Headlight sprayers are cool. Pointless, but cool. Also, very messy.
Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief
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firstwagon says:
09:24 PM, 05/24/10
In LA they are pointless. When I lived in Ottawa and there was enough road salt to turn my black truck white and cover headlights with enough grime you could flick it off with your fingernail they would be great.
majin_ssj_eric says:
09:25 PM, 05/24/10
I love the ones on our IS350, even if they freeze in the winter...
nomercy346 says:
12:28 AM, 05/25/10
I avoid using them at all cost, they make a hell of a mess. Are they coupled to the windscreen washer (w/ the lights turned on) like on my Bimmer, or does the Volvo come with an extra button?
canddmeyer says:
01:22 AM, 05/25/10
Another useless option.
wizard8873 says:
05:44 AM, 05/25/10
Depends where you are. I have to wash my headlights once a week, sometimes more frequently, during winter. As long as this is a separate function from the windshield washers, I see it as pretty useful.
vvk says:
05:50 AM, 05/25/10
Headlight cleaners are NOT pountless! They are a life saving feature in many cities in northern Europe and Canada. In Moscow drivers always complain about the size of their windshield washer tanks because they use them so much that they have to refill several times a day during snowy days.
Even on the eastern seaboard they can be very useful. Many times I was driving in heavy snow and noticing that I can't see anything ahead at night. Used headlight wipers on my SAAB -- and voila, illumination!
Ignorance is bliss in sunny California.
jacton says:
06:03 AM, 05/25/10
They also help reduce the dazzle that HIDs produce when dirty. Required in Europe for all HID apps. for that reason.
acbayard says:
06:18 AM, 05/25/10
ECE Regulation 48 mandates that light sources putting out 2000 lumens or more must have lens cleaners. The reason being that even slight dirt on the lenses causes a lot of glare for oncoming traffic.
carguy622 says:
07:16 AM, 05/25/10
If the XC60 is like the S40 I test drove then there is no separate button for the headlight washers, which is a shame. They are really powerful and spray all over the car.
majin_ssj_eric says:
08:35 AM, 05/25/10
The IS350 has a seperate button for the headlight washers....
uncanny_man says:
08:42 AM, 05/25/10
Articles like this is why reviews should come from someplace with more than 1 season.
dougtheeng says:
08:56 AM, 05/25/10
I wish I had those in Southern Ontario. I clean my lights a few times a week in the winter. Its scary when you can't see at night because of the mucky, slushy snow that is accumulating on the lights. Still, I think a permanent fixture might be preferable to this R2D2 type one.
brn says:
09:36 AM, 05/25/10
"Its scary when you can't see at night because of the mucky, slushy snow that is accumulating on the lights."
What's scary are the people that don't clean their headlights. When there's muck on the road, I clean my headlights every time I put gas in the car. I often grab a clump of (clean) snow and smear it on the headlights between fill ups.
I've never had headlight sprayers. I like the idea, but I'm worried they'd clog, freeze, or something...
greenpony says:
10:04 AM, 05/25/10
Your editor in Michigan would never have written that these are "pointless". Certainly not *necessary* if you keep up with cleaning the salt off your headlights in winter; at least, not any less necessary than tire pressure monitoring systems if you keep up with checking your tire pressures.
mieden says:
02:39 PM, 05/25/10
brn, you bring up a good point. I'm not (100%) sure about Volvo, but Mercedes & BMW provide heated nozzles. Mercedes also heats the washer fluid. What good is a lamp cleaning device in the winter if the cleaning solution is frozen...
geokilla says:
03:24 PM, 05/25/10
Headlight washers are cool and definitely not pointless. However I prefer the ones with wipers like on our S70 instead of high pressure washers.
toxic_science says:
09:24 AM, 05/26/10
I agree that the headlight washers are not pointless. I'm a Michigan transplant to sunny california and my 2002.5 Audi A4 Q had them and were very useful for removing salt and road grime during my 60 mile commute (1 way) while I still lived in Michigan. The washers were heated so it helped remove snow and ice build-up that I would invariably aquire during my daily drive in the winter.
That being said, I wish that Audi would separate the headlight washers from the windshield washers because during the winter, I'd run through a gallon of washer fluid in 3- 4 weeks.
My current Audi, an A6 Q Sline w/ Sport Package has them and I don't use them much here in San Diego. The only grime I usually get now is from bugs and the slight dampness of the marine layer blanketing the roads...I don't miss the snow at all. I drive to moutain high or big bear during the winter months to get my snow fix.