12-12-2012, 02:32 PM | #1 |
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Headlight washing frequency?!
I and my father both live in Sweden and have recently picked up an F31 and F30 respectively.
We are having problems with the frequency of the headlight washers activating. They tend to activate very seldom, causing lack of light when you really need it. Our winters are generally quite snowy and when the temperature fluctuates around -3C -> 0C the roads get pretty slushy and dirty. Imagine driving along on a dark and wintery road, unable to wash your headlights? Has anyone else noticed this problem? Have you managed to resolve it in any way? According to BMW, there is a formula dictating when the headlight washers should be activated. So it's not every time you use the washers, nor is it every Xth time. It's something like if enough time has passed and a threshold value of activations has been passed, and you are driving at certain speed - THEN the washers will activate. All according to BMW. So basically you can't decide when you need clean headlights. The car decides that for you whether you like it or not. Maybe not a big problem in Germany, but in Scandinavia (and all other snowy / dark regions) it is. Thoughts?
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12-12-2012, 07:21 PM | #4 |
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Is it not a variable setting in the iDrive menu's?
After reviewing an online owners manual it states that they are washed at ''regular intervals when the headlights are on'' I presume your lights have been on when you have tried to wash them... does it perhaps make a difference if using auto lights as opposed to the manual on position?? Merely a guess..?
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12-12-2012, 07:44 PM | #6 |
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Comes with the visibility package / xenons
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12-12-2012, 07:46 PM | #7 |
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I have the xenons and the cold weather package. I was wondering what that was driving but didn't think about it until i read this post. Still very new to this game
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12-13-2012, 12:23 PM | #9 |
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They don't always come on. That's the problem. Even though the headlights are on and you engage the windshield washer, the headlight washers only engage when they want to...
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12-13-2012, 12:33 PM | #11 |
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Okay, don't quote me on this 'cause I could totally be wrong, but I seem to remember reading something about the headlight washers coming on with every 5th pull of the stalk.
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12-13-2012, 01:26 PM | #12 | |
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Quote:
On older cars you had low pressure washers and wipers. On most cars I have driven these came on every time you engaged the windshield washers. On the newer cars I have driven (that have high pressure headlight washers) they have been separately controlled. For example, on my last SAAB you pulled the wiper stalk beyond a resistance point to activate the headlight washers. My BMW is the first car I have owned where *I* am not in control over when I want the headlights to be cleaned. At night on unlit roads in bad weather, this IS a big deal. Now, please go troll in some other thread. Thanks.
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12-13-2012, 01:28 PM | #13 | |
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Quote:
And the difference between clean and dirty headlights at night is substantial.
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12-13-2012, 10:57 PM | #14 |
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Might be worth posting in a coding thread in case there is a modification that can be done in the settings to change it to a set 3 washes or everytime or something
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12-14-2012, 03:53 PM | #15 |
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I always thougt it washes the headlights once in 5 windshid wash times.
It only irritates me during the summertime when the car is completly clean and waxed. They even come up when you pull the stalk very fast for a little windshield wash |
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