Mokka Wipers Gone Wild: Rain Sensor Woes & Solutions

Hey there! Had the same issue with my 2016 Vauxhall Astra Diesel. Those rain sensors can be tricky! In my case, bubbles formed under the gel pad where the sensor sits on the windshield, causing similar symptoms. Had to take it to my regular workshop, they replaced the gel pad and recalibrated the sensor. Quick fix, cost me about 62.50€. Before I share more details, what symptoms exactly are you seeing with your wipers? Do they activate out of nowhere, not work at all, or something else? Also, can you still operate them manually? The Mokka and Astra share some similar components, so this might be the same problem, but let's confirm the symptoms first.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Mine's actually playing up differently, the wipers are super sluggish and sometimes just stop mid-sweep. Last service was about 2 months ago at 194392 KM, and they were working fine then. I can still control them manually, but even then they're really slow and jerky. Sometimes they make this weird grinding noise too. Starting to think it might be more than just the sensor, maybe something mechanical? Would love to hear if anyone's dealt with these specific symptoms!

Hey again! Thanks for clarifying those symptoms, definitely sounds different from what I initially thought with the rain sensor. Given what you're describing, it reminds me exactly of what happened with my Astra last winter, that grinding noise and sluggish movement is super familiar! Turned out my wiper motor was starting to fail, and there was also some debris built up in the wiper linkage mechanism. In my case, I first tried cleaning the linkage and lubricating it (thought I could save some money, you know?), but that only helped temporarily. Eventually had to bite the bullet and get the wiper motor replaced. Total cost was around 280€ for the motor plus labor. My mechanic showed me the old motor, the internal gears were pretty worn out, which explained the grinding noise I was hearing. Since the replacement, they've been working smooth as butter! Given your Mokka's mileage and the symptoms you're describing, I'd put money on it being the same issue. Definitely worth getting it checked out soon, you don't want to get caught in heavy rain with dodgy wipers! Let me know what you find out when you get it looked at.

Thanks so much for the detailed response! That's really helpful, and yeah, the symptoms you described with your Astra sound exactly like what I'm experiencing. The grinding noise especially matches up. I think you're right about the wiper motor, makes total sense given the mileage on my Mokka. 280€ isn't cheap, but it's better than being stuck in bad weather with unreliable wipers! I've actually just booked it in at my local garage for next Tuesday, so I'll definitely let you know what they find. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, it's given me a much better idea of what to expect. Fingers crossed it's just the motor and nothing more complicated!