Installing a rain sensor on Lada cars

July 15, 2016 Lada.Online 49 775 6

Many modern Lada cars (for example, Granta, Kalina, Vesta or XRAY) have a standard rain sensor, which is installed from the factory. On machines that do not have this option, you can install it yourself. Let's look at the features of connecting the DDA rain sensor on different Lada models.

Let's figure out what a rain sensor is?

A small-sized device that is placed on the windshield, directly inside the car. Its structure has 2 blocks: the first is a relay, which is responsible for the operation of the mechanism; the second is management. Attaching it is not at all difficult, but this should only be done in the area where the windshield wipers operate. It is usually located near or under the mirror, which displays the rear view. Thus, it is not an obstacle to the control of the car, and also does not block the view. When installing the sensor, you should make sure that there is no damage to the glass and that it is not covered with tinted film. After installation, it is necessary to make control measurements on thoroughly washed glass, then enter the data into the on-board computer. After this, if something impacts the glass, the cleaning system will automatically start. These devices operate very quickly, literally for the first time in a split second. But in order for them to work, the windshield wiper system must work. Otherwise, the sensors will not trigger. Installing a rain sensor on a Lada Granta with your own hands will not cause any difficulties if all the rules and recommendations are followed.

So what: a whim or a necessity?

We will not give a definite answer to this question. The right to choose will always remain with each of us. If a person likes to drive a car, and by the word “drive” he means making many decisions independently and correctly and on time, then there is no question. Turn on the wipers in a timely manner, and immediately select the most successful operating interval. Turn on the headlights in time, and exactly the ones you need. Professionalism always evokes admiration and respect. But what if the trip turned out to be long and you are tired? Agree, it’s convenient to entrust some of the functions of driving a car to auxiliary devices. Moreover, they are already available to almost every driver.

Share your information and tips in the comments, and you can also share this interesting article with your friends on social networks!

Until recently, the function of automatically turning on windshield wipers was installed only on expensive cars, but now a rain sensor is also integrated into budget models. Such systems are designed to increase the comfort of driving a vehicle and assist the driver while driving.

The action of this mechanism

Each device of this type has two main parts:

• photodetector;
• infrared emitters.

The electronic unit stores information that fully displays the angles of refraction of sunlight on both a dry glass surface and a wet one. If dirt or water gets on the glass, the beam immediately changes its refraction and a signal is triggered on the unit. The glass cleaning system immediately turns on after receiving the signal, as it is connected to the on-board computer. The speed at which the wipers operate is directly related to the degree of contamination. The system is ultra-sensitive, and therefore even the slightest drop of water falling on the glass can turn it into operation. Any car enthusiast can install a rain sensor on a Lada Granta with his own hands, provided that he has at least a little knowledge of mechanical engineering.

How to check functionality

To do this, you need plain water and a spray bottle. Step-by-step instructions on how to check the sensor yourself:

• turn on the rain sensor;
• apply water using a spray bottle to the windshield;
• wait for the system to respond for 20-30 seconds.

Before starting the test, you must switch the sensor to sensitive mode. For greater accuracy, tests are carried out in several operating modes.

All systems are protected against false alarms, so it is necessary to apply water evenly to the windshield for 20 seconds. Otherwise, the automatic complex will not work and will not turn on the brushes. As an alternative, computer diagnostics can be used.

The precipitation sensor allows you to automatically monitor weather conditions, and in case of rain or snow, turn on the purifiers. Although the system has a number of disadvantages, it greatly simplifies the driving process.

Reasons for possible failure of the rain sensor

Very rarely there are situations when the device does not work for any reason. This phenomenon can only be due to the fact that the entire cleaning system is inoperative. Do not expose the sensor to moisture or detergents. It is better to remove it when washing glass. In winter, it is advisable to warm up the glass before installing the cleaning system. Nowadays, traffic on the roads is so intense that being distracted for just a second can cause an accident. Therefore, all drivers must be as collected and extremely attentive as possible. All these innovations were created for their convenience.

The speed of the windshield wiper sweeps and the pauses between them depends on the speed of the car. The instructions say that the sensor recognizes the approach of water, for example, if a car drove along the oncoming lane and splashed a wave from a puddle on the oncoming car at a distance of 10 centimeters.

What are the rear view mirror covers for Lada Vesta needed for?

The devices significantly improve the aerodynamics of the car. Driving at high speed is not accompanied by an unpleasant whistle if the Lada Vesta mirror covers are installed. In addition, they give the vehicle an attractive appearance. The most popular are linings made using relatively expensive chrome. The overlays are body color, are installed on top of the standard ones and have a low price. They can be bought for 800 rubles.

