Option to disable headlight washer

[FillNill]

Hi all, 

 

I was wondering if anyone had experience or knowledge of how to disable the headlight washer function? (Ideally in software, I have an OBDeleven dongle) 

 

Personally, I would rather not have the headlight washers as it ruins my perfectly clean and freshly washed car… spraying water all over the bonnet. 

 

Cheers, 
 

Julius 👍
 

 

[whereismyorder]

As interested myself in the topic.. Googling shows loads of chat on the same topic on the mk.3 Octavia forum of Briskoda.

 

Outside of any programming option the may or may not be possible?

 

One thought being, as almost all do perhaps. With having headlights on the auto function, effectively on; is then the wash frequency greater than if you manually used headlights in off/sidelight only/main beam?

Edited 26 October, 2023 by whereismyorder

[SkOmk4]

13 hours ago, FillNill said:

Ideally in software, I have an OBDeleven dongle

There's an App in OBDeleven alowing you to turn off the headlight washing.
There's also another topic around here (coding-related) where someone was posting that it is possible to code some DELAY for the headlight washing system - so it will only start if you wash the windscreen for more than several seconds...

[SC03OTT]

Yes, it was certainly possible on the Mk3 to set a delay of up to 2 seconds before the headlight washer activated.  I’ve done it myself. Never changed anything on a Mk4 so can’t say how to do it but I’d imagine it’s possible. 

[TheWanderer]

Be aware that it's a legal requirement for headlight washers of cars with certain types of headlights, so you may want to check the legality of turning headlight washer off. 

[FillNill]

Thanks everyone! 
 

Going to try to the OBDeleven option on the weekend and see what happens. It kind of sucks that you need to buy credits to actually use the device you already bought… but 10 credits are only $5 so I can live with that. 
 

On Wanderer’s point; I don’t see how they could enforce any legislation about headlight washers. I’ve never been pulled over by police and asked to demonstrate my headlight washers. 
I guess in countries where you need an annual roadworthy inspection on your vehicle this may be an issue but here in Queensland you only need a roadworthy when you are selling your car. When I get to that point I can always just reactivate the function with the app before the inspection. (Tbh if you had too, you could just activate/ deactivate it once a year before your inspection but everyone has their own level of risk tolerance…) 

 

Cheers, 

 

Julius 
 

 

[Paws4Thot]

On 25/10/2023 at 21:01, FillNill said:

I would rather not have the headlight washers as it ruins my perfectly clean and freshly washed car… spraying water all over the bonnet. 

I think you'll find that running into something you didn't see because your headlights were dirty makes more of a mess of your bonnet, and it will take longer to fix than washing the car does.

[TheWanderer]

10 minutes ago, FillNill said:

Thanks everyone! 
 

Going to try to the OBDeleven option on the weekend and see what happens. It kind of sucks that you need to buy credits to actually use the device you already bought… but 10 credits are only $5 so I can live with that. 
 

On Wanderer’s point; I don’t see how they could enforce any legislation about headlight washers. I’ve never been pulled over by police and asked to demonstrate my headlight washers. 
I guess in countries where you need an annual roadworthy inspection on your vehicle this may be an issue but here in Queensland you only need a roadworthy when you are selling your car. When I get to that point I can always just reactivate the function with the app before the inspection. (Tbh if you had too, you could just activate/ deactivate it once a year before your inspection but everyone has their own level of risk tolerance…) 

 

Cheers, 

 

Julius 
 

 

 

In the UK if your car is involved in a serious accident where injuries or death(s) are involved the police confiscate the car and is subject to checks on all sorts of things and of it's found that it has been modified or is defective in some way then you are more than likely to be held culpable by the police for the incident. 

 

Just leave the washers alone, be legal and safe. Never leave yourself open, even if it means your paintwork gets a bit dirty.

TBH someone needs to get their priorities right.

[FillNill]

19 minutes ago, TheWanderer said:

TBH someone needs to get their priorities right.

 

Simply asking a question, no need to get personal! I’m not saying that you have to do that to your car… if you don’t want to that’s fine. If you don’t have any good advice maybe time to move on… 

 

Let me guess your day job involves a uniform? Traffic warden? Mall security? Police officer entrance exam too difficult? 😂

[TheWanderer]

12 minutes ago, FillNill said:

 

Simply asking a question, no need to get personal! I’m not saying that you have to do that to your car… if you don’t want to that’s fine. If you don’t have any good advice maybe time to move on… 

 

Let me guess your day job involves a uniform? Traffic warden? Mall security? Police officer entrance exam too difficult? 😂

 

Retired after dealing with what's commonly known as the great unwashed and the terminally stupid. 

[FillNill]

 

 

 

I think I’m done with this forum… too many jobsworths. 

[TheWanderer]

10 hours ago, FillNill said:

 

 

 

I think I’m done with this forum… too many jobsworths. 

