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Windshield Rain Sensor

Rain Sensor Location

A Rain Sensor is a feature on many modern vehicles. It is a device attached to the windshield that detects water or snow on your glass. This allows your vehicle to turn on and adjust your wipers automatically for you in different types of weather.

Picture sourced from Mitsubishi Motors at http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/spirit/technology/library/sensor.html

What does this mean for me?

Having a rain sensor changes what windshield will be needed during a replacement. The difference between a rain sensor windshield and a standard windshield is that there is a small area (usually behind the rear view mirror) that is blackened out to hide the device. The dark area has a small view port with no tint or shading that allows the sensor to operate.

Regen Rain Sensor

By L.Kenzel – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7014340

How Does it Work?

Most commonly a rain sensor consists of an infrared light set at a 45 degree angle to a clear portion of the glass. The “sensor” is a photodiode that sits across from the infrared LED. It measures the extent that light has been reflected versus refracted. When water rests on the glass, it reduces the amount of light reflected and the sensor identifies the difference.  Therefore allowing your vehicle to know if there is water on the glass and how much.

Rain Sensor Diagram

By Puppenbenutzer – Own work, CC BY 3.0,https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6505218

Learn more about the different Common Auto Glass Features

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