Stupid Headlamp washer nozzle

[fadyasha]

Hey guys,
So because i've been bragging about my headlamp washers and how i'm so cool, the passenger side stopped spraying water. I know barely anyone has them in the US as it's mostly European but thought it's worth the shot.

What happens?

1. I press the spray button
2. Both Nozzles come out
3. Driver side sprays water
4. Passenger side shoots blanks

Checked if it's clogged up and if water is getting to it. All is good! I then noticed the driver side is coming out further than the other. So in an attempt I press the button, grab the passenger side nozzle and give it a bit of a pull. What do you know? it sprayed water!

So apparently it has to extend to a certain length in order to spray. I gave it a quick look and nothing is blocking it. Toast?

p.s I gotta quote for $70 for a replacement

 

[Mooseman]

Yeah, I wish I had them. In winter, it would be a blessing here.

So I assume it's the water pressure that forces the washer out. Would the hose going into the washer be kinked? Could the washer "door" mechanism be binding a bit, preventing the hose from unkinking and letting water through.

 

[RayVoy]

Could the washer "door" mechanism be binding a bit, .

That's what I'm thinking, try a little squirt of WD40

 

[Voymom]

I have them on the Envoy, love them!!

I would also agree with the other posters, maybe a kink somewhere in the hose.

 

[fadyasha]

Hey guys! Thanks for the posts, I'd just spent the past hour going through all the hoses and one of them was toast! Toast in a sense is all soft! So turned out to be bent I changed it's position for it to squirt but I still need to replace it !

 

[northcreek]

I still haven't used my HL squirts,seems like a dumb option without the associated wipers.
I have to question GM's wisdom in their choice of goodies,I mean..I've got psuedo HL washers and 50 ways to adjust my seat but,no back up alarm(do now) no hood/lift cylinders (do now) and how about express-up front windows(working on this one)....I guess it just gives us more stuff play around with.

 

[MDBT]

Headlamp cleaning systems were mandatory for European vehicles from the 70's through the 90's. Failure of the system was one of the most common reasons for cars to fail european annual road-worthiness inspections. The wiper itself is costly and complicated, in the 80's they started to develop the no-wiper washers which instead of just getting the light wet so you could wipe it they would spray at high pressure and actually clean the light. Even then the EU found the mandatory requirement to be an impediment to imported car sales so they removed the requirement. The no-wiper system is still used because it's cheaper, effective, and certainly more aesthetically pleasing than having the little wipers, notice not even your high end german vehicles are using wipers anymore. I was under the impression that the washers are still mandatory in the EU for cars with factory xenon hid headlamps but haven't taken the time to confirm it.

The backup sensors could have been retrofitted, I'm with you there. The factory hood struts on my Saab work nicely. As for express up, there are safety concerns there and the vast majority of domestic vehicles have never had that option.

 

[RayVoy]

how about express-up front windows(working on this one

As for express up, there are safety concerns there and the vast majority of domestic vehicles have never had that option.

If we had access to the programming in the BCM, it would be easy to change.

 

[northcreek]

Headlamp cleaning systems were mandatory for European vehicles from the 70's through the 90's. Failure of the system was one of the most common reasons for cars to fail european annual road-worthiness inspections. The wiper itself is costly and complicated, in the 80's they started to develop the no-wiper washers which instead of just getting the light wet so you could wipe it they would spray at high pressure and actually clean the light. Even then the EU found the mandatory requirement to be an impediment to imported car sales so they removed the requirement. The no-wiper system is still used because it's cheaper, effective, and certainly more aesthetically pleasing than having the little wipers, notice not even your high end german vehicles are using wipers anymore. I was under the impression that the washers are still mandatory in the EU for cars with factory xenon hid headlamps but haven't taken the time to confirm it.

The backup sensors could have been retrofitted, I'm with you there. The factory hood struts on my Saab work nicely. As for express up, there are safety concerns there and the vast majority of domestic vehicles have never had that option.

My wife's 08 Malibu LTZ has express up DS window so apparently there is some sort of safety system that works.
When I think HL squirts w/o wipers I think of how effective windshield squirts are without the wipers..basically useless..high pressure or not...just sayin',Mike

 

[Jkust]

Headlamp cleaning systems were mandatory for European vehicles from the 70's through the 90's. Failure of the system was one of the most common reasons for cars to fail european annual road-worthiness inspections. The wiper itself is costly and complicated, in the 80's they started to develop the no-wiper washers which instead of just getting the light wet so you could wipe it they would spray at high pressure and actually clean the light. Even then the EU found the mandatory requirement to be an impediment to imported car sales so they removed the requirement. The no-wiper system is still used because it's cheaper, effective, and certainly more aesthetically pleasing than having the little wipers, notice not even your high end german vehicles are using wipers anymore. I was under the impression that the washers are still mandatory in the EU for cars with factory xenon hid headlamps but haven't taken the time to confirm it.

The backup sensors could have been retrofitted, I'm with you there. The factory hood struts on my Saab work nicely. As for express up, there are safety concerns there and the vast majority of domestic vehicles have never had that option.

