i have a new MCS and i have no intentions of ever using the headlight washers or the rear glass washers. how can i disable them so that i won't accidentally activate them and spray a clean car or worse, create water spots on my paint? I would like to keep the front windshield washer functional.

 

REAR
If you disable the washer it will disable the wiper...
if you disable the wiper it will disable the washer.

I have tried every combination and it looks like .. its all or nothing on the rear (I may have to edit that phrase)

Just remove the inner panel and unplug the connector giong into the wiper motor.

Headlight washer I am not familiar with.

 

The headlight washers are automatic - they spray the first time that you squirt the windshield washers while the headlights are on, and then every 3rd or 4th time. So you don't have to worry about accidentally triggering them. Just don't use the WS washers at night and you'll be fine.

 

You could disable the rear washer by disconnecting a wire from the stalk switch - that's the only place (because the same pump drives both front & rear washers).
For the Xenon headlight washers, you could pull the connector from the Xenon washer bottle pump - it's on the opposite (USA driver) side to the screenwash bottle.


Personally I could not live without my rear washer because the car gets itself so dirty ...

 

Would it be possible to use the pump and tank of the headlights washers to spray water on the intercooler, using a custom switch that would activate the spray??

 

YES the rear washer can be used for thee IC sprayer !
That's what I did ...
Your IC proably will come with instructions.
If you plumb the sprayer to the rear washer hose (passenger side in brake block compartment.
Unplug the rear wiper at the motor.
Ihe IC sprayer will work as you rorate the controll back (wiper will not come on)
I tried every combination possable to keep my sprayer for the IC AND the control switch roll forward to activate the wiper.
I have not been able to do that.

An aux switch can use the pump and tank if the motor is unpluged as above
I saw a howto on that (outmotoring if I remember)

If you need any other info ... I would be happy to help

 

Thanks for the help!

Could you give me more infos on how to do the swap from headlight washers to intercooler custom spray switch??

I'd really like tp do that!

Thanks a lot dude

 

btw, I'm using the stock intercooler, with stock air diverter...

Thanks for any help!

What sprayer could I use for that? Something that would be available at any auto parts store??

 

bpago, I've received your PM, but I'd like to use the headlights tank and pump to throw water on the intercooler... Would this be possible? Assuming I use acusto switch instead of the stock stalk??

 

Just spent ages searching through Bentley manual - can't find Xenon washer wiring

Anyway, if you are "happy to hack" your car, it should not be a difficult job.

Bentley says you can turn front wheels to access fender lining, and release fasteners to get access to washer pump.
A little motor at the bottom of the washer tank, with a black two wire plug in the top.

You should be able to replace that plug with another, so you can give 12V to the motor to make it run. You will find that the 12V has to be in the correct +/- order (otherwise the pump will run backwards) - if good with a meter you could check the correct polarity using the existing car wiring.
So you want to wire up so that the 0V to the pump is permanent (to chassis) and the 12V is switched through a switch you mount somewhere, and fed from an appropriate fuse.

Re-routing the water pipes should be simple ...

 

To the original poster:

There is a fuse in the drivers footwell fuse panel that powers the xenon headlight pump. Just pull that fuse and that will take care of the front.

I pulled that fuse for my first winter so the squirters wouldn't get caught on any ice around the headlights while extending out and back in. This winter: I haven't bothered.

 

My idea for the rear washer (I don't have headlight washers) is to remove the inner fender liner and disconnect the hose to the rear washer from the pump. Then I'll plug the output nipple and stick a golf tee in the line to keep it clean.

Any reason that won't work?

 

I suspect there are two pumps, one for the front windshield and one for
the rear. Why not just disconnect the plug for the rear pump?

 

Only one pump.
It is driven in one direction for the front and the other direction for the rear!

 

The front/rear washer reservoir has only one pump. It routes the fluid to the front or rear depending on which direction the pump turns, this is done by feeding the motor voltage in a different polarity for either front or rear.

If you look at the pump itself, it has one inlet and two outlets, the outlets coming off at opposite tangents to the pump housing. It's a clever, simple design.

If I am not mistaken, there is a relay in the interior fuse box dedicated to the headlight washer pump circuit. The headlight washer pump is much higher pressure than the windshield washer's and apparently needs more current. Removing that relay will effectively disable the headlight washers. Functionality can be restored simply by plugging the relay back in. No tools required!

 

As I said in my earlier post - mine was a fuse, not a relay.

My car is an '03, so perhaps it's a relay in newer model years.