When ceilings started to become a thing on cars, it created blind spots, a huge safety issue. Mirrors on the hood are good for seeing objects that are low down, but typically they won't let you see the blind spots on side of the car. That's why side mirrors came into play. FYI some larger vehicles still use hood mirrors, and in some countries like Japan, there's one on practically every car.
@@randylahey2242 Yeah, tell that to truckers and school bus drivers. Mirrors on the fender are maybe completely worthless on cars, but useful on American trucks and school buses.
They were mandatory here in Scandinavia for decades but vanished due to the EU ruling them as unnecessary as a trade obstacle when the industry changed over from glass to plastic lenses. In use on native dirt roads and saltslush during the winter, they were amazingly efficient, esp SAAB ones - first a huge spray of liquid, then a short pause in order to let the solvent work and finally - the tremendous force of its rake like "wipers". It really made it totally clean. 😊
I have a 2000 Volvo V70 XC AWD, p80 wagon. The wiper motors on this car a known to stop working at random or all together. Mine, thankfully, has both working! I use it as a party trick at car shows or with my friends. Being in the US, everyone is so amused as its usually the first time even hearing about a car with headlight wipers. Highly recommend! They have cleared snow (and light ice) off of my lenses and are a cool feature to have!
bruh you have obviously never driven a cold snowy dark area... Canadian here my 98 volvo s70 had headlight wipers and they were wonderful when the weather got slushy.
In wintertime, they are really needed! At least give me a spray...when rolling in wintertime a certain type of mist cloud form on the headlight...you could also do a video on how stupid it is for new cars not to have a rear wiper on any hatch, it seems to be a trend in the last years....
Yes I’ve driven in winter on the highway, when there’s a wet spray of dirt and salt. After 10 minutes of this, the headlights are so covered and dim, they needed to be wiped off with a rag. If you were in traffic and got this buildup, when traffic lets up or you turn down a darker road you can’t see much, but need to.
@@new2000car yes! my 2-gen charger going 60mph on i89 south bound ( 10-50 mile's, fyi average v8-383 mpg was about 16-19mpg not 9mpg as people/usually-zoomers* who never drove a 60's car would try to lecture me about or give me strange looks after they asked about my life-choices and or driving as a daily ect, plus driving a winter beatter isn't something or something that's in my cards then or now as i don't have a parking spot or $$ extra time+$ ect ) Utah/Idaho going home from working/college in 2009-17~ ( got stolen sadly 😡 , thankfully 😅i got enough back from the cop's/state to start over/rebuild, 540ci-hemi+6sp-Manuel ect time 😉 ) would direct all the water/rain or snowy on the recessed grill and of course my quad-light's ( and a couple of times my 💡door's got stuck/iced shut or wouldn't close all the way properly from snow ❄building up ) and yes i wishfully hoping for the wiper's ( or the spinning ship window-type and heating electric elements ) win it was dusk or dark outside , otherwise for reference the 2005 300c* drives a lot like my charger-style aka fairy stabe something i was considered about the 1st year of ownership at 19~ years old and newly wedded/husband
@@new2000car 80's k1500's are worse as that's my other ride the wifes was a late-90's caddy's and they collect snow as well but rain and caddy's aren't as much of a pain/problem vs my pre-1990's
I guess it would make sense when driving during snowing conditions in low light. The head-wiper would remove the snow that would accumulate in front of the headlamp.
It seems to me that if you brush off the snow before starting the trip, the car’s motion through the air (along with the heat from the incandescent light) would prevent any further snow from sticking to it. In Rochester, NY, I’ve never had a time where I wanted headlight wipers. Not even now when I have LED headlights.
As a Canadian living in southern Alberta, I commute on a small highway. During the winter my commute is pitch black both ways. I’ve often had to get out to clear my headlights because of the dirty slush from the snow and dirt whenever a vehicle drives closely in front of me. These would be a game changer.
Having owned multiple old Saabs and living in Finland, I have to say they were awesome. You get this muddy, salty snow slush cumulating on your headlights and they do lose quite a bit of their brightness fairly quickly. Add to that the fact that during winters, we only get a few hours of proper daylight every day, having well cleaned headlights is a must for safety and comfort. Nowadays we get the high pressure washers which do most of the work, and seeing that modern headlights are plastic, i wouldnt want to have any wiper blade rubbing that salty mush over it anyway.
