Window and headlight spray activation

[SilvrFoxX]

Not sure where this might be covered but thought I would flag it and it can be moved

I have been annoyed at the headlight washer spray coming on intermittently when I go to clean the windows. Digging around it appears if you have your lights set to AUTO then they will come on and also I am yet to test if the same happens if they are turned to the ON position.

So far if I want only the window spray to activate I turn the lights from AUTO to OFF and only the window jets activate..

Anyway thought I would share

[Corey_R]

The headlight washers will come on the first activation, and every 5th after that. If I don't want them to come on, I just flick the lever so that nothing happens, and then pull the lever and only the windscreen spray occurs.

I'll try out the switching the lights to off and see what happens... although, that might not be appropriate at night

[SilvrFoxX]

hmmm like your approach better than mine.. will give it a whirl

[Rob_R]

Gave my window a wash on Eastlink yesterday which also activated the headlight wash. At 100kph the mist plume looked like I had just broken the sound barrier, hahaha! Got quite a few looks from the drivers around me.

[elephino]

The headlight washers will come on the first activation, and every 5th after that. If I don't want them to come on, I just flick the lever so that nothing happens, and then pull the lever and only the windscreen spray occurs.

I'll try out the switching the lights to off and see what happens... although, that might not be appropriate at night

An advantage of not being able to switch off the Xenon headlights even when in the off position. The lights still turn off during the spray, though.

[Ideo]

It's to do with a number of standards, both ADR and EU regs about xenon lights.

Another meh for me. Old car did it as well.

[Klink1313]

I don't worry about the lights washing either. If my windscreen is dirty enough to require a wash, my car is probably dirty too so some spray on the paint is not going to make it look worse IMO anyway

[dArK5HaD0w]

Digging around it appears if you have your lights set to AUTO then they will come on and also I am yet to test if the same happens if they are turned to the ON position.
So far if I want only the window spray to activate I turn the lights from AUTO to OFF and only the window jets activate..

the washers will activate (as u said, every 5th wash) only if the low beams r active (either 'auto'+low light or 'on' position), and if the wiper stalk is pulled back for more than a 1 second.
it won't activate if the low beams are off ('0' position).
it won't activate if set to 'auto' and the low beams aren't active/on (i.e. during the day - bright n sunny).

basically - as long as the low beams aren't fired up, the headlight washer won't activate.

An advantage of not being able to switch off the Xenon headlights even when in the off position. The lights still turn off during the spray, though.

the lights do not off during the spray!!! wats the point of doing that?!?!?
because of the wall of water spray, it looks like they've dimmed, or in ur case - appear to look switched off momentarily!!

[Corey_R]

the lights do not off during the spray!!! wats the point of doing that?!?!?
because of the wall of water spray, it looks like they've dimmed, or in ur case - appear to look switched off momentarily!!

Correct, the headlights don't switch off during the washing.

[MkVIGTI]

When I just got the car, I was wondering how come the headlights go dim when I use the windscreen washer, it's not until I read my manual did I realize it was due to the headlight washer.

[MiiLos]

Are you sure they don't switch off? I shat myself the other nite when going to spray the windscreen and the road went black lol (non lit highway)! It might be when the spray nozzle raises that it blocks the light coming out.

[Corey_R]

Absolutely positive. Tested this myself, car stationary, and me looking at the lights from outside the car so I could see the washers pop out and do their stuff. The headlights don't so much as dim, it's literally as dArK5HaD0w has said - the spray of water blocks the light from the road

[elephino]

Absolutely positive. Tested this myself, car stationary, and me looking at the lights from outside the car so I could see the washers pop out and do their stuff. The headlights don't so much as dim, it's literally as dArK5HaD0w has said - the spray of water blocks the light from the road

So as I understand this, and from previous threads and comments, the phenomenon of the lights appearing to go out is essentially the reason they need to be washed in the first place. The dirt (or in the case of washing, water) is getting in the way of the light more than would a normal headlight and heavily reducing the amount of light getting, well, anywhere.