Automatic headlight cleaners, which eliminate the need to manually clean and de-fog your headlights, can simplify maintenance for Audis, which are renowned for their technology and performance.
Simply switch on the headlights in an Audi, pull the windshield wiper stalk in the direction of the steering wheel, and hold it there to activate the headlight washer. Together with the windshield washer, the headlight washers turn on.
Your headlight washers will turn on roughly every fifth time you use your windshield washer because they are truly automatic. Sadly, there isn’t an independent manual button or lever that turns on the headlight washer.
Check your washer fluid level and make sure there are no obstructions or debris near the headlight washer ports if it appears that the headlight washer isn’t operating at all.
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In This Article...
How are headlamp washers used?
Activate the headlights. To use the washers, press the headlight washer button. When you turn on the windshield wipers for the first time, the headlight washers also turn on. When the lever is in the AUTO position when you are driving in wet conditions, the wipers work according to the amount of rainfall that is sensed.
Why are headlight washers standard on cars?
No, it’s not a robotic grappling hook and cable that will shoot out to save you if your automobile plunges off a cliff or a photon blaster ready to destroy anything in your way. A headlampwasher is what’s located inside the typically rectangular cutout below your headlight.
Funny how some automobile owners who truly had this feature in their everyday drivers had no idea what I was talking about. So, in order to reach a wider audience, I choose to talk about this here.
Whatever your opinion may be, headlamp washers are required by law in several nations. It is intended to improve the light beam that your bulbs output and lessen refraction, particularly in unfavorable circumstances where dirt and grime are introduced to your headlight encasement.
Our rules do not require it, but if your vehicle has it, it is a useful feature to have and enhances nighttime visibility.
Now, why aren’t modern headlamps equipped with real wipers like the ones in vintage cars?
Since previous headlamps were essentially made of glass, wipers were added to the washer system. Wipers were no longer used since they would scratch polycarbonate surfaces when dirt was present after automakers made the switch from glass to polycarbonate polymers some time ago. The washer mechanism would produce a stream of cleaning solution at pressures up to 50 bar (far greater than your windshield washer pressure) in order to compensate for the lack of wipers and maximize performance.
Please allow me to simply show how this function is activated for those who are aware of it but haven’t used it (or worked it out).
Retractable headlight washers: what are they?
BMW retractable headlight washers are covert nozzles that clean the headlights by misting washer fluid onto them. When the windshield washer is turned on while the headlights are on, the system will also clean the headlights. In order to ensure that the headlights can emit as much light as possible, the nozzle is retractable until usage, at which point it stretches and fires high pressure washing solution onto the lenses.
Does LED lighting require washers?
Even now, headlight washers are frequently called headlamp wipers. However, the systems with the tiny wipers as well as the glass headlamp lenses vanished. The wiper blades would only harm headlamps with polycarbonate lenses. A high pressure cleaning system is the newest type of headlamp washer.
The misconception that headlamp washers are only required for xenon lights is pervasive. This is incorrect on multiple levels. The 25-Watt version of xenon, the most recent generation, doesn’t actually require one. However, halogen and LED headlamps that produce more than 2000 lumens of light do require one. Indeed, ECE clearance depends on this. (In North America, headlight washers are not at all required under DOT rules.) Although these don’t directly mention xenon, in practice only xenon headlamps are impacted because no certified halogen lamp exceeds this threshold value, and this is also true for the majority of LED systems. They have a 3000 lumen output.
The insiders will caution, “Hold on though, there are halogen bulbs with an output of almost 2000 lumens.” That much is true; one such lamp, the H9, produces 2100 lumens. However, the ECE requirements only apply to the low beams of light, not the high beams for which this lamp is designed.
So why, exactly, do headlamps require a washer system? The majority of people believe that this is so that dirt cannot hinder the light. This is only partially accurate, and given the tremendous light output of xenon lights, this wouldn’t be a particularly pressing issue. The fundamental justification for the requirement is that dirt may damage the headlamp’s optical components and result in glare. In addition, even mildly filthy headlamps emit more glare, and of course, the brighter the headlamp, the more glare there will be.