Lada Vesta pleased with mirrors with good visibility. Everything looks very good. They also added a turn signal repeater to the mirrors, it looks very cool. Moreover, the repeater is made with a slight bend so that the driver, looking in the mirror, can see whether the desired turn signal is on. Another nice thing is that the mirror bends in the other direction, that is, if someone hits it, it will not break, but will bend in the other direction, and then due to the spring it will bounce back to its original place. This is all very cool. But there is also a significant drawback of these functional mirrors with good visibility. They creak terribly when folding, especially when you park the car at night in a quiet courtyard and you start folding them in complete silence, the grinding sound is heard throughout the entire area, it is very unpleasant at such moments. You don’t fold mirrors, you close them like closing a barn door. Moreover, it happened two times that the mirror on the passenger side did not fold the first time; when it was completely bent, for some reason there was no click that fixes it in the folded position. It only worked from the second to the third time. I don’t know, maybe it was something that froze, but now everything seems to be working. Also, if you tap the mirror with your finger, you can hear the rattling and ringing of the spring inside, which is also sometimes noticeable when driving on a ribbed surface. The emptiness inside intensifies this ringing significantly.

Installation process:

• Installing a rain sensor on your car is easy and simple. To do this, pull out the relay of the glass cleaning device. It is located first and install a rain sensor in the same place.
• Thus, it should turn out that there is a rain sensor on the right, and a windshield wiper relay on the left.
• This device should be secured to the windshield using double-sided tape, which is included in the kit.
• Due to correct installation, the sensor should not be visible. It is placed behind the strip, which serves as light protection.
• There are 4 degrees of sensitivity of the mechanism. Before you begin installation, you must carefully study the entire set of instructions.
• It is better to run the electrical wire under the trim, on the ceiling of the car. Then pass it through the driver's pillar and lead it to the fuse box.
• In order to check how the newly installed device works, you can simply splash a small amount of water into the area where the wipers are located. Are the windshield wipers working? This means that the goal has been achieved. In reality it's even simpler.

Device and design features

Initially, a simple scheme from American manufacturers was used to determine the degree of precipitation. Special films were installed on the windshield, which conducted resistance, and the measuring system analyzed the change in parameters. If the resistance dropped, the brushes were automatically switched on. But the design had a number of disadvantages, since it was triggered by a large number of false factors, including insects stuck to the glass.

In the early 80s, designers began to develop devices consisting of LEDs and photodiodes that respond to changes in the angle of refraction of light. This made it possible to increase the accuracy of measurements and reduce the number of false alarms.

Operating principle of the sensor

The precipitation detection sensor is a housing containing a circuit board and optical elements. Main components of the device:

• photodiode;
• two LEDs;
• light sensor (if equipped);
• Control block.

When an increased level of precipitation is detected, the sensor generates a control signal to turn on the windshield wipers and also controls the intensity of their operation.

The devices determine the level and intensity of rain, as well as other types of precipitation and glass contamination. This allows you to increase the efficiency and sensitivity of the system.

How to remove the side mirror on a Kia Rio?

Removing the side mirror is a little more complicated; you will have to use tools, but there will be no differences in the removal process between the left and right housings. For dismantling you will need:

• flathead screwdriver;
• head at 10.

The housing is removed in the following order:

• turn off the Kia Rio engine;
• Remove the negative wire from the battery terminal;

• use a slotted screwdriver wrapped in electrical tape or a plastic spatula to pry off the housing lining;
• press out the strong plastic clips (this will require some physical effort) and remove the lining;
• With your fingers (preferably with gloves) squeeze the latch holding the block of wires responsible for heating;
• move the block to the side;
• holding the element with your left hand, use your right hand to unscrew the three bolts holding the mount using a 10-mm wrench;
• remove the part.

Installing the mirror is done in the reverse order. When working, you must use gloves and do not touch the reflective element with your hands, so as not to leave marks that are difficult to wash off.

How does a rain sensor work?

The operating principle of the rain sensor is based on a comparison of the optical properties of the windshield under different atmospheric conditions, or more precisely, on the differences in the reflection of an infrared ray by a clean and moistened or contaminated glass surface.

Everything is quite simple - it consists of emitting and receiving infrared LEDs. The design and operation of such a product will help you understand the photo:

As can be seen from the above description, the structure of such a device is quite simple, which predetermines quite wide possibilities for its use.

What such a device looks like is shown, for example, in the photo:

As can be seen from the figure, a separate housing contains a control unit connected by a harness to a relay that controls the operation of the windshield wiper. The control unit must be glued in the area where the wiper blades overlap.

The video will help you understand how this kind of work is done. The data presented confirm that it is easy to glue such a device, and this work can be done yourself. » alt=»»>

How to disassemble a side mirror on a Lada Vesta

To disassemble the side mirror at 2180, you need to do several simple manipulations. Since the Lada Vesta turn signal indicator is an electrical device, when removing the reflector it is necessary to remove the negative terminal from the battery. It is necessary to remove the trim from the car door pillar by first unclipping the upper and two lower latches. After this, you need to disconnect the wires and unscrew the three screws that secure the rear view reflectors to the door.

Once the reflectors are removed, their disassembly is almost complete:

1st step: turn the mirror element to the side until it stops to remove it (the reflector heating wires do not need to be disconnected);

Step 2: use a flat-head screwdriver to unclip the mirror element from the housing;

Step 3: To release the colored plastic trim clips, use a flat-blade screwdriver and then slide the trim to the side.

If you remove the side mirror, you can get to the mechanism that provides electrical power to the repeaters. After replacing the relevant parts, installation proceeds in the reverse order.