Many models of modern cars are equipped with rain sensors. What it is? What are they needed for? Is this a necessary thing or just another marketing trick? Let's figure it out.
Why is this needed?
Bad weather is a direct threat to ride comfort, driver he alth and vehicle integrity. If ice, slush and snow are the concerns of the relevant services, then the owner needs to deal with the pollution of the windshield, and as soon as possible. Previously, the driver had to perform additional actions.
In the seconds it took to turn the cleaning brushes on and off, anything could happen. In addition, a person will not be able to react quickly enough to water that fills the glass. Another thing is a rain sensor that will perform this task for you. The automated system will detect the presence of drops on the glass and, depending on the degree of contamination, will start the desired cleaning mode. Let's take a closer look at how it works.
How does the rain sensor work?
Let's take a closer look at what it is. The rain sensor consists of two LEDs: emitting and receiving. One emits infrared rays, and the other (sensor) captures their refraction. The basiswork is based on the principle of comparing clean and dirty glass. What does it mean? That is, the refractive indices of rays on clean and dirty glass are loaded into the memory of the electronic device. If the glass is detected as wet, the cleaning system starts. How is it happening? Depending on the amount of precipitation, a suitable cleaning intensity is selected. In modern cars, there can be up to 7 different modes. When the glass is clear, the wipers will turn off automatically.
Device
The rain sensor consists of two parts connected by a wire:
- Control unit that gives commands to the actuator. This is where the infrared LEDs are located. It must be placed on the inside of the windshield so that it does not block the driver's view. At the same time, it must be in the area of \u200b\u200bthe wipers. It is usually attached behind the rearview mirror.
- Relay block that turns the cleaning system on and off, and also protects the sensor from voltage surges and conducted interference. It is installed in a place convenient for connecting to the mains.
The whole device does not take up much space and is compactly located in the cabin.
Pros and cons
Advantages of the rain sensor:
- The driver does not need to take his eyes off the road to turn the wipers on and off.
- Quick response to glass contamination.
- Rain sensors have been produced since the 2000s, and all this time withthey sold only cars of the middle class and above. Now the rain sensor has ceased to be a privilege of expensive cars. It can also be installed in budget models.
- It is believed that a windshield with a rain sensor cannot be tinted. But they found a solution to this problem: manufacturers make tint films with a hole for the rain sensor. And in general, windscreen tinting is not a good idea.
- Another common misconception is that the rain sensor will not work at night. It is not true. For infrared rays, the time of day and the degree of illumination on the street are not important.
Like any device, the rain sensor has disadvantages:
- The windshield must be intact and not deformed. Otherwise, the sensor will not work.
- Does not recognize snowflakes on glass until they melt.
- Too sensitive. The sensor can be triggered by one random drop of water.
- If water does not enter the area of the wipers, the sensor will not work.
- Only the wipers turn on, the washing system does not. If dirt gets on the glass, it will just smear.
This article describes the pros and cons of a unique device. It's up to you to decide if it's true that the rain sensor is not just a marketing ploy, but a really useful thing.
