It is challenging to clean the headlights when you travel off-road or during the rain. Many vehicles come with these headlight washers to keep the lights clean.
Do Cars Have Headlight Washers? Cars have headlight washers that can efficiently remove dirt and moisture from the bulb encasements. Moreover, they help improve visibility in snowy and foggy weather. In addition, they help remove the insects and hard stains of mud. However, these are not present in newer vehicles because they are not so efficient and look outdated.
It is better to clean the glass encasement and remove the debris to avoid light fading.
Furthermore, turn on the washers when driving through dusty roads, hilly areas, and adventurous roads.
What are headlight washers?
They are the rectangular-shaped washers present under a car’s headlights. You can check them on the vehicle’s front end or close to these lights.
The manufacturers add it to the vehicle by default, or you can add it later if these are present.
Furthermore, it is mounted on the car’s body and can be removed if you find them useless later. They were trending in the 19th century, and most vehicles have this feature.
Are headlight washers and headlamp wipers the same things?
Many people use the term headlamp wipers for the headlight washers used for wipers in the old times, which were close to headlamps.
However, the manufacturers have replaced the wipers with automatic washers, which are more efficient than the former ones.
These wipers can damage the polycarbonate lenses by leaving permanent scratches on their surface as their blades are sharp.
In contrast, these are based on high-pressure cleaning that throws water with high pressure on the casing of headlights.
You will not see wipers anymore due to their high cost and low efficiency in cleaning the lights.
Why do cars have headlight washers?
The headlamp washers offer drivers many benefits and a better driving experience. For example, it removes mud stains and washes away insects, but it is mandatory to add by law.
Improve visibility
The light beam can easily pass through clean headlights with no dirt on its surface. The water nozzle throws water on the high-pressure casing and cleans it.
You can look better on the road at the front end when there is no light disruption. This is because the light beam does not bend in any direction, and the rays move in a straight direction.
Remove dirt and debris
Some unfavorable conditions can introduce debris and grime into the casing of light and affect their functionality.
Removing the accumulated dirt from the glass cover and protecting the lens are essential. The dust particles can scatter light rays which produce glare.
Accordingly, glare can affect the visibility of other drivers sharing the same road. Therefore, they help clean the debris and avoid entering dust particles into the encasement.
Mandatory for automobiles
It is enforced by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to add washers when there are xenon bulbs on the vehicle. This is because it can efficiently reduce safety concerns and accidents.
So, it is mandatory according to US law to add it, particularly for xenon bulbs, but it is not a compulsory feature that needs to be added for other types of headlights.
Safe driving experience in foggy weather
It is essential to avoid the distraction of light beams when driving at night on the highways to look at vehicles coming closer.
So, these ensure sufficient light rays to reach the road by removing the barriers from glass casings like snow and dust.
The moisture accumulates in the headlights and is responsible for the drivers’ poor vision to look at the road.
Accordingly, you have to use these frequently to avoid moisture buildup when driving in cold weather. It is annoying for the drivers to get out of the cars every hour to wipe out moisture.
You can use this feature to clean the glass surface while sitting inside an automobile and ensure a safe driving experience.
Wash out insects
Some insects or bugs that are flying in the air or crawling on the vehicle’s body can sit on the headlamps. They can also enter inside the encasement and distort the light beam.
Removing the tiny insects and their dead skeletons attached firmly to the glass surface is essential. The high-pressure release of water from the nozzle can remove these bugs efficiently.
Ideal for muddy areas
It works efficiently in muddy areas to remove the thick mud stains present on the glass surface. However, you have to use these when driving through muddy roads excessively.
It is not possible to see from muddy headlights on the road as they are responsible for unclear vision by blocking the light from reaching the road.
Do all cars have headlight washers?
This feature was common in older vehicles because they have xenon lights. However, many expensive vehicles still have headlamp washers to clean the lights.
These automobiles include Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, and Nissan. In addition, Lamborghini, Volvo, and Mini Cooper also have the best washers to remove the hard mud or moisture from glass cover.
