Didnt know i had this feature til i read it in this post the other day. It was raining last night and wouldnt you know it when i put it in reverse the wiper kicked on. Pretty sweet, I use my rear wiper all the time.

 

We got ice too, and my old car (Renault Scenic) had the same feature - never caused any problems even though there were a few times I forgot to lift the wiper after scraping the window. Maybe it was because the wiper motor was too weak to break the wiper, maybe it was because there was a bit of slack in the system (the window opened seperately from the trunk).
Anyway, if the motor is strong enough to break the arm, that seems a little strange to me!

 

If you have a FIT Sport which comes with rear spoiler, the spolier will prevent snow built-up on the rear window. Unless there is a strong side way wind/snow.

 

this is the one frikken thing I hate about the fit. I drive a lot of gravel roads and my back window is always covered with dirt/gravel. nothing more irritating than a swipe with a rear wiper blade to grind the grit into the glass just because I'm backing up. I hate this feature! It just smears it up, makes it even worse. this feature doesn't get my vote.

 

You should make a habit of doing a wash/wipe when needed, before the feature kicks in. But it's just another example of an auto feature that can be a drawback under certain situations.

 

Not very practical when you live on gravel, drive to work on gravel, and a lot of the time, drive to play on gravel.. I would have to wash the rear window 98 % of the time I get into the car. Well, at least when the wipers are on anyway. Not going to happen.

 

My Jeep's wipers have a thermal overload switch that kicks if you try to run them when they're frozen down. But then you have to wait 'till it cools to use the wipers...
Winter Driving 101 here in Westsylvania includes 'remember to turn off the wipers when you park the car' so that they don't try to start running as soon as you restart...if it froze overnight, you have a problem. Some leave the wipers standing up to avoid freezing 'em to the glass.
WD 101 also includes 'clear the damn windows'; unhappily, it is a rule that not everyone follows. I see some assholes looking thru' a gunslit that they scrape off, waiting for the defroster to do the rest.
That automatic back wiper is the one feature my Fit has that my bride's fancy schmancy VW doesn't have. Drives her crazy.
BTW, Bosch Icons make great winter wipers.
Moon

 

Moving the wiper where it is straight up and down when it stops would help avoid the build op of dirt. There is a thread of someone doing it with a step by step.

 

You are joking right? It isn't the dust buildup on a wiper that's so bad.. it's the MUD.. geez, drive some gravel/dirt in the rain or after a rain sometime.. the frikken wiper doesn't hold or catch the dirt.. the whole back window does.. we've had a month of rain here, except for the few hours I was in the city and went through a car wash, I haven't been able to see through the rear window. And don't say I should drive 5 miles an hour on the gravel, I wouldn't get anywhere fast.

 

I feel your pain. The back wiper auto swipe is one of those things you really can't know about before buying, unless you have a super thorough salesman- and I'd venture a guess not many of THEM know about it either. It takes OWNERS by surprise. If you would have known about it when deciding what to buy, would it have been a deal breaker for you? Just curious.

Dan

 

I save the mud and gravel for the Jeep, but our wintertime roads around here aren't much different; lots of snow,salt, brine, grime and 'tractive material' (PennDot's euphemism for the 2b gravel they dump on the roads). I just run lots of washer fluid when I run the wiper; scuffing the backlight is the least of my worries, and the washer tank is generous. I'd settle for fewer stone chips on the other end.
Moon
ETA-
I must be missing something...yeah, I know, there are sideview mirrors as well, but wouldn't it make sense to run the back wiper/washer BEFORE backing, just to know what's behind you??????? If it really is that much an issue, and apparently some folks don't run the wiper at any time...just take the damn thing off. And pitch it in the weeds.
M

 

geez, I re-read my post a bit ago, wow, was that me.. I'm a bit more mellow than that.
No, it wouldn't have been a deal breaker, but the very first time it happened I got on the cell phone to the shop tech at the dealer to find out how to disable it. He made the calls and later told me that without disabling the wiper completely, it wasn't possible. So, I guess I would have "pre-complained". (I love whining apparently) I had a base '07 fit before this '09 sport, and that didn't have the wiper issue.

Buying my 3rd fit... I don't know, not that it's the wiper, but that ford transit connect is getting my attention now. probably has an automatic wiper idea they stole from honda

 

my trailer blocks all of my rear window view.. no need to scrape anything.

link to pic
ClipShack - honda fit

 

I was talking about the WINDSHIELD...
Moon
ETA- I didn't open the pic 'till now. Holy crap...any notion what that trailer weighs?
M

 

These new features that do things automatically are annoying to me. At least let us turn off these new gadgets and let us control things ourselves.

 

Find yourself a TJ or older Wrangler. Just about NOTHING is automatic, and it is virtually gadget free. Most models don't have antilock brakes, and the 4wd system only works when you pull on an iron handle sticking out of the floor.
Moon

 

I thought they had the 4wd system that needs to be activated outside on the wheel hubs.

 

Naah, the older ones (CJs) did that, but it is typical of the thinking. It is easy to forget that the Fit is a little, inexpensive car, with features we'd previously expected on much more elaborate, expensive vehicles.
Moon

 

title says shipping weight 450 #'s and g.v.w.r. of 2999 #s. I doubt if it hit's 450 empty. .seems pretty light rolling it around. maybe with the tires/axes it is. all aluminum. nice