There is a Pizza place near me that sells there Pizza's as "Medium, Large and Family Size"...evidently to avoid the word and term "Small".

One slight disappointment I had with my 2016 Honda EX, is when I bought it, I asked the Salesperson if it had Intermittent Wipers. He said, Yes.

Well it wasn't until the rains of fall that I found out...NOT really.

Honda seems to of borrowed their marketing from the Pizza Joint. Calling their Wiper settings INT, LOW and HIGH.

But IMO, the wiper isn't truly an intermittent setting. It's just an nonadjustable very slow. Other true "Intermittent" wipers that I have had, were adjustable to various speeds. Which made them much more precisely adjustable to the rainfall outside.

People say....The Honda Fit is entry level. But I don't think that's an excuse. Don't call it INT...if it really is not. And why not really give us REAL intermittent wipers?

Honda with this latest generation Fit seemed to go so far in raising the bar in what amenities and features ARE available, that leaving out a true intermittent wiper just seems cheap. And deceptive to call what is really just a very slow speed...INT.

I really like The Honda Fit....and have for many years and more than one Generation.

But give us real intermittent wipers...and quit giving us "Spray Fuzz" carpeting.
The carpeting in a Honda Fit looks like it was organically manifested like a poorly watered Chia Pet.

I can understand cost cutting...but really? Come on. You are so close to being so much better.

 

Your sales person is correct. We have intermittent wipers. Not variable intermittent wipers like on the CR-V and HR-V.

 

OK.
But that still seems to me like a disingenuous semantic shell game.
I'm pretty sure the Salesperson knew what I was really asking.
I think most people think of "Intermittent" wipers as being by default adjustable and "variable".
Otherwise, like the Pizza place selling their small Pizza's as "Mediums"...intermittent just becomes the low setting being called INT.

Now if Honda labeled and called their settings Low, Medium and High? Then IMO it would be much more representative of the reality.

 

Spray fuzz carpeting. LOL!!! Yes Honda has cheaped out on the things you mention. What really gets me the most are drum rear brakes. WTH???

But the real question is??? How is that Pizza. ;-)

 

yah, i hate cars without variable intermittent wipers as well.. even installed one on my MT GE when i had it and luved it. even slowed down the wiping while at a stop, etc. very cool.

all cars in EX trim should come with variable intermittent wipers even if entry level.

 

Yea...I was also sucked into that one. I looked at the stalk during the test drive and seen intermittent so I figured they worked like EVERY new car/truck I've owned since the late 80's. First time it rained I was like WTF while trying to figure out the nonexistent variable speed function

 

Yeah technically, they are intermittant, and Toyota used the same on our '05 Corolla S, so I'm kinda used to the nonvariable aspect. I would think if they used the same variable switch on every level trim, the final cost in the build would be negligible... and it's certainly not a big enough deal to pressure me to buy higher...I wanted a manual LX and that's what I got 😁

 

This. Not sure the OP understands the definition of 'intermittent'.

I'm only mildly annoyed by the lack of variability. I usually only use the fastest two levels of intermittence on my other vehicles anyway.

 

even if it's a fixed rate, if it would just shut off or slow down at a stop that would be so much nicer.

it's not raining hard at all while in intermittent mode.. not like you cant see the light.

 

I find manually flicking the wipers at below intermittent speed setting works just fine for me when the rain is light. A gentle, satisfying, push up...

 

yah, if thats all u have, then really no choice, is there..

 

I like it.

 

My sales guy told me I could shut off the ambient meter surrounding the speedometer. The tech manual even references it but, um, no. Well, maybe if I used some electrical tape ...

 

I'm not sure you guys know the definition of intermittent.
Which according to google is:
Occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady

This is NOT intermittent per the Honda INT setting. Which IS steady and at regular intervals.....just very, very slow.

Where I admittedly was IMO- mislead, was not including the term "Variable".
Every vehicle I had owned, except for The Fit, the intermittent wipers were also "Variable" which meant you could adjust the "slowness" of the wiper response.

Basically my criticism is that Honda should give us VARIABLE intermittent wipers.
Intermittent as a setting that is really just "LOW" is kind of lie.

 

can't agree more! intermittent to me also means variable intermittent wipers.


some kinda word trick honda did.