 

Well if you feel that way when given some sensible advice or information, regarding the legality of isolating headlight washers, please hand in your driving licence as well.

 

I question whether you should be behind the wheel of car if you're so immature you cannot take advice which is just trying to stop you getting into trouble with the police and value your cars paintwork more than safety. 

[SkOmk4]

1 hour ago, TheWanderer said:

regarding the legality of isolating headlight washers, please hand in your driving licence as well.

I fail to understand why you're making such a big deal about this story...
I just checked the UK Skoda webpage, configured an Octavia SE (a trim without headlight washers) and added as an option the Matri-LED headlights. There is no headlight washers automatically added on the car as a consequence of this - therefore I can't see where you find the legal obligation to have a headlight washer for the LED-headlights.
In most EU countries (imagine I haven't checked all) the washers are not mandatory on LED headlights (basic or Matrix), but they are somehow trim-dependant or in some cases optional. I had a Style trim Octavia with Matrix-LED and there was no washer installed, but I could have added it as optional.

 

I totally agree with the idea you mentioned in the first place: IF it's mandatory by country-regulation, one shouldn't disable the washers. But since they're not mandatory in UK or in Australia (where @FillNill is) I don't see the problem...

[TheWanderer]

I think you'll find that with certain types of high power headlights, washers are required. 

 

They were on the last two unless regulations have changed. Anyway he's flounced off, I'm not chasing after him and if he cares more about paint than safety then he's not driver material. 

[J.R.]

17 hours ago, TheWanderer said:

Be aware that it's a legal requirement for headlight washers of cars with certain types of headlights, so you may want to check the legality of turning headlight washer off. 

 

Would you mind quoting what the law is you refer to please?

[J.R.]

2 hours ago, TheWanderer said:

cannot take advice which is just trying to stop you getting into trouble with the police and value your cars paintwork more than safety. 

Says the guy who overtakes in a very dangerous situation exceeding the speed limit and then posts a dashcam video of the event on the internet editted to not show the oncoming vehicles.

 

If you really are ex-job then it makes it even worse.

Edited 27 October, 2023 by J.R.

[TheWanderer]

Retired from dealing with mongs, and got cleared by my insurance company and not speeding so 🖕

[SkOmk4]

21 minutes ago, TheWanderer said:

I think you'll find that with certain types of high power headlights, washers are required. 

I totally agree. I've seen that on most Xenon headlights, in most EU countries the homologation of the vehicle required that they had washers. I think that (depending on each country's road authority) there's a certain threshold for light output (lumens) above which the washers are mandatory - I wouldn't disable that...

But on the particular case of Octavia, since you get the same headlight (hence same light output) with and without washers depending on trim level, I would conclude that the car homologation didn't require mandatory washers.

[TheWanderer]

I've always been under the impression that the RS has a more powerful headlight array than lower models. So has to have the washers fitted. 

[SkOmk4]

I can't say I know for sure they're different or not, but it makes no sense cost-efficiency wise for VAG to produce different version of Matrix-LED between different trims.
And when I see how profit-oriented car manufacturers are nowadays, I doubt they would try to diversify - more likely to standardize across as many cars/brands they can...

[inspectorman]

From gov.uk.....

 

Do LED headlamps require washers / self levellers?

Headlamp washing and levelling systems are a legal requirement and required if the LED headlamp or high intensity discharge lamp has a luminous intensity exceeding 2,000 lumens.

If the luminous intensity isn’t marked on the lamp, a tester won’t be able to tell if these systems are needed. In this case, the headlamps will be treated as ordinary lamps and the vehicle can be passed as they don’t need washers or levelling devices fitted.

The headlamp washers and levelling systems can only be rejected if they’re fitted and are inoperative or obviously defective. If they’re missing and you think they should be fitted, then pass and advise.

[TheWanderer]

3 hours ago, inspectorman said:

From gov.uk.....

 

Do LED headlamps require washers / self levellers?

Headlamp washing and levelling systems are a legal requirement and required if the LED headlamp or high intensity discharge lamp has a luminous intensity exceeding 2,000 lumens.

If the luminous intensity isn’t marked on the lamp, a tester won’t be able to tell if these systems are needed. In this case, the headlamps will be treated as ordinary lamps and the vehicle can be passed as they don’t need washers or levelling devices fitted.

The headlamp washers and levelling systems can only be rejected if they’re fitted and are inoperative or obviously defective. If they’re missing and you think they should be fitted, then pass and advise.

 

So how come my headlights do the self levelling dance then?

 

They're also as far as I know multi LED array ones as are all RS's. So that would mean they fall into the former category. 

[J.R.]

The Mong is still waiting to learn what law would be broken by disabling headlamp washers.

[inspectorman]

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/575/oj

 

and our UK implementation is this from the MoT testers handbook