Tesla Auto Wipers: Why They Don't Work and Why There Isn't an Easy Fix

By Karan Singh
Tesla's Auto Wipers have been a pain point for the company
Tesla's Auto Wipers have been a pain point for the company
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Tesla’s Autowipers have been a long-standing issue for customers, as well as Tesla’s engineers. Elon Musk has often mentioned that improvements to Autowipers have been around the corner for years, but they appear to have taken a rain check.

Tesla owners often complain that their wipers are running against a completely dry windshield on a sunny day, or not running at all in light rain. Moderate to heavy rain performance seems to be improved for the most recent update to Auto Wipers.

In our test, we cover the vehicle's windshield with Post-It notes to find out what the vehicle’s cameras can see.

We cover the windshield in Post-It notes
We cover the windshield in Post-It notes
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The Water Problem

Tesla vehicles lack a rain sensor. This is a result of Tesla’s strategy to rely upon Tesla Vision to replace all sensors – which they’ve successfully used most recently to replace the ultrasonic parking sensors (USS) on their vehicles. Tesla believes that vision is the solution to achieving all self-driving capabilities, and this includes the elimination of extraneous sensors such as USS and radar.

Of course, many other vehicles employ simple rain sensors that do function fairly well, and effectively detect the presence of water on the windshield. So, what’s stopping Tesla Vision from doing the same thing?

The problem isn’t Tesla’s detection methods, it’s the view of the windshield Tesla has. Water droplets are small and the three front cameras only capture a small portion of the entire windshield, making it difficult for them to capture and acknowledge the fact that there is water on the windshield that needs to be wiped away. This is in addition to the fact that the cameras are focused further away, to drive and navigate the vehicle effectively, rendering the visuals close to the camera blurry – leaving a rather technical challenge.

Our Test

The car's wide-angle camera
The car's wide-angle camera
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Even Tesla’s front-facing, wide-angle camera can barely see the yellow Post-In notes in our test, let alone the blue Post-It notes spread through the windshield. Tesla’s other front-facing camera, the “main” camera, sees only a trace of the Post-Its along the bottom. In reality, Tesla has no idea what’s on the vehicle's windshield and can only make assumptions based on a few square inches near the top of the windshield. If any rain droplets are on this portion of the windshield, they’ll also be out of focus. If the view of the rain droplets was as clear at the image at the top of this article, Tesla would have perfected auto wipers years ago.

Tesla’s third front-facing camera, the “narrow” view, is only available on hardware 3 and it’s just a zoomed-in version of the main camera, which causes it to miss our Post-It notes completely. With hardware 4, Tesla removed the narrow camera and now determines the narrow view by cropping the main camera, which has a higher resolution in hardware 4.

Water droplets on the windshield
Water droplets on the windshield
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Tesla’s Engineering Magic

Tesla is able to detect drops on the windshield when they land in front of the camera cluster, but again, since the cluster is mounted high above most of the windshield, this can lead to the windshield filling up with water droplets before a wipe is triggered.

They’ve also tried using the vehicle’s other cameras, such as the repeater or B-pillar cameras to detect falling rain – which can help the Autowiper system build confidence that there is water on the windshield. Once it has enough confidence, it triggers a wipe – or changes the wipe modes. However, in reality, due to the focal length of the cameras, it has a difficult time detecting rain droplets because they’re out of focus.
In the image below, taken from Tesla’s wide-angle camera, you can see that the water droplets from the previous image are nearly impossible to detect. On the left, is the windshield with the water droplets, and on the right is the windshield after being wiped. While the droplets cause a slightly blurry image, they’re extremely difficult to see.

How water droplets look to the camera (left) and how a clean windshield looks (right)
How water droplets look to the camera (left) and how a clean windshield looks (right)
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Wiping Away Challenges

The transition to entirely vision has left a considerable challenge for Tesla’s very capable engineering teams. The current Autopilot hardware suite lacks a good view of the windshield itself, but it can detect falling rain. Given that Tesla’s software can detect and display other vehicles using turn signals, it is also possible that they could detect other vehicles using wipers or use other cameras to see rain on the vehicle, such as the B-pillar cameras, to increase the system’s confidence that a wipe is required.

However, these solutions are likely to not be perfect, as they don’t provide an accurate representation of what the driver sees in the windshield, but instead an accurate representation of what the vehicle itself can see.

When engaging FSD on a lightly rainy day, your car may drive perfectly, but you’ll have a windshield full of rain when supervising!

Of course, there are many other reasons to run the windshield wipers beyond simple rain – spray and debris from vehicles in front, water falling from trees or being kicked up by deep puddles, or even snow settling on the windshield. Another challenge is bugs – they leave sticky smears at higher speeds when impacting the windshield, causing spots that can impede either vehicle vision or driver vision.