They last longer, they are more efficient, brighter*, more capable, BUT SOMETIMES there is snow and they dont't melt it well. Yeah, we should keep using halogens. Technology Connections fans know what I'm talking about. You know "BUT SOMETIMES"!!!
@@sven679 If you live in a snowy area and your car can't take sealed beam replacements with heaters, it's a valid concern and halogens are the best option for those areas.
@@bwofficial1776 Ah yes, better off using old inferior technology that is more dangerous (you see less), just so you won't have to clear your headlights from snow when you walk up to your car. Get yourself a heated windshield, so you won't have to remove snow from it either. Put heaters on the whole car so you won't have to remove any snow.
@Jazc-mp889 Yes most new cars come with LED headlights, but some new cars still come with halogen headlights from the factory as standard on lower models
I was on my way home from work in Budapest years ago -huge rain - when I saw a W123 sit on the side of the road with the wipers going full tilt and then I noticed the small cute wipers on the headlights. Ever since then I saw an old Beemer with one, where the wipers were going criss-cross as there were two blades per wiper at like 90 degrees apart.
I like these quirky things from years gone by. If you look at pictures of old cars in Scandinavia you'll often see that they've been fitted with aftermarket headlight wipers. I don't remember the model of car but one car uses sliding headlight wipers instead of pivoting like every other car. Glass headlight lenses should make a comeback. While they're slightly heavier, they'll never yellow or haze over. I've rarely seen a car with broken glass headlights so they're pretty durable.
My first car, an 88 Camry, had big aero glass headlights. One had a rock chip in it that allowed water inside, but I just dried it out (simple to do in Texas summer) then put a little clear silicone rtv in the hole. Problem solved. Also seen plenty of old sealed beam glass bulbs smashed but at least those are cheap and easy to replace. And many have H4 conversion or LED replacements now to get much better light output for cars that use sealed beams.
I had a 93 Saab 900 Turbo and ‘02 9-3 SE .. the headlight wipers rarely (if ever worked) but they were a fun little edition. My brother had a 400E Mercedes. Always thought it was funny that he had more wipers on his lights than on his windshield.
In the sleety weathers that start freezing it is very handy. Because weathers like that they can block your lights on long drives. We've had them on our saabs and they're a big help.
I love watching now obsolete car technology. I did see there was a Japanese car with pop up headlights and headlight wipers. I think it was a Nissan. Would love to see a review LOL.
I wish I had them while winter driving. Where we are, salt and dirt on the road surface hit the hot headlamp and bakes onto it leaving a thick layer of crud that does not pass light. I'm constantly cleaning my lamps during winter, even going as far as having Windex and a cloth ready for the daily cleaning.
In 2010 I bought a Volvo ( man, you did not even mention Volvo!) and it had these wipers. I thought the wipers were INCREDIBLY cool and Mercedes -like! And they looked cool too up until l 20 or 30 below hit! The MAIN problem at that point, is that you NEED sometimes to be using your windshield wipers to get rid of the snow, but there is separate NO On/Off switch for the headlight wipers!!!! So , the wipers would freeze solid under a 2 inch layer of ice, and when you went to hit the wipers to get rid of snow on the windshield, the headlight wiper motor would turn on regardless of not being able to do anything, and the wipers turned into pretzels. Here in Canada those wipers and arms were the first things getting replaced on every new Volvo in the country. I actually bought replacements a few time too. Then, I just got the vice grips out, ripped the bloody things off and became happier,,,
I know it's not a wiper but you mentioned the water jets and it reminded me of a newer BMW I saw recently with the spray jets on both front and rear cameras which I feel is a much better use for these.
I always thought headlight wipers were cool as a kid and had a Saab 900 with them installed. Then never gave them another thought. When they operated you could just about see them in the headlight beam which was quite fun.
I owned a Fiat Tipo which had headlight wipers - they'd activate - if I remember correctly - on every 3rd wipe of the windscreen when the headlights were switched on. Well, that was what they were meant to do, in reality they seemed to have become possessed by the spirit of some vengeful Italian automotive engineer and would activate only as & when they felt the need - regardless of whether the lever was pulled, the lights were on, the main wipers were active, etc. "Character" they call it..
