Do any of you ACTUALLY use your headlight washers?

[brimech]

I have had my box S for almost 2 months and have only used the headlight washers once to test them... With suprising force, it splattered white foam all over my freshly washed and waxed hood, fenders, and windshield. lol.. all i could do was laugh.. I did accidently hit it again while wiping down my interior once. I dont get it, it just makes a mess. I cant seem to find a reason why someone would pay for this option. I even like the cheap four-cd holder by the radio better. Do any of you ACTUALLY use your headlight washers?

[NickCats]

Brimech,

My Boxster does not have the headlight washers, but I'll try and shed some light on the subject ( I know, bad pun ).

If the Boxster was your winter car, I could see this being very useful. In the winter up here in Chicago, the roads get so bad with snow, salt, and other gunk that sometimes your lights will barely shine through all the crap that has accumulated on them ( think if you never ran your wipers when it rained ).

Then I could see how the washers would help, and why a lot of German cars offer this option. I usually use the squeegee on my winter car to clean the windshield and lights when I fill up between washes.

Hope this makes sense...

Nick

[ancster]

Used them once when I got the car just to check they worked!

Heck no, I don't want to get my car wet!

[TriGem2k]

How exactly do you USE/ACTIVATE them? My car has them and I never even attempted to use them.

Don't they just scream $2k option?

My 1997 Mercedes actually has mini wipers on the headlights but I've never seen those work either. They do look strange though.

[marbique]

On my 2001 S, you pull the wiper/washer stalk towards you to wash the windshield, and push it away from you to wash the headlights. Of all the option boxes I ticked off when I bought the car, and there were many, this was far and away the dumbest of them all. Like you and bmussatti said, all they do is get your clean car all crapped up unless you drive it in the winter. I forget how many dollars Porsche took from me for this option but I sure wish I had 'em back.

I thought during the delivery of my car, the salesperson said that every 5th or 10th (don't know the exact number) time you use your windshield washers, it automatically sprays the headlights. Is this true?

Guess I could read the "entire" owners manual. But then Forums like this would no longer exist!

[NickCats]

The washer sprays only while low beam or high
beam is switched on.
Briefly push button A to operate headlight
washer system.
If heavily soiled, repeat wash.
The headlight washer system automatically sprays
once for every ten times the front windshield
washer system is operated.

( from owners manual )

Nick

Nick, you da man!

I think I have used my windshield washers 3-4 times in the past 2 years. 2-3 of those times it was by mistake. Though it was the control stick for the OBC.

[j.fro]

Shortly after I bought the car, I tried them at night. Nice show! Unfortunately, I tried them again recently, and the pressure shot one of the little nozzles right off the top of the washer. Ouch! Drives me nuts when I see it now. I'm quite tempted to buy the clear corners without the washer, remove the things, and plug the lines. Wonder how much weight I'll lose??

[FTD]

Logically, I think they are silly. Or dumb. When I got the headlight washer, meaning to get the windshield washer, it cracked me up seeing that silly spray.
I don't want the fluid on the paint/wax, and I don't see the value or need, so no, I don't intentionally use it.

[jwdbox]

I know I have them- its on the window sticker. But I have never used them or the windshield wipers. It very rarely rains in Vegas

[Jeph]

I've got the washers on my lights. They're not hooked up though. I learned that they're actually hydraulically lifted.

It's just an extra piece to polish now. I wish they made a xenon version without the washer. Litronics have washers, halogens don't.



Another fun fact:
N/A 996 headlights have ridges in the chrome area
Turbo headlights are smooth like a mirror.

[pcar-yvr]

I love my headlight washers!

When I was doing my pre-purchase inspection, I tested the washers and like others have said, foam shot about 20' in the air, completely soaking my car and the Range Rover beside me. The plastic plug on the driver's side shot out with it to boot.

After all that, I was able to get two hundred bucks off the price as I said I'd have to buy an OEM replacement part to have it fixed! They can be valuable indeed!

[70Sixter]

Like several of you, I've only used mine by accident. And usually when the car was clean.

They were not listed as an option on my car. I don't think they are an option with Xenons. Could be to prevent heat build-up from road dirt/salt muddy lenses.

[Tool Pants]

Washers were an option with the standard halogen headlights. In 9 years I have only seen one car like this in person, in my office parking lot no less.

Washers were standard with the factory installed litronics.

If you see a car with litronics but no washers then most likely the lits were retrofitted.

Porsche does sell a washer retrofit kit.

[merplastic]

only use mine when I hit the stalk by accident.

[fragdude]

sounds like if you don't live in an area where it snows hard/often the best use for your headlight washers is to mess up peoples cars around you

[Quickurt]

They must have had alot of complaints about accidental headlight washer detonations! On my 987, if I'm not totally out of my mind, there is a small sliding switch on the bottom edge of the wiper stalk. Since I haven't desired sprayng crap all over my anally clean black car, I haven't ventured a move of the switch, just praying it doesn't accidentally detonate!!
I must say, I love the little rotary dial timer in the wiper stalk to adjust intermittant delay. As all Porsche steering column controls have been the standard for ergomics since my 66 911, it is what I've come to expect and can't believe all the crappy imitations from other manufacturers. The worst was my last two GM tow vehicles with 27 different functions in the turn signal stalk, 26 of which worked about a month after replacing the stalks, what seems like, 29 times.

[9eighty6]

Those headlight washers drive me nuts in the summer. Even in the winter they're not that helpful. Kind of wish they weren't there at all. Oh well, what can you do?

Just try not to hit the stalk I guess.