Wiper delay time and intermittent wiper systems: which statements are true?

• A. Delay time may be programmed to increase as vehicle speed increases
• B. Some wiper systems use capacitors for the intermittent wiper system
• C. Neither
• D. Both A and B

Answer: (D)

Intermittent wiper systems rely on a timing circuit that controls how long the wipers stay off between sweeps. That timing isn’t fixed; it can be set or adjusted, and in many designs it even uses the vehicle’s speed as an input to decide what delay to apply.

One point is that the delay time can be programmed to change with speed. In many implementations, the control logic increases or decreases the interval depending on how fast the vehicle is traveling, so the wipe pattern adapts to driving conditions. This speed-sensitive behavior helps maintain visibility without wiping too often or too slowly as wind and rain interact with the windshield.

Another point is that some intermittent systems use capacitors as part of their timing circuit. Capacitors, together with resistors, create a controllable delay (an RC timing network) that determines how long the system waits before a wipe. This is a common, straightforward way to implement an adjustable interval.

Because both features appear in real wiper systems—speed-based delay programming and capacitor-based timing—the statement that covers both is true.