What the heck do they mean by SPEED SENSITIVE WIPERS?

Anybody know?

Thanks!

 

The first setting in the wipers works based on the speed. From my experience it doesn't adjust the interval, just the speed of the wiper blades on each "swing" based on how fast you're going.

IMO it's crap, just like SSV (which still doesn't seem to work on my car). Nissan should have used a rain sensor instead. Think about it... if it's pouring and you're doing 10mph, should your wipers care? No... they should move faster the more water on the windshield, regardless of whether your'e going 10 or 100.

But that's just me... I have a lot of issues with the little "quirks" in my Maxima.

 

I disagree. I haven't got a stopwatch out yet, but I am certain that the interval is changed, depending on your speed. My wiper speed remains constant, with only the interval changing. It is only on the first setting, as you mentioned. I do agree that it doesn't work as well when it is pouring, it is better for light rain. Next time it is raining, give it a try. When you are cruising at 50-60 MPH the intervals will be much shorter than when you are stopped. I like this feature and it works for me, no need to wipe the windows as often when you are stopped at a light.

 

I'm in NYC... it's been raining since yesterday, so I've been using it.

Maybe my car is just temperamental, but either way I don't think it works as well as it should. I agree with your point, but IMO speed-sensing is only good in theory... what really matters is how much water is on the windshield, not how fast you're going. During really heavy rainfall, if you're doing 50-60 the wipers should be working hard, not assuming that the water is moving off the windshield due to the speed.

But I agree with you somewhat though... for really light rain it seems to work just fine.

 

SSV works well on my Max, with SSV volume increases at around 35-40 mph. Haven't paid much attention to the wiper interval. Here in Texas it is typically very dry or raining buckets.

 

Pardon my ignorance, but the faster you go (speed), the more water hits your windshield, correct?

 

hehe... depends on who you ask. reminds me of that mythbusters episode about getting wetter when you run than when you walk in the rain.

But joking aside, from my experience, when you go faster water moves off the windshield by sheer force of the wind hitting the car and the shape of it. The slower you go, the less wind and the more time the water sits on your car. Or at least that's the theory...

My gripe with SS wipers is that when you're doing 60 but it's raining cats and dogs, the system goes to hell. It thinks that, because you're going fast, the wipers should go slower... in reality if it cared about water on the windshield instead of speed, it would know that it should be kicking into high gear.

Nothing that taking over manually won't fix, but it seems like a lackluster effort at best... bells and whistles that don't work 100% right when you need them are just annoyances in the long run -- to me anyway.

 

I love the spd sensitive wipers.... and it works great (get a lot of rain here in toronto) .. if you are going faster and need more wiping you could always move it to the second position.

 

i timed it on my drive to school on a rainy day, the interval does change (you have to have it on intermittent mode, first down) as you speed up or slow down, but not drastically enough for you to really notice or to have a real effect. im always forced to start turning the ****.

 

Rathmax...what is SSV? What does is stand for? From what your saying is it sometype of sound sensing volume??? I couldn't find out what this was in my manual...not that the manual for the Maxima is a the best manual in the world.

Jimbo

 

SSV is speed sensitive volume. It supposedly adjusts the volume of the radio (CD?) based on speed -- I would complain about it if it wasn't for the fact that mine doesn't seem to work...

The options are right there on the settings...

 

I thought it was be road noise not speed. I step on my car sometimes and the noise that the engine/ exaust makes triggers the radio, it get louder all the time I step on it.............

 

Well the first "S" in SSV is speed, so I'm gonna have to guess that it's speed-based...

HOWEVER, just for the sake of argument I tested all this when I first got the car... windows up, down, above and below 40mph, nothing. At least nothing I could tell anyway...

 

no ****......... well I can say that if you don't notice it theres a problem, cause when it goes up on my car it to the point that I have to turn it down to talk to my passenger.....

good luck with it............

 

The SSV works very well on mine. You can change the sensitivity of it...maybe that would help if you're not noticing any effect?

 

SSV works fine on mine. At the low setting, an increase is barely discernible. At the high setting, doing a good 60+, I usually have to turn the volume down if someone else is in the car with me.

 

Why on earth would you use the intermittant setting while it's pouring out? How can you possibly complain that the wipers don't do enough when they're only wiping once every 2 seconds?

The speed sensitive volume works great. It's not noise sensitive, it's definitely speed, because there are definite speed points where it bumps the volume up a notch. I have mine set on medium, and it's about perfect. High bumps the volume up too much at higher speeds, and low doesn't do enough. If you don't think yours is working, set it to high, turn on the radio while you're at a stop light and set the volume to a normal level. Speed up to 60 (assuming you can do that on the road you're on), and see if you notice the volume increase... you really should.

-Nate

 

I have to say that the speed sensitive wipers work great on my Max. The intervals are definitely closer together when going faster. The speed of the actual wipers is not affected. As for the SSV, turn the setting on high. I've had plenty of people in my car notice the effect. I think the best advice for SSV is if you can't notice a difference, change the setting

 

I run my SSV (Speed Sensitive Volume) on high sensitivity as well. Definitely notice an increase in volume at around 40 mph. Hard to tell for sure what the trigger point is as I am usually accelerating through the point when I notice it. I concur with one of the previous posts. With the SSV on high there are times when I need to kick the volume down a notch after it kicks in.

 

Im just curious (or u may call it stupid...) but how do u increase the sensitivity of the SSV? Thanks a lot.

 

For non-nav system. Press in on the radio tune ****, repetitive presses will roll you through Bass, Treble, balance, etc. audio adjustments. Eventually you will reach SSV, rotate the **** to switch between off, low, med, and high.

 

hey, thanks! i'll do that after work.