Headlight washers (again!)

[Adrian E]

Have noticed when I use the headlight washers that the driver's side one is frequently getting stuck - it comes out and squirts the headlight, but doesn't retract again properly. It gets stuck with one of the 2 plastic posts not sitting correctly in its guide :Confused:

It's dead easy to put it back in (just lift, centre and drop) but it's kinda annoying! Can't see anything blocking it and not sure what exerts all the pull to retract it, but guessing it could be spring based and I may have one missing somewhere so its pulling more one side than the other?

Help!

Adrian

[Nollywood]

Have noticed when I use the headlight washers that the driver's side one is frequently getting stuck - it comes out and squirts the headlight, but doesn't retract again properly. It gets stuck with one of the 2 plastic posts not sitting correctly in its guide :Confused:

It's dead easy to put it back in (just lift, centre and drop) but it's kinda annoying! Can't see anything blocking it and not sure what exerts all the pull to retract it, but guessing it could be spring based and I may have one missing somewhere so its pulling more one side than the other?

Help!

Adrian

I had the same issue on mine, the same side. The locating peg wasn't dead central in the recess, so I carefully heated the peg with a hair dryer, bent it gently, and now it works perfectly.

[Adrian E]

That sounds like a recipe for me breaking something :( never have much success with things like that :ROFL:

[plankton]

Mine's done that a few times too - also on the drivers side. May have a go at the hairdryer trick..

[Adrian E]

I still haven't sorted mine, although a bit of bending as made it less frequent. Seems to be OK if I wash the headlights twice in succession for some reason....

[plankton]

I've just remembered that my old Skoda Superb started doing this towards the end of my ownership. Must be a VAG thing :D

[Adrian E]

Resurrecting this thread once again :(

Headlight washers had been working perfectly for quite a while but noticed this morning that now neither of them are functioning. Thought it might've been some 'clever' system that doesn't let it try forcing potentially frozen fluid down until the temperature reaches a certain level, but given it's now 12C outside here and still nothing there's clearly a problem.

Not sure if it's coincidental but the car had replacement front upper arms on Friday - but no idea if there's any hoses that could potentially get trapped while working in that area?

The windscreen washers are working perfectly so no issues with pressure and no leaks under the car. Any ideas where to start looking?! There's not even a dribble of water around the covers so they're not even trying to spray!!

Adrian

[Architex_mA8tey]

Theres a pressure cylinder (1) that raises the nozzles/cover which i guess is powered also by the washer pump so if the pipe has come off at the junction (16) shown when the suspension was done then neither washer would work ?

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=5098&stc=1&d=1350411510

worth a look anyways +++

[Dezzy]

Resurrecting this thread once again :(

Not sure if it's coincidental but the car had replacement front upper arms on Friday - but no idea if there's any hoses that could potentially get trapped while working in that area?

Adrian

When the plastics are out under the arch you can see more of the tank but don't remember anything that can be trapped but possible i suppose. Not going to teach you to suck eggs Adrian but i take it you've checked the obvious, they won't work unless lights are on or if level is below certain level but window washers will, supply pipe popped off.

One thing i get often is a pipe blow off but that's to the supply to windows. I am PF and don't know how much of the system is the same

[Adrian E]

Cheers guys - took the car for a drive after dinner before sticking it in the garage for the night. Still weren't working until I tried them back at the garage and they're now working fully and repeatably....

Now favouring the option that there's some temperature sensing involved - will see if its repeatable. What's intriguing is there's nothing mentioned in the manual