileage/etc.
Konigster might know of a tech bulletin on this problem. He is the real hero of the forum.
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Old Oct 24, 2008 | 01:44 AM
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Originally Posted by trumpet1
I know that's got to be frustrating. How often does it happen when you're not at the dealership? How old is your car/mileage/etc.
Konigster might know of a tech bulletin on this problem. He is the real hero of the forum.
Yes, the car age would be important. It could be an issue with the stalk but it could also be a wiring harness issue that some early W221 cars suffered from. The harness in front of the fire wall at the engine bay should get differently fastened (just a guess, this just confuses some CAN bus and other stuff, creating odd behaviour).
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Old Oct 24, 2008 | 07:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Diesel Benz
Yes, the car age would be important. It could be an issue with the stalk but it could also be a wiring harness issue that some early W221 cars suffered from. The harness in front of the fire wall at the engine bay should get differently fastened (just a guess, this just confuses some CAN bus and other stuff, creating odd behaviour).
Good point. I forgot about that possibility.
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Old Oct 24, 2008 | 10:00 AM
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Originally Posted by hotwiredbenz
Anyone else experience this? if I have my rain sensing wipers switched on, they will occasionally 'swipe' immediately after making a left turn... and no I am not hitting the wiper switch. I took it to the dealer, but they haven't been able to replicate the problem.. so they say it can't be diagnosed.
Is it raining when this happens, or are you leaving it switched on all of the time?
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Old Oct 24, 2008 | 04:36 PM
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very strange quirk - wipers turn on when making a left turn

Hwiredbenz, my 2007 S550 is doing the same. This occurs infrequently and only when I turn left.
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Old Oct 24, 2008 | 05:15 PM
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Originally Posted by hurstg2
Hwiredbenz, my 2007 S550 is doing the same. This occurs infrequently and only when I turn left.
Mine has done it but not in association with turning. In the 2 years I've had my car, it has happened maybe 4 times. Just a random wipe for no reason. I do keep my switch in the first position most of the time.
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Old Oct 24, 2008 | 05:55 PM
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Originally Posted by trumpet1
Mine has done it but not in association with turning. In the 2 years I've had my car, it has happened maybe 4 times. Just a random wipe for no reason. I do keep my switch in the first position most of the time.
My wife's E55 (traded on a Designo S550) would do the same thing; bright sky not a cloud to be seen and the wipers would make one swipe and stop. The dealer's explanation was so bizarre that I won't even begin to repeat it. It was sun spots or moon phases from what I recall.
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Old Oct 24, 2008 | 10:29 PM
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The Mayan calendar predicted the alignment of the earth/sun with the center of the Milky Way galaxy and caused the ecliptic collapse of the neighboring solar system which in turn caused a butterfly to flutter its wings in New Mexico last May causing a polar reversal which then caused your wiper to swipe.

That's what my advisor told me at least.

Just wait until Dec.21st 2012. Our sunroofs are supposed to open spontaneously.
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Old Oct 25, 2008 | 02:31 AM
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Originally Posted by hurstg2
Hwiredbenz, my 2007 S550 is doing the same. This occurs infrequently and only when I turn left.
Can you both clarify if you have the wiper in auto-mode or does it happen even if wipers are set completely off?
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Old Oct 25, 2008 | 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Diesel Benz
Can you both clarify if you have the wiper in auto-mode or does it happen even if wipers are set completely off?
Diesel, I keep my wiper in the auto-mode.
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Old Oct 26, 2008 | 07:34 PM
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Both my 04 cl500 and 07 s600 do exactly the same thing, occasionly make one swipe over the screen when making a left turn. The dealers answer to this problem is you should not leave the switch in the auto position during dry weather.
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 04:26 AM
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Originally Posted by bob smith
Both my 04 cl500 and 07 s600 do exactly the same thing, occasionly make one swipe over the screen when making a left turn. The dealers answer to this problem is you should not leave the switch in the auto position during dry weather.
At least he did not ask you to avoid turning to the left. I understand the rain sensor may get confused from different things like certain lights or reflections hitting it but the fact that a left turn activates wipers on two pretty different cars sounds like a mystery.
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Old Nov 1, 2008 | 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by bob smith
Both my 04 cl500 and 07 s600 do exactly the same thing, occasionly make one swipe over the screen when making a left turn. The dealers answer to this problem is you should not leave the switch in the auto position during dry weather.
Freak thing!

My 09 S550 4Matic does the same thing. Maybe 1/100 left turns.
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Old Nov 1, 2008 | 04:44 PM
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so I was driving around the other day and I see a CL turning left at an intersection. Low and behold, right after the guy turns, his wipers do a single swipe. Seems like this problem is more common than I thought. Anyone know if there is a TSB on this?

Bob, my dealer gave me the same "solution" - turn off the auto-mode when it's not raining. (as if I couldn't think of that myself)

Last edited by hotwiredbenz; Nov 1, 2008 at 04:47 PM.
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Old May 28, 2009 | 02:19 AM
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We have a 2008 S550 with the same problem. I'm not sure if it's only on left turns, though. Based on past difficulties with our dealer not being able to fix other more important issues, I am reluctant to even ask about it.
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Old May 29, 2009 | 06:18 PM
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The problem doesn't bother me, it's just I want to know "why?"
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Old May 30, 2009 | 07:24 PM
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My CL600 just did the single wipe today at the parking lot right when I started the car. I think it's happened twice before. It was 80, bright and sunny!
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Old Jun 4, 2009 | 05:34 PM
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Originally Posted by jettie1767
My CL600 just did the single wipe today at the parking lot right when I started the car. I think it's happened twice before. It was 80, bright and sunny!
i think its pretty normal for the car to do this as your starting it with the wipers on. At least normal for me and my 220... just turn off your autos unless its raining
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Old Jun 4, 2009 | 11:51 PM
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I don't have an S Class, but I do have the rain sensing wipers that I leave in the auto position. The left turn has not happened to me, but occasionally on the freeway it will do one swipe. I've "credited" it to a bug hitting the windshield. Does the sensor on the windshield sense moisture or an "object" being on the windshield, i.e., a bug or a rain drop?
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Old Jun 5, 2009 | 01:51 AM
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Originally Posted by ChuckinTucson
I don't have an S Class, but I do have the rain sensing wipers that I leave in the auto position. The left turn has not happened to me, but occasionally on the freeway it will do one swipe. I've "credited" it to a bug hitting the windshield. Does the sensor on the windshield sense moisture or an "object" being on the windshield, i.e., a bug or a rain drop?
The sensor has an IR transmitter and IR receivers that monitor reflections from the window glass. Water on the glass would make the IR light diffract and reflect in a different angle from a dry glass. The system is not monitoring moisture as such and any dirt or object on the glass would affect the performance.
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