They are a good idea! Here in England during the damp Winters,the roads are often very wet & dirty,and especially if it hasn't rained for a while,cars get a filthy layer of road grime on them! I never had a car with headlamp washers,& every few days,or sometimes more often in the Winter I need to get a paper towel or wet wipe & clean off my headlights,so I can see properly on unlit,winding, rural roads!
2:13 I have a 2006 Lexus GS300 and have always wondered what that little piece breaks up the headlight trim! I have no idea if my car was optioned with them, I’ll have to go check later today.
Headlight wipers or headlight sprayers are quite valuable in Northeast Coastal environments. Sticky snow salt and mud will cake up rapidly at highway speeds causing one to pull over often to clear it away. Headlight wipers have been replaced by high-powered sprayers due to the fact that the headlight assembly itself is plastic not glass.
I had the fiat Tipo 1.9 TDS SX that had headlamp wipers absolutely love the little quirky things they made me chuckle that was back in the 80s now I have a 2020 ford focus vignale that has headlamp washers but no wipers miss them to be honest I would also like to see mirror wipers as the Nissan CIMA Y31 had them even more quirky lol I'd like them on my ford
The ones on my Volvo v70 were missing so I had new ones installed. For some reason they don’t work but I only put them back on because I thought they looked cool
My first car was a Saab V4 -75B and on the V4 and 99 models the headlight wipers didn't turn back and forth, but the blades were rather pushed and pulled out and in on rods connected to each other with wires and pulleys. It worked well, but, in order to not overload the wiper motor, it was ¿underfused? The first thing you'd do in the winter, before entering the car, was to lift the headlight wiper blades just to check that they weren't frozen. The fuse was easy to change.
Saab was NOT the first! in 1969 you could have option a chevy Caprice Estate wagon with hide away headlights, along with optional headlamp washers for just the low beam. It was a very rare option!
Yes, I did own a Saab in the early 90's, and it happened to be my very first new car!! I believe it was a 900S 2 door, and probably a 90 or 91 model year. Sadly, I heard that Saab did stop manufacturing cars about 10-15 years ago? Or at least, stopped selling them in the US? Regardless, it was really a great car!!
They really become useful in countries like here in Canada with long winters..They are not fir snow. But salt, dirt build up .With our limited daylight hours during Winter, having clear headlights become necessary, especially on country roads at bight. A Swedish study concluded that drivers were not cleaning the film of grime off the headlights. Squirters are incorporated on the wiper arms to spray off the grime.Very effective. If treated with car and usex for the right .purposes. All my winter cars have had them .Get the odd comment from people about them..They look cool and upscale too.I admit in most of the areas of the world, they are gimmicky. Sad they don't exist now.
My dad bought a nice sporty turbo powered car years ago, it had some headloght wipers and i thought it was so cool that a car would have one, sadly the car didnt last long as the turbo blew up
Well, my 96' Volvo 850 has them. I find them to be rather pointless, because the headlights produce so much heat that theyre melting all the snow and ice... But oftentimes people are giggling about these tiny wipers. They think it's really cool :D I guess an oldschool swedish car has to have them :D
Headlight washers (sprayers) are mandatory in EU for all cars equipped with Xenon lights. More often than not, if Xenons were optional, the washers came only with them.
@@eS._Te I've literally searched "Citroen C4 Xenon washer" and they had washers. Did you own your car since it was brand new? If someone retrofitted xenon's it's likely they didn't bother with washers. EU regulations state that Xenon lights require washers and auto-leveling to be homologated.
I'm curious to know if only cars with glass headlights used wipers. I would think that if small rocks and dirt got on the wiper it would scratch a plastic headlight?
I would like to see a video regarding how sideview mirrors went from being on the hood/bonnet of a car to exclusively on the drivers/passenger doors
It’s very simple, mirrors on the fender are completely worthless.
@@randylahey2242 tell that to truckers
When ceilings started to become a thing on cars, it created blind spots, a huge safety issue. Mirrors on the hood are good for seeing objects that are low down, but typically they won't let you see the blind spots on side of the car. That's why side mirrors came into play. FYI some larger vehicles still use hood mirrors, and in some countries like Japan, there's one on practically every car.