Scandinavia is where headlamp washers first appeared. They were required in Sweden from 1972 to the beginning of the 1990s, and currently practically all cars in the nation come equipped with them, even if they have halogen headlamps. With pressures of up to 50 bar, the high-pressure washing system’s nozzles spray water onto the headlamp lenses. In the summer, using the wrong insecticide or antifreeze can do all sorts of harm. The headlamp lenses are prematurely degraded; new headlamps are expensivemuch more expensive than reputed brand antifreeze and similar products.
Why are washers required for xenon headlights?
High-intensity discharge (HID) or xenon bulbs, which are more expensive but last longer, are much brighter, and emit a white light that is closer to natural daylight. Due to their higher price tag, they frequently come as desired extras on hatchbacks and family vehicles. In order to distinguish themselves as premium vehicles, executive, luxury, and sports automobiles are more likely to come equipped with xenon headlights as standard.
Although more recent LED headlights are considerably brighter than xenon headlights, a good set of xenon headlights is still a wonderful option for nighttime driving.
How do xenon headlights work?
The name “Xenon” (pronounced “zen-on”) for headlights may seem odd, but it comes from the xenon gas utilized within each bulb to help give them their very bright light. Each xenon bulb is intended to live longer than its halogen equivalentsometimes for the lifetime of the automobile it is installed inbecause an electrical arc is sent through the gas instead of a metal filament that may get hot and eventually burn out.
To keep their headlights clean, cars using xenon headlights are obliged to have headlight washers. Because dirt and dust can disperse light and cause other drivers to become blind, this is required. The cleaning method typically uses a high-pressure screenwash jet, while it is also possible to employ small wipers. Additionally, xenon headlights have a leveling system built in to prevent them from pointing too high and blinding other motorists.
What are the benefits of xenon headlights?
Some of the advantages of xenon lights have already been stated, like their increased brightness and longer lifespan. The benefit of safety, however, is by far the greatest.
Because they illuminate far further ahead of your automobile than halogen headlights can, xenon headlights are typically two to three times brighter than halogen headlights. This is crucial at greater speeds, especially when you consider that a car traveling at 70 mph travels 32 meters every second. When driving a car with xenon headlights, the improved sight up ahead may be the difference between spotting and braking for a hazard.
In comparison to halogen lights, xenons not only shine further but also have a more equal distribution of light. This indicates that there are no dark spots in your line of sight up ahead, and the side verges of the road are better lit. The latter may be especially crucial if you reside in a place where at-night walkers, cyclists, or animals may provide a danger.
What are the disadvantages of xenon headlights?
The primary drawback of xenon lights is their complexity; they are more expensive and sophisticated than a straightforward halogen headlamp and bulb. In a perfect world, they wouldn’t need to be maintained because they would probably outlive you owning the car. If they are harmed or develop a flaw after the warranty has expired, they will also be expensive to repair or replace.
The headlight washer system is also automatic in most cars, usually turning on after five or so times of using the windshield washers, which is a little inconvenience. This can abruptly throw a jet of soapy water over the front of the car and use a lot more screenwash than vehicles without xenons. If you’re driving a convertible or going to pass an unaware pedestrian, it’s important to keep this in mind.
Are LED headlights better than xenon headlights?
Since LED headlights are dominating the car industry, it’s possible that in the future, fewer new vehicles will be introduced with xenon headlights.
LEDs appear to be on their way to taking over for a number of reasons. To begin with, they employ a whole new technology that uses a lot less energylight-emitting diodes. These energy savings pile up in a time when automakers are working to get every additional mile out of a tank of petrol and lower tailpipe emissions.
Because LED lights can be manufactured in nearly any shape and size by arranging them in arrays, where they are piled together like building blocks, they are also preferred by auto designers. As a result, designers have more freedom to produce vehicles with extremely narrow headlights or with intricate forms that were previously impractical, making new models stand out.
Additionally, it is possible to automatically adjust the light beam while you drive thanks to arrays of LED lights. Manufacturers can utilize this technology to modify the distribution of light for city or highway driving, avoid blinding oncoming traffic without requiring the driver to manually dip the headlights, and even change it depending on the weather or country you’re traveling in.
Should headlight washers be operational for MoT?
Headlight washer malfunctions are typically a minor MoT issue. Only if the vehicle has LED or HiD (high-intensity discharge) headlights would it result in a fail (serious defect).