Headlight washers - the point of them is..?

[tyranical]

I don't understand the real reason behind them, unless your driving an offroader when would your headlights ever get dirty enough to warrant spraying them.

[HellDiver]

They clean your headlights. The hint is in the name.

[tyranical]

No.... Really?

My question is why would you want to wash your headlights specifically? Obviously you have screenwash to clean the windscreen because you need to be able to see to drive. How is it necessary to clean the headlights?

It just seems like a pointless gimmick to me.

[thinfourth2]

Have you actually driven on UK roads?

[iva cosworth]

WTF ,you have never driven on a salty/snowy winter road ?

[thinfourth2]

tyranical said:

. How is it necessary to clean the headlights?

It just seems like a pointless gimmick to me.

Okay have you driven outside of a town?

[DrTre]

tyranical said:

No.... Really?

My question is why would you want to wash your headlights specifically? Obviously you have screenwash to clean the windscreen because you need to be able to see to drive. How is it necessary to clean the headlights?

It just seems like a pointless gimmick to me.

See how your windscreen gets dirty and you need to clean it to be able to see to drive...OK....now extrapolate that concept to the headlights....

[anonymous-user]

tyranical said:

Obviously you have screenwash to clean the windscreen because you need to be able to see to drive. How is it necessary to clean the headlights?

...

Just think about it

[vescaegg]

Headlights get dirty. Lights don't work so well, you crash.

[Conian]

I'm with the OP
people could still drive at night before headlamp washers came along
people just washed their cars including their headlights

they are more useful on my car, which has pop up headlights, which i nearly always forget to clean when cleaning the rest of the car.

[Papa Hotel]

Bless.

[kambites]

As I understand it, it's less to aid your vision and more to aid other people's. It doesn't make much dirt on the lens to create enough beam scatter to start to dazzle oncoming traffic.

[tyranical]

I haven't washed my car in 6 months, I drive 14,000 miles per year and my headlights still light the road the same as they always did, you'd have to be offroading or something to get them so dirty that they don't light the road.

I didn't realise people got so protective over their useless car functions - sorry.

[GadgeS3C]

Can't see a damn thing when my headlamps get dirty. Only takes a few days in winter on normal town and country roads. Maybe I just like seeing where I'm going...

Suggest you try cleaning them and see the difference, maybe you can't remember what they should be like

[Mr Sparkle]

The washers in the S2000 are not so much for the headlights but rather the whole car - a quick touch of the button will dump about a gallon of water over every body panel. Not to be used with the rood down.

ETA - my current car is the first one I have has with head light washers, don't recall ever needing or wanting them before and have only used them in this car to see if they work. Headlight still shine as bright as ever though.

Edited by Mr Sparkle on Monday 14th February 21:48

[eltax91]

tyranical said:

I haven't washed my car in 6 months, I drive 14,000 miles per year and my headlights still light the road the same as they always did, you'd have to be offroading or something to get them so dirty that they don't light the road.

I didn't realise people got so protective over their useless car functions - sorry.

I do 33k a year, almost solely on the M roads. I need to clean the headlights every week or I get a noticable drop in night vision!!

[eldar]

HIDs with dirty lenses are antisocial, the light scatter is a pain.

[AM04ARO]

I have actually had to buy water to wash my headlights on the Monaro (not the greatest light comes out when clean).

Good thing in my book.

[Bungleaio]

It's to put washer fluid streaks up your bonnet.

[geeteeaye]

Very true that even a thin layer of muck reduces the light significantly, however I dont find the washers work particularly well on their own so I'll usually use them when parked up and use a bit of rag to clean properly. Best thing to do if they get dirty is whack the fog-lights on to compensate.