Hey it's the Sloppy Season here in Chicago! Windshield washer solvent's ALMOST as $$ as gasoline now...

Can my (xenon) headlight washers be disconnected/deprogrammed/cut off?

I can go thru a gallon of fluid in one 45 mile commute!

Watching it spray onto the cars on either side when those headlight washers kick in is a major waste of money.

I leave the headlights on 24/7 when I'm driving too as I feel it's a safe bet it makes me more visible (Mellow Yellow too) so please don't tell me the lamp washers don't run when the lamps are off.

 

I don't know of any way to turn the headlamp washers off. I know they operate only every 2nd or 3rd windshield spray.

I also have a MY and to be more visible, I turn on my parking lights and then switch the fog lamps. Headlights stay off unless it is dark.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I'll try that tomorrow morning... see what happens.

Do the PL's go off after awhile if I forget to turn them off on the wand? Hate to get off the train in the evening only to find a dead battery....

 

I think those are on a timer controlled by the stalk. Headlamp washers wont' come on if just fogs are on.

 

Use nano spray for windows ore Xrain if you can get that in the US? Then you whont need to spray that much... Dont disconnect the headlampspray on xenon lamps! you will blind other cars if there to dirty (the lamp)... That is wy you allways get the waterspray on xenon lamps... Its the law here in Europe

 

When you pull the stalk to activate the washer fluid, do it in short bursts so that the headlight washers don't spray, thats how I do it

 

You will also get a warning bell/chime as you open the door if you have any lights on.

 

It is the law here is the USA also.

 

this is one of the reasons why i passed on the xenon and went with sweet bulbs from the uk.

 

what is the law on spraying the xenon lamps for i would guess that they give out a amount of heat but this isn't being sprayed on the bulb... why does it blind other drivers?

 

i use NANO spray for alloy wheels (works good for glass as well). clean your windshield (important) with an alcohol product ore so not sope. spray nano on windshield then rub it in with a towell then pullish it in with a clean wipe ore so... now you dont need your wipers so much in the rain and dirt will not stick as good as before... Sorry my spelling isnt that good...

 

some dirt will work as a mirror with the strong xenon light. so if your headlight is dirty i can reflect the light in other ways then ahead... there fore in some cases blind other drivers.

 

Back to the original question, is it possible to just disconnect the washer on the headlights.
Personally I just wanted the xenons, but the washers just make it fun to spray passing mustangs or porsches that just got washed

 

I'm sure there is. Maybe call your SA and explain the situation.

 

Looks like you did better here than over on Mini2

 

im sorry but thats wrong. In europe, it is a law that if you have Xenons, you must have headlight washer systems as well. In the US its not required, which is why many asian import cars which have Xenons with sprayers in other countries but they dont have them here.

 

If your headlights are not on, the headlight washers do not squirt.

 

 

Sorry, I skimmed over the first post and missed that.

But it sure does seem like the easiest answer to me.

 

Well that seems to be the answer then to at least save some of the fluid, but then it would appear I am going to have to turn off the daytime running lights.

I like having those, in a little car its nice that the tanks out there can hopefully see me.

 

I would second the recommendation for a windshield coating. I've used RainX in the past on a more sloping windshield and at 45+ mph I didn't need windshield wipers. Bugs splats, etc. were much easier to wash of.

I guess that nano coatings are the latest development in windshield coatings.
http://www.nanodetailing.com/windshield/index.html
http://www.diamonfusion.com/en/products.html

When I bought the MINI, I got talked into a dealer add-on PermaPlate windshield coating and insurance. I went for it because of the numerous reports of MINI windshields attracting flying rocks. It may have been over-priced, but since then I have taken rock hits that sounded were quite loud (thought something had exploded), I rarely have to clean my windshield, and I don't have the problem with the wipers that others complain about. I'm guessing that PermaPlate is Diamon Fusion or something similar, but with insurance.

 

I wouldn't trust diamond fusion simply because of the pictures they use to demonstrate how good the product is... Look at the second set of pictures at this link:
http://www.diamonfusion.com/en/products/autoglass.html




seriously - they don't even bother trying to treat one half of the window to show the effects of treating your window. Of course we know those type pictures are taken with a fresh application and probably aren't typical of what you'll experience 3 weeks down the road, but the pics diamond fusion used are unforgivable. A computer generated fog in one picture to show untreated and the same picture with out the computer generated fog in the second to show how it would look treated?? They want to you to think that is what it would look like in the rain if it was treated vs untreated? WTH?

If you want us to think the picture is taken in the rain with your product responsible for being able to see clearly.. dont show a very young little kid riding a scooter on a bright sunny dry day.. LAME.


I don't care if the product is good. I'd consider this a gaff not even capable of being created by MINI's current commercial writing team.

edit:
I could almost forgive them because of the title (how an extra second is good for safety) IF they hadn't used the treated/untreated lables to describe the pictures.

 

Disregard, answer already found to my question

 

It is worrying when a company uses faked photos to demonstrate their product. I have no experience with Diamon Fusion, but the PermaPlate coating on my windshield has been good -- in spite of seeming to be from a company dedicated to what most consider as dealer scams.

 

Nano and Rain x works for mee. If you havent tried it ... Them why have an appinion