How to Disable the Rain Sensor on Infiniti QX80, QX56 and Nissan Patrol
If your wipers stopped pausing after a windshield replacement, you can switch the rain sensor off in software and get adjustable intermittent wipes back. Plus two handy wiper settings hidden in the BCM.
The rain sensor on the Infiniti QX56, QX80, and Nissan Patrol Y62 is great — until it isn’t. A windshield replacement is often where things go wrong. The classic symptom: on the first setting, the wipers stop pausing and just keep going, and the delay control does nothing.
The real fix involves the glass and the sensor. But there’s a quick workaround: switch the rain sensor off in software, through a body control unit (BCM) setting. The first wiper position then works as a normal intermittent mode again. Below: how to do it with an ELM327 adapter and the Canfiti app, how to get the sensor working again if you want it back, and two more wiper modes tucked away in the unit.
The symptom: wipers with no delay
Here’s what it usually looks like:
- the stalk is on the first setting, but the wipers behave like the second — not fast, just nonstop;
- adjusting the delay has no effect;
- in light rain constant wiping is overkill, so you keep flicking the wipers on and off by hand.
On the Canfiti developer’s car it got worse over time. Right after he bought it, the sensor was only so-so at detecting rain. After another windshield replacement it got worse, and eventually the first setting turned into constant wiping. In a light drizzle he was hitting the wiper by hand roughly every ten seconds.
Why it happens
The rain sensor sits against the windshield through a layer of clear gel or a gel pad. Owners in the discussion agree that this is usually the culprit: after a glass replacement the gel dries out, goes on with bubbles, or doesn’t get replaced at all. The sensor loses proper contact with the glass and starts misreading.
That leaves two options:
- Disable the sensor in software — quick, reversible, no shop visit.
- Restore the sensor — replace the gel or pad, and if that doesn’t do it, install a new sensor.
Let’s start with the first.
Option 1: disable the rain sensor with Canfiti
The setting is called “Wiper rain sensor” and lives on the “Body control unit” screen. It’s a simple ON/OFF switch.
Before you start
- An ELM327 adapter. iPhones work with BLE and Wi-Fi; Bluetooth Classic is Android-only. See ELM327 adapters.
- The latest version of Canfiti.
- Ignition on.
Step by step
- Plug the adapter into the OBD2 port under the dash on the driver’s side and turn the ignition on.
- In Canfiti, tap “Connect” on the “OBD2 Device” card and pick your adapter on the “Scanning devices” screen. For a Wi-Fi adapter, join its network first.
- Tap the BCM card (“Body control unit”) and wait for the settings to load.
- Find “Wiper rain sensor” and flip it to OFF.
- Wait for the write to finish, then back out and reopen the screen — it should still say OFF.
How to tell it worked
Put the wipers on the first setting and play with the delay. The pause between wipes should get shorter or longer. If the wipers used to run nonstop and now wait between passes, the sensor is off and the first setting is a regular intermittent mode again. For the developer, it made a noticeable difference — the delay is adjustable again.
Option 2: get the sensor working again
If you want the automatic mode back, the sensor can usually be restored. Here’s what owners suggest:
- Replace the gel. Auto glass shops do this quickly. What matters is applying it without bubbles.
- Use a gel pad. Ready-made pads are sold for Nissan and Renault, though one QX80 owner says they don’t work very well.
- Install a new sensor if neither the gel nor the pad helps.
After the repair, open “Body control unit” and flip “Wiper rain sensor” back to ON.
Two more wiper settings
The same screen has a couple of options most owners never knew existed.
“Drip wipe”
After you spray washer fluid, the wipers make a couple of passes, pause while the leftover fluid runs down the glass, and then sweep once more to clear it. In the app it’s a drop-down:
| Option | What happens |
|---|---|
| “Front and rear disabled” | No drip wipe |
| “Front on, rear off” | Windshield only |
| “Front off, rear on” | Rear window only |
| “Front and rear on” | Both |
“Activate rear wiper when reversing”
If the front wipers are running and you shift into reverse, the rear wiper makes a couple of sweeps by itself. Handy when you’re backing into a parking spot in the rain. It’s an ON/OFF switch.
Where it’s been confirmed
- Infiniti QX56 Z62 — rain sensor disabled; the delay is adjustable again.
- Infiniti QX56 Z62 — on another owner’s vehicle both wiper settings read correctly: “Drip wipe” set to “Front on, rear off” and the rear-wiper-in-reverse switch ON.
- Infiniti QX80 Z62, Nissan Patrol Y62 — the option is available on these models too, but no owner has reported disabling the sensor with Canfiti yet.
On other CAN-bus Nissan and Infiniti models it may work — connect and check whether these rows are on the screen. US-market Armada (Y62) owners: no reports yet. More on these vehicles: Infiniti QX80 / QX56 Z62 and Nissan Patrol Y62.
Troubleshooting
- The app can’t see the adapter. Close other OBD apps, make sure no second phone is connected to the adapter, and update Canfiti. More in the one-touch lane change signal guide.
- “The unit is not responding”. Check the ignition and tap “Retry”. If the ECU part number at the bottom of the screen looks suspiciously short, try another adapter.
- The delay still won’t adjust. Reopen the screen and confirm “Wiper rain sensor” is still OFF. If it is and nothing changed, post your model, year, and ECU part number in the DRIVE2 discussion.
How to switch back
Open “Body control unit” and flip “Wiper rain sensor” to ON. Set “Drip wipe” and the rear wiper back to the values in your screenshot. Nothing on the vehicle is physically changed — only the unit’s settings — so feel free to experiment.
Related
- How to turn off the headlamp washers — same settings screen.
- All hidden BCM settings.