@@randylahey2242 Yeah, tell that to truckers and school bus drivers.
Mirrors on the fender are maybe completely worthless on cars, but useful on American trucks and school buses.
They were mandatory here in Scandinavia for decades but vanished due to the EU ruling them as unnecessary as a trade obstacle when the industry changed over from glass to plastic lenses.
In use on native dirt roads and saltslush during the winter, they were amazingly efficient, esp SAAB ones - first a huge spray of liquid, then a short pause in order to let the solvent work and finally - the tremendous force of its rake like "wipers".
It really made it totally clean. 😊
I have a 2000 Volvo V70 XC AWD, p80 wagon. The wiper motors on this car a known to stop working at random or all together. Mine, thankfully, has both working! I use it as a party trick at car shows or with my friends. Being in the US, everyone is so amused as its usually the first time even hearing about a car with headlight wipers. Highly recommend! They have cleared snow (and light ice) off of my lenses and are a cool feature to have!
bruh you have obviously never driven a cold snowy dark area... Canadian here my 98 volvo s70 had headlight wipers and they were wonderful when the weather got slushy.
In wintertime, they are really needed! At least give me a spray...when rolling in wintertime a certain type of mist cloud form on the headlight...you could also do a video on how stupid it is for new cars not to have a rear wiper on any hatch, it seems to be a trend in the last years....
Yes I’ve driven in winter on the highway, when there’s a wet spray of dirt and salt. After 10 minutes of this, the headlights are so covered and dim, they needed to be wiped off with a rag. If you were in traffic and got this buildup, when traffic lets up or you turn down a darker road you can’t see much, but need to.
@@new2000car yes!
my 2-gen charger going 60mph on i89 south bound ( 10-50 mile's, fyi average v8-383 mpg was about 16-19mpg not 9mpg as people/usually-zoomers* who never drove a 60's car would try to lecture me about or give me strange looks after they asked about my life-choices and or driving as a daily ect, plus driving a winter beatter isn't something or something that's in my cards then or now as i don't have a parking spot or $$ extra time+$ ect ) Utah/Idaho going home from working/college in 2009-17~ ( got stolen sadly 😡 , thankfully 😅i got enough back from the cop's/state to start over/rebuild, 540ci-hemi+6sp-Manuel ect time 😉 ) would direct all the water/rain or snowy on the recessed grill and of course my quad-light's ( and a couple of times my 💡door's got stuck/iced shut or wouldn't close all the way properly from snow ❄building up ) and yes i wishfully hoping for the wiper's ( or the spinning ship window-type and heating electric elements ) win it was dusk or dark outside , otherwise for reference the 2005 300c* drives a lot like my charger-style aka fairy stabe something i was considered about the 1st year of ownership at 19~ years old and newly wedded/husband
@@new2000car 80's k1500's are worse as that's my other ride the wifes was a late-90's caddy's and they collect snow as well but rain and caddy's aren't as much of a pain/problem vs my pre-1990's
I guess it would make sense when driving during snowing conditions in low light. The head-wiper would remove the snow that would accumulate in front of the headlamp.
It seems to me that if you brush off the snow before starting the trip, the car’s motion through the air (along with the heat from the incandescent light) would prevent any further snow from sticking to it. In Rochester, NY, I’ve never had a time where I wanted headlight wipers. Not even now when I have LED headlights.
@@kc9scottInteresting point. My point was purely theoretical as there's little snow in the vast majority of my country all year around.
As a Canadian living in southern Alberta, I commute on a small highway. During the winter my commute is pitch black both ways. I’ve often had to get out to clear my headlights because of the dirty slush from the snow and dirt whenever a vehicle drives closely in front of me. These would be a game changer.
There's no such thing as a vehicle driving closely in front of you. You're following THEM too closely.
@@Rich_123 when they pass you and become directly in front of you within a couple inches lol
Same in the eastern european region, saves you quite a bit of washer fluid unlike on modern vehicles that have only the spraying nozzles
*having headlight wipers*, forgot to add
Having owned multiple old Saabs and living in Finland, I have to say they were awesome. You get this muddy, salty snow slush cumulating on your headlights and they do lose quite a bit of their brightness fairly quickly. Add to that the fact that during winters, we only get a few hours of proper daylight every day, having well cleaned headlights is a must for safety and comfort. Nowadays we get the high pressure washers which do most of the work, and seeing that modern headlights are plastic, i wouldnt want to have any wiper blade rubbing that salty mush over it anyway.
