What does this mean for me?
Having a rain sensor changes what windshield will be needed during a replacement. The difference between a rain sensor windshield and a standard windshield is that there is a small area (usually behind the rear view mirror) that is blackened out to hide the device. The dark area has a small view port with no tint or shading that allows the sensor to operate.
By L.Kenzel – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7014340
How Does it Work?
Most commonly a rain sensor consists of an infrared light set at a 45 degree angle to a clear portion of the glass. The “sensor” is a photodiode that sits across from the infrared LED. It measures the extent that light has been reflected versus refracted. When water rests on the glass, it reduces the amount of light reflected and the sensor identifies the difference. Therefore allowing your vehicle to know if there is water on the glass and how much.
By Puppenbenutzer – Own work, CC BY 3.0,https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6505218