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2019 HyCam not the best in the rain?

Discussion in 'Toyota Hybrids and EVs' started by Butaketsu, Jan 6, 2019.

  1. Butaketsu

    Butaketsu Junior Member

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    Sooo, it finally rained in California. It rained so badly that everyone on the freeway travelled around 45mph. Normally if there's a slight drizzle, people will go the posted 65mph or 60. However, we got it good last night and people suddenly forgot how to drive.

    Sadly I was 1.5 hrs away from home. I'm used to 1.5 hr commutes, but I couldn't see a damned thing headed home with the wipers at full speed, even when the rain slowed to a sprinkle.

    At first I was like okay, maybe this rain is in fact pretty bad. However, I pin pointed the issues while heading home.

    1) The windshield wipers from the factory are decent at best and it seems that the manufacturer didn't remove the mold lubrication prior to shipping. The areas not in contact with the wipers had water beading fine. However wherever the blades touched, there was pooling. While in motion, the water seemed to "absorb" into the windshield, not bead and repel. This caused extreme difficulty in seeing through the winshield, as if I was literally staring through a water fountain.

    2) The windshield wiper speed is quite slow. You have the first setting and 4 speed settings where the arms will gradually increase speed. However in the second setting, the speed remains the same regardless, which wasn't really at all. So, between the wipers wiping, all I saw was smothered water across the windshield.

    Attached are some photos. I have some videos but I realized my location and VIN# are apparent in them, so I have to remake them. Notice the areas where the wipers have not touched.

    Luckily rain only comes several days out of the year here, but this is a serious safety issue, I'm assuming created by the wiper blade manufacturing.

    Lastly, I want to mention that the PCS is useless in the rain. If you follow behind another vehicle for longer than a 1/4 mile at less than 1/4 mile distance, the sensor becomes useless and PCS is disabled. I'd imagine PCS is something that would be greatly appreciated in adverse weather conditions... Especially with impaired visibility due to poor wiper blades, however that becomes disabled. (See last photo).

    Honestly, I'm not sure how to present any of these findings to the dealership, or if I should skip that step and go straight to corporate. However, I'd assume this is just a one off thing, as many other states and countries see rain far more, this would've been brought up. I've yet to see a post on anything related.

    I'll be honest, I'm the type to drive like it's a hot sunny day in the worst rain conditions, travelling well above the speed limit in lane 1. But driving this last night, I had several elevated heart rates, a pretty scary hydroplane incident where I had to force my wheel to 3-o-clock while travelling at 75mph to keep straight (didn't see the flooding on the freeway due to the wipers)... I'm actually afraid to allow my wife to drive this vehicle in the rain, despite us picking it up for her a couple weeks ago. But she insists she'd be fine (she was riding shotgun last night) and won't need to take my car while I use her's (the Camry) in rainy conditions.
     

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  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Photos look fine. In heavy rain, one should really slow down for reasons you found out (like water pooling and longer reaction time due to poor visibility both from the mist due to rain and the windshield).

    I don’t know when you last washed your car but if it hasn’t rained in a while, the wipes will be blurry due to oil build up on the windshield and the wipers smearing. You appear to have had pretty decent rains so those photos look fine actually.

    (Also, now you know what it’s like to drive in the Pacific NW for 3 months of the year haha).
     
  3. Butaketsu

    Butaketsu Junior Member

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    Nah, we've definitely had worse rain, especially about a month or so ago. All the previous vehicles I've had never had this bad visibility... Water should definitely not pool, in the video I'll post up there's an obvious difference in the way the rain reacts on glass... Most times I never even use windshield wipers (the faster you drive and harder it rains, the less wipers are needed...). The photos show blur through, never had that issue driving in the rain, and I've gone out in hurricanes just to drive as fast as I could...

    Something is off.
     
  4. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    I see this a lot in Southern California driving- cars and roads get an oily film all over them from regular use. When you add rain, normal rules for surface tension and wiper clearing capability go sideways.

    You've probably been driving in CA for a while and are likely familiar with this. I think your car had a little bonus oil contamination on the glass & wipers, and you had a little more rain than usual. It doesn't take much to perfect the recipe.

    I bet you can get a radical improvement from a careful cleaning of glass & blades.

    EDIT- added: You can also add some emergency defense; a few drops of a degreaser like Dawn dish soap added to the windshield washer fluid generally helps.

    It's common for modern safety systems like the Toyota PCS to "check out" in bad weather. The technology just isn't good enough to help in all conditions. That feeling you get, regarding how nice it would be to have it working in bad weather? That's supposed to be in the "Reasons for not going out today" column instead.
     
    #4 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Jan 7, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2019
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i suppose it is all subjective. i certainly hope the 19 isn't worse than our 13. but we drive the speed limit, and slower in inclement weather, i would think that is all a manufacturer has to design for.

    not sure you'll have any luck with the dealership or corporate unless there is an actual defect
     
  6. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I've heard the millimeter radar Toyota uses doesn't work well in the rain. These safety systems are meant to augment the human driver, not replace them.
     
  7. CamryDriver

    CamryDriver Active Member

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  8. CamryDriver

    CamryDriver Active Member

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    Whatever causes the water sheeting must naturally wear off because I've not noticed the problem as much lately.
     
  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Also, I noticed you didn’t use the HI setting on the wiper. You only mentioned INT with the variable setting (strong not recommended in heavy rain) and the LO setting.
     
  10. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

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    Also I'm So Cal with a 13 Avalon, original wipers, they do not work well in light rain, but seem to work best in heavy rain. I think once enough rain gets on the windshield and blades all the road gunk finally gets washed off.
    I wonder if am lucky or they install a better grade on windshield wipers in Avalons than Camrys (but I doubt that)
     
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Or, you could use the washer fluid to help accelerate the cleaning process. I do that too sometimes if it hasn't rained or snowed in a while. A few squirts of the washer fluid will help - it may not completely get rid of it but it helps accelerate the process.

    In addition, a wipe down of the wiper blade definitely helps - make sure the cloth or paper towel is damp or the wiper blade is wet.
     
  12. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    A little bit of rubbing alcohol on the cloth won't hurt.
     
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