Future Solutions

Tesla likes to avoid solutions that only solve a single problem – such as adding a rain sensor. It is an additional manufacturing complication, adds additional cost to vehicles, and segments Tesla’s vehicles between model years.

On the other hand, cameras have solved many problems over the years – such as Tesla Vision taking over from the USS system that was present on pre-2022 Tesla vehicles. While it did take until FSD V12 for Autopark to become available to vision-only vehicles, the upgraded Vision-based Autopark is a marked improvement over the older USS solution.

Another such problem has been auto-high beams, which were solved with better oncoming vehicle detection and improved AI – which has led to a feature that is much better than its original implementation. This updated implementation has also led to improvements in the use of Matrix headlights – a feature that for now is only available in Europe and China due to legislative issues in the US.

Tesla is most likely going to be pushing another hardware revision – Hardware 5 – in the coming years. Some of the indications of this include the Cybertruck’s bumper camera – which is also expected to arrive in the Model X and Model S in the future.

There is a chance that Tesla may include a forward-facing interior at some point – to solve the fact that Vision is unable to currently see the windshield. However, Tesla also strongly believes they’ll achieve level 4 or 5 of vehicle autonomy in the future, so they could also be banking on autonomy removing the need for good auto wipers.

A Personal Example

If you get into your Tesla on a rainy day or add some drizzle via a watering jug, you can see how Tesla’s Autowipers will not activate unless water is placed directly in front of the camera cluster. You can also spray some water onto the camera housing and take a seat inside and use the camera preview to view what the cameras can see. It’ll provide you with a blurry, limited view of what the cameras see.

We may see further software improvements, but it may be a difficult engineering problem to solve with the limited camera capabilities that currently exist on hardware 3 and hardware 4 vehicles.

Iconic Movie Posters Reimagined by Tesla - All the Robotaxi Event Movie Posters

By Karan Singh
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Tesla designed a series of custom posters inspired by iconic, mostly sci-fi movies, adding a unique touch to their 2024 We, Robot event. Each poster was a reimagined version of a classic film infused with Tesla’s futuristic aesthetic. These posters weren’t just decorations—some captured Tesla’s vision of a tech-driven future, while others even showed off the Cybercab’s design before it was officially unveiled a few hours later.

Interestingly, despite the event’s title, there was no “I, Robot”-inspired poster. Given the event’s focus on AI and robotics, it would have been a fitting addition, reflecting the futuristic nature of the event.

We’ve compiled all the posters Tesla displayed at the event and even edited them for better quality. In this collection, we’ll walk through each poster and compare it to the original movie poster it was inspired by.

A.I. - E.T.

The A.I. Poster, based on E.T.
The A.I. Poster, based on E.T.
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This poster, inspired by E.T., depicts a robot reaching out to touch a human hand, mirroring the iconic moment in the original movie where an alien reaches out. In E.T., the image symbolizes the bond of friendship between humans and extraterrestrials; here, Tesla reinterprets it to reflect the theme of We, Robot—a celebration of connection and cooperation between humans and artificial intelligence. Instead of the original moon in the background, Tesla swaps it out for Mars.

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Robotaxi Driver - Taxi Driver

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This poster draws inspiration from the iconic neo-noir classic Taxi Driver. In Tesla’s rendition, Elon Musk appears as an Optimus robot, evoking imagery of a Robotaxi navigating the bustling streets of New York City. It’s a clever nod to both the film’s gritty urban setting and Tesla’s vision for autonomous vehicles.

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The Musk - The Mask

The Musk poster, based on The Mask.
The Musk poster, based on The Mask.
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Inspired by the comedy superhero film The Mask, this poster features “Optimus Musk” as a playful yet formidable figure, ready to take on challenges while hiding behind a mask. While it may seem lighthearted on the surface, it subtly hints at the potential role Optimus robots could play in public service, perhaps even in support roles alongside law enforcement. Given that the Cybertruck has already been seen in a police configuration, the idea of Optimus units assisting in similar roles doesn’t feel too far-fetched.

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My Neighbor Optimus - My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Optimus poster, based onMy Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Optimus poster, based onMy Neighbor Totoro
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My Neighbor Totoro, the beloved Japanese animated film from Studio Ghibli, explores themes of environmentalism through traditional Japanese folklore and spirit characters. This particular poster stands out as one of our favorites, as it beautifully connects to Tesla’s core mission—accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Just as Totoro celebrates a harmonious relationship with nature, Tesla’s vision emphasizes sustainability and environmental stewardship, making this homage both fitting and inspiring.

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Bots - Jaws

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This poster is much simpler, and unfortunately, we couldn’t find a higher-quality shot of the poster. However, Tesla cleverly reimagines the iconic Jaws poster by replacing the movie title with “Bots”, depicting a shark looming over an unsuspecting Optimus swimming in the water.

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Master Plan Part IV - Back to the Future

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This one, in Back to the Future font, says Master Plan - Part IV - along with a play on the icon movie quote - “Drivers? Where we’re going, we don’t need drivers.”