 

Intermittant is the opposite of regular and dependable, and also the opposite of always functioning. Yes the google definition above is correct. For example if the window operating button usually opens or closes the window, but occasionally you hit the button and nothing happens, you have an intermittant fault in the operation of the window. I would say that if you can make the (front) wipers do one complete wipe by pushing the lever down and allowing it to spring back, then you have an intermittant function. If I recall correctly I could do that with some cars. If the lever will not spring back automatically, but will stay in the so-called intermittant position, causing the wipers to repeat one cycle at a regular (but long) interval, then they are not intermittant, they are just very slow. I don't recall if the lever springs back automatically. I know you can have intermittant high beams. If you pull the headlight lever toward you it will spring back when you let go, and the high beams will stay on intermittantly - only as long as you hold the lever toward you. Do the wipers work that way? I don't recall.

If you can adjust the slowness of the wiper, that is, if the slowness is variable, but the wiper nevertheless functions at a regular and dependable frequency, then it is not really intermittant either. It is just variable slowness. To be truly intermittant it must wipe at irregular intervals.

 

Good grief. We're arguing semantics.

I just tested my 2017 to make sure I wasn't crazy.
The intermittent setting goes sweep-pause-sweep-pause.
Steady is sweep-sweep-sweep-sweep.
That fits the second part of your definition from Google "not continuous or steady".
Irregular in this context simply means 'not regular' (as in 'steady, constant'). It does not imply either 'random' or 'variable'.
They are by definition intermittent.
Variable intermittence simply allows you to vary the length of the pause in between sweeps.

It doesn't matter in any way whatsoever that you think or feel that "intermittent REALLY means 'variable intermittent'". It does not. There is nothing 'disingenuous' here at all.

Now, if you're simply saying that Honda is being cheap by not including variable intermittent wipers, then sure. Valid point. But nobody is trying to pull one over on anybody.

 

Arguing semantics is a worthwhile endeavor. Semantics means the study of how you put words together to form or change meaning. There can be a difference of opinion of how to do those and arguing one's point can be a worthwhile endeavor.

The label on the wiper lever is not clear. The first position in the clockwize direction is labeled "int" for intermittent. However this position does not produce an intermittant motion of the wipers. It produces a predictably regular motion - the opposite of intermittant. A sweep, a specific number of seconds of doing nothing, another sweep, and the same number of seconds again, of doing nothing, ad infinitim. It continues the same pattern ad infinitum. What does cause an intermittent sweep of the wipers is if you push the lever counterclockwize, and do so at irregular intervals. The lever will not stay in that position. It springs back. If you push the lever that way intermittantly, you will have intermittant wiper operation. If you push the lever that way rhythmically, you will not have intermittent wiper operation. It is all up to the driver. This position is not labeled with words or symbols at all, there is just an arrow pointing counterclockwise in addition to the arrow pointing clockwise. To the left of the arrow there is a pictograph of washing-wiping and the word "pull." To the right of the arrow there is the word "mist." These refer to what happens when you pull the lever toward you. There is no pictograph or word telling you what happens if you turn the lever counterclockwize, just the arrow indicating it can be turned counterclockwise, in addition to being turned clockwise. What happens though is can have intermittant wiping - if you push the lever counterclockwise intermittently. If you push the lever clockwise to "int" you get a regular, continuously repeated wiper action.

 

you fit folks have much too much time on your hands.

 

If you want to discuss semantics, grammar, contextual meaning, etc., I'm your man. I love it. (Much to the annoyance of many at times) I have been called (rightly) a pedant about such things.

Nomenclator, By your description, you seem to believe that 'intermittent' implies either random or not following a pattern. This is incorrect.

The difference:

You can have a regular, intermittent pattern in the function of the wipers.

That statement is not a contradiction.

Stated another way: It is a regular pattern of intermittance.

Or still another way: The intermittance follows a predictable and regular pattern.

Meaning (while in "INT"):
The overall function of the wipers is regular. (follows a regular pattern, or 'predictable' in this context)
That actual function itself is intermittent. (meaning 'not constant' in this context))

The 'pause' in the sweep-pause-sweep-pause pattern is what defines it as intermittent function, though the pattern of that intermittence is regular and predictable.

Thus the wipers being intermittent. Just not variably intermittent.

See the difference?