Variable Wipe Control?? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Can anyone please tell me, what the function of the round rotating knob, beneath the PSM button, to the right of the main radio/CD/Audio/SAT Nav Console, is for. It appears from the picture on it to be a variable control for intermittent wiper speed, but I seem to only have three settings on my wiper stalk: all the way down = rain sensor & variable wipe depending on amount of rain, half-way up = wipers off, all the way up = wipers on. I have tried rotating the knob with all three settings and it doesn't seem to do anything.? Yes, I'll try to remember to look in the manual next time I am in the car, but joy-of-boxstering makes me forget to check!

The knob changes the speed of the intermittent wipers when the stalk is parked in the intermittent position; so you have it correct. I rarely drive my car in rain, but I know it works from the few times I've used it.

When you set the stalk to variable (all the way down), you can adjust the wipers from 4-30 second wipe intervals with the dial. As far as I know Boxsters never came with the dial from the factory, and if it isn't doing anything you might pop it out and see if it is hooked up, maybe a previous owner just put the dial in to get rid of the dummy cover. I figured out how to add the dial and to be honest rarely use it, but I like not having any dummy button covers on my dash. I have more information on my website if you want to know how to hookup the dial: http://www.bluboxster.com/Mods/Variable_Intermittent_Wiper_Hack_-_Primer.html http://www.bluboxster.com/Mods/The_Porsche_Way.html

Thanks Guys, I'll have another look when I'm next driving, but I think my model comes with a rain sensor which is selected when the lever is all the way down. So when driving in rain on the Motorway (Highway) it sweeps fairly fast under normal rain, but if the rain turns heavy or you overtake a Truck, it automatically speeds up the wipe to the max, if the traffic slows down to almost a stop, it goes intermittent. It's an excellent tool for variable rain. The switch doesn't seem to affect this at all, so I may just take your advice and gently pull it out to see if it is connected to anything.

It may have come with the adjustment knob, and then the rain sensor was added, making the knob useless.

Maybe that was the case for earlier non-S models? My 2000 S has it and is described in the owner's manual so it must be factory equipped. The manual also states that "In vehicles with a rain sensor, the wipe interval control is without function. The windshield wipers are automatically adjusted in intermittent operation."

. That would explain it then. All I need to do is get a nice " Nitros " sticker to put over the top of it and then make up another label above it saying " Caution Do Not Activate Under 150MPH ".

Yeah, I know it's pretty dumb how Porsche couldn't be bothered to remove a part they made nonfunctional by the addition of the rain sensor option. It would be nice if you order optional wheels, they gave you the stock wheels since they're now "nonfunctional".

Failing the NITROS sticker idea, I could always get a PASSENGER EJECTOR SEAT sticker instead, that might get a few interested looks!