This reminds me of the current issue with LED headlamps not generating enough heat to melt snow. One step forward two steps back.
They last longer, they are more efficient, brighter*, more capable, BUT SOMETIMES there is snow and they dont't melt it well. Yeah, we should keep using halogens.
Technology Connections fans know what I'm talking about. You know "BUT SOMETIMES"!!!
@Jonathan-mp7xg JW Speaker and other major heavy equipment suppliers have heated lens models for their sealed beam replacements.
@@sven679 If you live in a snowy area and your car can't take sealed beam replacements with heaters, it's a valid concern and halogens are the best option for those areas.
@@bwofficial1776 Ah yes, better off using old inferior technology that is more dangerous (you see less), just so you won't have to clear your headlights from snow when you walk up to your car.
Get yourself a heated windshield, so you won't have to remove snow from it either. Put heaters on the whole car so you won't have to remove any snow.
@Jazc-mp889 Yes most new cars come with LED headlights, but some new cars still come with halogen headlights from the factory as standard on lower models
I'd really love to see some longer content, 20, 30 minute essays and just videos on certain topics. Come on Zack, grow this channel to the moon.
I was on my way home from work in Budapest years ago -huge rain - when I saw a W123 sit on the side of the road with the wipers going full tilt and then I noticed the small cute wipers on the headlights. Ever since then I saw an old Beemer with one, where the wipers were going criss-cross as there were two blades per wiper at like 90 degrees apart.
I like these quirky things from years gone by. If you look at pictures of old cars in Scandinavia you'll often see that they've been fitted with aftermarket headlight wipers. I don't remember the model of car but one car uses sliding headlight wipers instead of pivoting like every other car.
Glass headlight lenses should make a comeback. While they're slightly heavier, they'll never yellow or haze over. I've rarely seen a car with broken glass headlights so they're pretty durable.
My first car, an 88 Camry, had big aero glass headlights. One had a rock chip in it that allowed water inside, but I just dried it out (simple to do in Texas summer) then put a little clear silicone rtv in the hole. Problem solved.
Also seen plenty of old sealed beam glass bulbs smashed but at least those are cheap and easy to replace. And many have H4 conversion or LED replacements now to get much better light output for cars that use sealed beams.
Thank you for making this video I've been waiting a long time for this
I had a 93 Saab 900 Turbo and ‘02 9-3 SE .. the headlight wipers rarely (if ever worked) but they were a fun little edition. My brother had a 400E Mercedes. Always thought it was funny that he had more wipers on his lights than on his windshield.
In the sleety weathers that start freezing it is very handy. Because weathers like that they can block your lights on long drives. We've had them on our saabs and they're a big help.
I love watching now obsolete car technology. I did see there was a Japanese car with pop up headlights and headlight wipers. I think it was a Nissan. Would love to see a review LOL.
The 9 3 thumbnail is the sole reason I clicked on this video. I'm not disappointed
The European homologation demand that vehicles with HID healamps must have headlight sprayers.
Interesting subject! Nice looking feature....
This is absolutely incredible. 👏
Love these kinds of video, that how I found out about your channel and stick around.
I wish I had them while winter driving. Where we are, salt and dirt on the road surface hit the hot headlamp and bakes onto it leaving a thick layer of crud that does not pass light. I'm constantly cleaning my lamps during winter, even going as far as having Windex and a cloth ready for the daily cleaning.
In 2010 I bought a Volvo ( man, you did not even mention Volvo!) and it had these wipers. I thought the wipers were INCREDIBLY cool and Mercedes -like! And they looked cool too up until l 20 or 30 below hit! The MAIN problem at that point, is that you NEED sometimes to be using your windshield wipers to get rid of the snow, but there is separate NO On/Off switch for the headlight wipers!!!! So , the wipers would freeze solid under a 2 inch layer of ice, and when you went to hit the wipers to get rid of snow on the windshield, the headlight wiper motor would turn on regardless of not being able to do anything, and the wipers turned into pretzels. Here in Canada those wipers and arms were the first things getting replaced on every new Volvo in the country. I actually bought replacements a few time too. Then, I just got the vice grips out, ripped the bloody things off and became happier,,,
Wow so cool. Now I gotta find all the hidden doors. Never knew about the GS's doors!