I was under the impression the high pressure washers are still mandatory in the EU for the xenon equiped vehicles. We had such a light winter this year in Minnesota that my first year with the 9-7 washers was pretty well wasted. The headlight washers are fine I suppose but the overspray gets all over your car depending on how fast you are going when you operate them. The only bonus is that if someone is pissing you off behind you on the road and and when people turn on their windshield washer to get back at you, 9-7 really gets them wet.
As for the hood strut, I can't believe our 40+ thousand dollar Rainier has a hood prop rod and I really like the hood strut on the 9-7, of course I had nice 1990's GM cars that came standard with two hood struts that didn't cost 40+ thousand dollars.

 

[Uncle Blazer]

My wife's 08 Malibu LTZ has express up DS window so apparently there is some sort of safety system that works.
When I think HL squirts w/o wipers I think of how effective windshield squirts are without the wipers..basically useless..high pressure or not...just sayin',Mike

The wife's Nissan Quest has the express up on both front windows i believe.

The HL squirt requirements make me question what their roads have that ours dont which would make it a necessity. How dirty can they get with everyday driving? Should they not then require washer/wipers on the helmet facemasks of motorcycle riders since they can get dirty also?

 

[MDBT]

My wife's 08 Malibu LTZ has express up DS window so apparently there is some sort of safety system that works.
When I think HL squirts w/o wipers I think of how effective windshield squirts are without the wipers..basically useless..high pressure or not...just sayin',Mike

The Fed considered mandating a safety system but it didn't make it through. There were complaints over manufacturer cost (ranged from 10-100 dollar estimates per door) and inconsistency in the apparent danger that these windows might be causing (somewhere between 1 death a year up to 2.5 deaths a year and over 500 accidents per year). So no, there's not necessarily a safety system in use. That and the cost are probably why your wife's new-to-the-US-for-2008 Malibu only has it on the driver's window. I'm just happy GM decided to put the pull to go up switches in for 2006 so that my and your GMTs won't roll the windows up if you accidentally lean on the switch. The mandate on the switches did happen but it wasn't until 2008.

Because your windshield washer squirters aren't high pressure and they're not designed to clean the window on their own the frame of reference is not applicable. In addition you state you have never used yours, you know what they say "don't knock it 'till you try it". Unlike a windshield cleaning system the headlight washers aren't designed to clean it to the point where it's spotless and easy to see through. The headlight washers are really only useful when you have a build up of snow/ice/mud and would rather hit a button than climb out into the cold/dirty environment to wipe them off. They aren't going to clean it like a squeegee would nor are they supposed to remove road grime and film. So what one might perceive as "dirty" for a windshield is much less of an impairment to a headlight.

 

[Sparky]

Heck my '93 taurus had hood struts...

 

[northcreek]

In addition you state you have never used yours, you know what they say "don't knock it 'till you try it".

True but,mostly because I never really felt a need for it,I never feel depressed because my headlights are smudged and I have a feeling that GM was thinking that it gives the appearance of a more high end vehicle,you know like paddle shifters that you use on the first day of ownership then forget about from then on.
Having said that,you may be on to something since I never thought that I needed nav. and now I'm loving it....Mike.

 

[Harpo]

Headlamp cleaning systems were mandatory for European vehicles from the 70's through the 90's. Failure of the system was one of the most common reasons for cars to fail european annual road-worthiness inspections. The wiper itself is costly and complicated, in the 80's they started to develop the no-wiper washers which instead of just getting the light wet so you could wipe it they would spray at high pressure and actually clean the light. Even then the EU found the mandatory requirement to be an impediment to imported car sales so they removed the requirement. The no-wiper system is still used because it's cheaper, effective, and certainly more aesthetically pleasing than having the little wipers, notice not even your high end german vehicles are using wipers anymore. I was under the impression that the washers are still mandatory in the EU for cars with factory xenon hid headlamps but haven't taken the time to confirm it.

The backup sensors could have been retrofitted, I'm with you there. The factory hood struts on my Saab work nicely. As for express up, there are safety concerns there and the vast majority of domestic vehicles have never had that option.

That is correct.

Hid equipped cars/trucks must have headlight washers AND auto height adjustment as well.

 

[Jkust]

That is correct.

Hid equipped cars/trucks must have headlight washers AND auto height adjustment as well.

Yes good point, that is true and the 9-7 doesn't have the auto adjust lights. Funny thing is if you watch Top Gear UK they've had the auto adjusters fail during their filming and aim way up only to not auto level. I think the washers are required in EU nations so the light from the HID lights stays in the correct pattern to not affect oncoming motorists or logic along those lines. The HID's and thus the headlight washers in the U.S. on the 9-7x were optional on the I6 and standard on the v8 models for what it is worth. Also in the 9-7x you have no choice of whether to use them or not as they are set to activate with the first push of the windshield wash button and I think then the 4th push if I recollect. I wished our winter would have had some snow so I could even comment on the headlight washers effectiveness. Kind of a silly question but are the headlight washers in the Envoy of the high pressure variety or more like the windshield/lower pressure variety?