Tesla fixes erratic Model 3 and Model Y windshield wipers with button controls for wiper speed

Tesla has finally fixed one of the pet peeves of Model Y and Model 3 owners - their chaotic windshield wipers - in the v2023.12.1 software update. Instead of relying only on its automatic sensor that can let wipers work on a sunny day because a bug smashed near it, or fail to slow down their speed when drizzling, Tesla simply introduced physical controls for the wipers.

After the update, the driver can simply press the button on the left stalk to engage the manual control of the windshield wipers, and can thankfully control their speed with the scroll wheel on the left, too. Some Model Y and Model 3 owners are on record complaining that the biggest gripe with their Teslas is not range or price, but rather the chaotic wipers, and they finally have a remedy for the subpar automatic mode.

The issue stems from Tesla's vision sensor whose sensitivity can't be adjusted and which can react to seemingly innocuous windshield events with wiping vigor worthy of a downpour, often while on Autopilot. The system can get bamboozled by bright lights at night, too, or get in on the wiping action after cleaning the windshield, mistaking the leftover fluid drops for rain.

Tesla's crazy sensitive Model 3 and Model Y wiper sensor would be a safety issue as well, since controlling the wipers with the touchscreen can lead to some dangerous situations when dark and raining on a road with turns and twists that require all the driver's attention.

Despite that Tesla introduced the handy manual Model Y wiper speed control in the v2023.12.1 software update, for some reason it now requires a left or right push of the scroll wheel to adjust their speed, as demonstrated below.

Spinning the wheel would have been easier for the driver and would've allowed more gradual wiper speed adjustments, though having to push it left or right gives better physical feedback while not looking. In any case, the Model 3 and Model Y wiper speed can now be controlled with buttons at long last, which was one of the most requested features of the respective Tesla owners.

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