The film uses the license plate “Outta Time,” which Tesla cleverly swapped out for “Outagas”.

Tesla and Elon’s last big plan was Master Plan 3. We’re excited to see when Master Plan IV arrives in full, and we’ll break it down for you when it does.

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Mad Musk - Mad Max

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In a creative twist on the iconic Mad Max movie poster, Tesla reimagines the dystopian world with a futuristic edge. Titled Mad Musk, the poster features Tesla’s Cybercab in the background and Optimus/Musk as Max. Tesla replaced the original weapon with Tesla’s NACS charger. Tesla was not afraid to show off the Cybercab’s design before the official keynote, as this poster also leaked the design of the autonomous taxi.

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Gasbusters - Ghostbusters

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This Tesla poster takes inspiration from the Ghostbusters movie, though after sifting through countless images, it’s unclear which specific Ghostbusters poster it directly references. The closest we could find was Ghostbusters - Frozen Empire. Regardless, the design creatively reimagines the theme, swapping “Ghostbusters” with “Gasbusters” to highlight the shift away from gas.

The poster features Tesla’s robotaxi, outfitted with emergency lights mounted on the roof, replacing the iconic Ecto-1 vehicle. In a fun twist, instead of the classic Ecto-1 license plate, the robotaxi proudly displays “Robo-1.”

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Optimus - Scarface

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This poster is a simpler version of the classic Scarface movie. It features Optimus as Tony Montana against the classic black-and-white background. Along the left side, it reads, “Say hello to our little friend...”

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While not all of these posters were profoundly deep, they were undeniably cool. These posters are fantastic tributes to cult classics and to our favorite company, Tesla. It would be a missed opportunity if Tesla didn’t offer some of these posters for sale in the future.

If we missed any posters or you have a higher-quality version of any of them, please let us know.

Tesla’s New Offline Commands: Key Features & Compatibility (Legacy Model S/X Not Supported)

By Karan Singh
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Tesla has drastically improved the connectivity portion of their app in the last year or two. Prior to these updates, if you want to start the vehicle’s climate system, you needed to open the Tesla app, wait for the vehicle to wake up, then press the HVAC icon.

Tesla then introduced “delayed” commands, which allows you to press the HVAC icon upon opening the app, and Tesla would then automatically send the command to the vehicle once it’s awake.

More recently, Tesla made it so the vehicle sends its most recent data to Tesla before falling sleeping, meaning that when someone opens the Tesla app, they’re looking at the most recent vehicle data, even if the vehicle is sleeping.

Now Tesla is introducing offline commands for newer models, letting users send a command to their vehicle over Bluetooth instead of relying on an Internet connection. The process is transparent to users, if the user is in close proximity to their vehicle, the app will send the command over Bluetooth, otherwise it will send it over WiFi or cellular.

Offline commands are faster and more reliable. When you press the button to open the frunk, it’ll now do this instantly, instead of waking up the vehicle first. However, it looks like not every model will be supported.

Legacy Model S / Model X

Legacy Model S and Model X vehicles - so any S/X produced before the 2021 refresh, won’t be able to use offline commands, at least at this time. A user reached out to Tesla Service to find out why their offline commands weren’t working, and a tier two Tesla service rep confirmed that this feature isn’t supported on legacy vehicles.

Legacy vehicles will continue to require internet connectivity for commands, except for unlocking the vehicle.

Legacy Model S and X unfortunately don’t receive the majority of features in recent updates due to various reasons. One of them is likely due to the smaller userbase and another is likely due to the vertical screen orientation that differs from the newer models.

However, Tesla has continued to support them with some features. It was confirmed that the legacy Models S and X will get Actually Smart Summon and potentially get access to Live Sentry Mode Cameras - a limitation that was previously related to the vehicles being unable to upload data live to Tesla’s servers.

This limitation for offline commands is likely due to a technical limitation preventing Tesla from implementing it on these vehicles, rather than any lack of trying.

Requirements

To use offline commands with the Tesla app, you’ll need to run version 4.38 or higher of the Tesla app. The most recent version is 4.38.5, which is available for Android and iPhones. Your vehicle will also need to be running update 2024.38 or higher, which is currently only available to about a third of the Tesla fleet.

Update 2024.38.6

Installed on 25.9% of fleet
118 Installs today
Last updated: Nov 10, 11:10 pm UTC

You’ll also need to have one of the supported models, which appear to be the Model 3/Y, 2021+ Model S/X and the Cybertruck.

Future Support?

Tesla has committed to supporting legacy vehicles where possible, with other improvements for safety like improved Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking for MCU1 vehicles and FSD 12.3.6. It is possible that eventually, these vehicles may receive support for offline commands, but it won’t be likely, given Tesla’s priorities to get features working on the newer vehicles.

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