C4 Picasso intermittent wipe?

[Old-Guy]

Usual problem, fixed-interval is rarely appropriate. Resorted to 'manual' intermittent today - using flick-wipe whenever the screen became too spotty. Sorted this on the Xantia (just had her 21st birthday!) by fitting a VSX variable-speed wipe-stalk. First time SWMBO drove the Picasso, she asked where the intermittent speed control is!
Dare I hope there is such a simple solution for our VTR+ GC4P?

[GiveMeABreak]

Is the rain sensor completely free of grease? I assume the sensor hasn't been removed for any reason including a windscreen replacement? Check the Gel Pack in front of the sensor - is it nice and black or are there any milky sections anywhere? Failing that - good old comms unit - worn track on the wiper arm Guy.

[RichardW]

VTR+ doesn't have variable intermittent wipe, you just have to get used to flicking the stalk again! Fitting it would be a major undertaking.

[GiveMeABreak]

Time to rewind - does it even have a rain sensor then? If it has the rain sensor then it has auto wipe which is in itself intermittent supposedly.

[RichardW]

No, no rain sensor.

[Old-Guy]

Handbook very confusing as it is written as though all Picassos have all the bells, whistles and options but fails to properly explain how even the options on the Exclusive work. Even the detail spec for the VIN from service.citroen is of limited help. There is no automatic wipe as there's no A position on the stalk. m I right then in thinking it's a matter of Automatic wipe (Exclusive only?), or single interval on all lesser versions or is it just the VTR+ that gets an intermittent wipe at all - even tough it's pretty useless.
If so, what peculiar set of priorities: no intermittent wipe, but remote control of the lights, and other non-essentials.

[GiveMeABreak]

Yes very weird. I have positions 2,1, I, 0, Auto. 2 and 1 work as expected but when car is stationary, the speed decreases. Intermittent does as it says and alters according to vehicle speed. One press to Auto activates wipers according to rain intensity and also a flick to this position commands a single wipe. Strange that I had this on my Xantia series II SX in 1999, yet not on your C4 GP!

[Old-Guy]

Yes very weird. I have positions 2,1, I, 0, Auto. 2 and 1 work as expected but when car is stationary, the speed decreases. Intermittent does as it says and alters according to vehicle speed. One press to Auto activates wipers according to rain intensity and also a flick to this position commands a single wipe. Strange that I had this on my Xantia series II SX in 1999, yet not on your C4 GP!

The GC4P VTR+ only has 2,1,I,0 flick down from 0 gives one wipe. I haven't noticed if on 1 & 2 the speed decreases; as with a lot of other functions, the handbook illustrates and describes the all-singing-dancing Exclusive, owners of lesser models have to work it out for themselves.
[EDIT] Looking at the PDF handbook, only Intermittent is variable according to vehicle speed (but that probably only applies to Exclusive). The Handbook doesn't even recognise the introduction of the 6-speed box as standard on diesels from 2011-on, even though judging from the proportions on the UK used market, diesels outnumber petrols 9:1!

Even my D-plate MG Maestro, and the F and L-plate Montego D estates that followed, had variable-speed wipe. Doing 20-30,000 a year in all weathers, I simply wouldn't have bought cars without it. These days, being retired, if the weather is s**t we don't go out unless it essential, so lack of variable intermittent is liveable-with - though having been mislead by reading the handbook, it was an unwelcome surprise.

Our S1 VSX Xantia had variable speed intermittent wipe, but the Green Lady (an SX) only had fixed speed wipe; easily converted to variable by simply fitting the stalk from the VSX when it was scrapped. No wiring mods or changing modules - same (blue) wiper relay/timer on both cars front and rear!

[Paul-R]

I suspect that position 1 (and probably 2) will be variable insofar as when you come to halt the motor will switch into an intermittent mode. It might not though - you would have to try this out.

[RichardW]

The higher spec ones don't have 'intermittent' as such - they have Auto, which has a rain sensor, and can run the wipers anywhere from the occasional wipe all the way to flat out depending on how heavy the rain is. I think I had variable on my VSX Xantia, but never sure it worked too well! Maybe it doesn't matter in the W of Scotland as it always rains!

Yours will drop the speed one notch when you stop ie 2 - 1, 1- I, I-stop. There are also 2 intermittent speeds, the interval goes down above 50 mph.

[Old-Guy]

The higher spec ones don't have 'intermittent' as such - they have Auto, which has a rain sensor, and can run the wipers anywhere from the occasional wipe all the way to flat out depending on how heavy the rain is. I think I had variable on my VSX Xantia, but never sure it worked too well! Maybe it doesn't matter in the W of Scotland as it always rains!

I've never driven a vehicle in which the a variable speed wipe was really satisfactory; they all suffer from an inadequate range of delay: when it's not raining quite enough for the slowest constant wipe speed, the shortest delay needs to equal half the complete low speed cycle time; when it's only spitting slightly, the longest delay is much too short. Our Xantia's delay range is about 4 to 12 seconds; 1 - 12 would be much better.

Yours will drop the speed one notch when you stop ie 2 - 1, 1- I, I-stop. There are also 2 intermittent speeds, the interval goes down above 50 mph.

Next time I'm driving in rain, I'll experiment. This level of important detail is completely absent from the Handbook for any function that you care to choose; there's absolutely no mention of the 6-speed gearbox (with 'lift collar to engage reverse') in either the 1/10/2010 - 30/09/2011 or 1/10/2011 - 31/08/2013 Handbooks (English or French!).

[Paul-R]

I've never driven a vehicle in which the a variable speed wipe was really satisfactory; they all suffer from an inadequate range of delay: when it's not raining quite enough for the slowest constant wipe speed, the shortest delay needs to equal half the complete low speed cycle time; when it's only spitting slightly, the longest delay is much too short..

My old 1989 Montego had intermittent wipe which was adjustable in four or so stages. It was perfect and far superior to the auto setting f the C5 that replaced it.

[van ordinaire]

P6 Rovers had a vacuum system to provide infinitely variable wiper speeds, it was brilliant, reliable - & pre-dated even 2-speed wipers in most applications!

Much as I do like intermittent, it seems to be the first function to fail, firstly on the Cadillac (too complicated to even think about a fix) & now, disappointingly, on the C15, more primitive but 7 years younger.

[RichardW]

Tried it this morning; in fact the speed change is approx 57 mph - I think it might be lower when slowing down, but not 10% sure. Also, the drop in speed at stop is only when on full wipe not intermittent. It does say this in our handbook but it's a bit vague!

[Paul-R]

On intermittent on my current cars the duration between wipes increases when you come to a stop. the actual sweep is the same speed.