Furthermore, this feature is not so common in modern automobiles as a simple car wash and wiping the surface of glass cover at gas stations can help remove the debris.
In addition, the Toyota Fortuner and Skoda Superb have this feature.
Why do modern cars have no headlight washers?
There are some disadvantages of headlight washers, like the water can freeze when you throw it on the glass encasement and get into the bulbs through gaps or seams.
Moreover, the airflow direction affects the direction of water from the nozzle.
It can benefit some vehicles, but modern automobile manufacturers skip this feature for many other reasons.
Advanced style of Xenon lights
Modern automobile manufacturers are not adding headlight washers in the newer vehicles due to the advanced design of xenon bulbs.
These were used in the BMW 7 series for the first time due to their energy efficiency, which can work for longer than halogen lights.
The modern Bi-Xenon lights have only one bulb per light that can work for both high and low beams, unlike traditional xenon bulbs with two bulbs.
They offer better control over the reflectors to give better shine by reflecting the light in different directions and providing better visibility.
They can perform better in the dark due to the high beam to provide sharp vision so you can drive confidently at night without any safety risk.
Expensive
These are pretty expensive as you have to pay almost $15 to $80 only for the lights.
The cost can vary according to the model of the car because these covers are not universal, and expensive automobiles have high-cost accessories.
In addition, you have to pay almost $25 to $30 for the delivery of products if you have purchased them from online platforms.
Moreover, the professional workers can charge you almost $20 to $40 for replacing the damaged headlamps. So, it is better to avoid adding useless and expensive parts.
Less heat production by LED lights
Modern vehicles have LED bulbs in their headlamps that generate less heat than xenon bulbs. It improves the durability and functionality of lights and avoids the need for washers.
Moreover, the LED lights produce less than 2000 lumens, so they do not require such devices.
The LED bulbs are a bit costly, but they cover a large area and consume less energy. Moreover, these produce little or no glare that cannot distract the drivers.
The better option of LED bulbs is responsible for replacing xenon lights and the headlamp washers accordingly.
Regular maintenance of a car
You do not have to add these if you take your car for washing frequently. The vehicles can easily remain clean through regular washing or maintenance.
Most highways and city roads are clean, so you do not have to suffer from dust and mud.
There are more chances of getting your automobile dirty when driving in rainy weather. This is because the stains of mud and water splashes appear on the automobiles, making your headlights dirty.
Essential for off-road vehicle
You do not need these in your vehicle if you are not an off-road driver. However, you have to add these when you have an SUV or other vehicle that is perfect for offroading.
It helps you drive on the snowy roads when you have reached the hilly areas. You must clean the lights and remove the dirt and grime while driving on a sandy or dusty road.
Adding this feature to a vehicle only made for daily use is useless. So, the manufacturers are not adding these to the newer models.
Inefficient and outdated
It looks outdated, so manufacturers are not providing this feature now.
Furthermore, the advanced features and more efficient headlights remove the need for such washers.
How do headlights washers work?
The headlight washers are based on separate motors, which allow water to reach the surface of the glass casing. It operates by a switch that is present close to the steering wheel.
They can operate automatically if a vehicle has advanced features, but some automobiles need a mechanical operation.
You have to turn on the switch to allow the nozzle to spray water and wash away all the dirt, debris, and bugs.
Modern vehicles have an updated cleaning system that cleans the lights in two different stages.
In the first step, water helps loosen the hard and dried mud and dead skeletons of bugs firmly adhered to the glass surface.
These particles are rinsed away when the water comes out with high pressure in the second step.
How often should I turn on headlight washers?
The frequency of turning on the headlight washers depends on the vehicle’s exposure. For example, when driving down a dusty road, you have to wash the wash headlamps quite often.
At the same time, it is useless for some drivers as they do not use it frequently because they drive on clear roads, and their vehicles do not get dirty.
These do not work daily for me, and I rarely use them. It is an extra feature in my automobile that is not so essential.
A little bit of dirt also gets removed whenever I go for a car wash, and they wipe out the glass surface.
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