Headlight washers...

Not to propagate a myth but it is DAMN cold in Toronto right now. It's going
to be -26 overnight!! Being so cold and snowy there is a ton of salt on our
roadways. Which of course means that there is a ton of salt on our headlight
lenses. I noticed today while filling up with gas that the cleaned area on
my headlights did not include the low beam portion of the lens. I looked at
the washer jets on the headlight wipers and they look to be adjustable just
as the windscreen jets are. I tried adjusting them gently when I got home
but they wouldn't budge. So my question is should they be adjustable and
mine are just stuck? Anyone else tried to adjust theirs and come up with the
same situation?
The car is a 1999 S70.

Jordan.

--

 

I don't think they're adjustable. At least they aren't on our cars
(S70 and 850).

 

They're not adjustable, but if the wipers are working properly, then
most of the low beam area is cleaned. In our climate the wiper arm
pivot gets clogged up with dirt and corrosion, and then the wiper
doesn't press firmly against the lens. Try moving the arm in and out
repeatedly (a little penetrating oil helps) to free up the pivot. (Do
it today while it's at least a little bit "warm"!)

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

NOTE: new address!!
Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

Yeah, I actually played with it a bit yesterday and it seems as if the
washer is not adjustable at all. It sure looks like it should be though. I
can actually see the wiper come up over the hood when in the driver's seat
so the actuation seems good. The swept area is good too. I think it is just
that the fluid is not getting to the outer portion of the lens. I am pretty
conservative with my use of washer fluid given how much we tend to go
through here. I'll try being more generous this afternoon and see if that
makes a difference.
It's not a big deal for 90% of the driving I do but it would be nice to have
clear lenses at night on the way to the cottage! (Single lane highway and
very twisty!)


Jordan 1999 S70 Loaded!

 

Actually a dirty low beam lens is the main cause of glare to oncoming
cars. It is a very unsafe situation.