I predicted and was waiting for this one.
I know it's not a wiper but you mentioned the water jets and it reminded me of a newer BMW I saw recently with the spray jets on both front and rear cameras which I feel is a much better use for these.
Headlight sprayers became mandatory on European cars with HID lamps or brighter than 2000lux
Story well told, Zack.
If SAAB started it, it makes sense. Story over.
I always thought headlight wipers were cool as a kid and had a Saab 900 with them installed. Then never gave them another thought. When they operated you could just about see them in the headlight beam which was quite fun.
I owned a Fiat Tipo which had headlight wipers - they'd activate - if I remember correctly - on every 3rd wipe of the windscreen when the headlights were switched on.
Well, that was what they were meant to do, in reality they seemed to have become possessed by the spirit of some vengeful Italian automotive engineer and would activate only as & when they felt the need - regardless of whether the lever was pulled, the lights were on, the main wipers were active, etc.
"Character" they call it..
Crazy that you've never driven a Jeep Grand Cherokee as they have headlight washers (at least in 2014)
My dad owned a car with headlamp wiper (Škoda Favorit)
Loved it. I had sprayers. Jeep grand Cherokee summit has them.
They are a good idea! Here in England during the damp Winters,the roads are often very wet & dirty,and especially if it hasn't rained for a while,cars get a filthy layer of road grime on them! I never had a car with headlamp washers,& every few days,or sometimes more often in the Winter I need to get a paper towel or wet wipe & clean off my headlights,so I can see properly on unlit,winding, rural roads!
Well good ole Chrysler had headlight washer and wipers on their 1971 imperial and Plymouth line up
2:13 I have a 2006 Lexus GS300 and have always wondered what that little piece breaks up the headlight trim! I have no idea if my car was optioned with them, I’ll have to go check later today.
They apparently help to increase the lifespan of the headlight. Source: friendly Saab mechanic.
Headlight wipers or headlight sprayers are quite valuable in Northeast Coastal environments. Sticky snow salt and mud will cake up rapidly at highway speeds causing one to pull over often to clear it away. Headlight wipers have been replaced by high-powered sprayers due to the fact that the headlight assembly itself is plastic not glass.
My w124 originally had headlight wipers, but at some point in the car’s life they have been taken off and I don’t feel the need to replace them!
Perhaps another video essay could be made about the dual fuel tanks of pickup trucks' past.
Nice variation of content.
Had them on my Saab 900s. Pain in the ass
There very useful indeed
Very cool
I miss my saab 900 turbo. It was actually quite useful for all the mud and stuff on roads
I've never owned a car with headlight wipers, but I always thought it was kind of a 'fancy' look.
We have six cars, two with headlight wipers. They’re great for sparking conversations with strangers. But not much else.
I had the fiat Tipo 1.9 TDS SX that had headlamp wipers absolutely love the little quirky things they made me chuckle that was back in the 80s now I have a 2020 ford focus vignale that has headlamp washers but no wipers miss them to be honest I would also like to see mirror wipers as the Nissan CIMA Y31 had them even more quirky lol I'd like them on my ford
The ones on my Volvo v70 were missing so I had new ones installed. For some reason they don’t work but I only put them back on because I thought they looked cool
My first car was a Saab V4 -75B and on the V4 and 99 models the headlight wipers didn't turn back and forth, but the blades were rather pushed and pulled out and in on rods connected to each other with wires and pulleys. It worked well, but, in order to not overload the wiper motor, it was ¿underfused? The first thing you'd do in the winter, before entering the car, was to lift the headlight wiper blades just to check that they weren't frozen. The fuse was easy to change.
My father drove a skoda favorit with a headlight wiper
Saab was NOT the first! in 1969 you could have option a chevy Caprice Estate wagon with hide away headlights, along with optional headlamp washers for just the low beam. It was a very rare option!
i got an 86 merc witch has these and they work when they want to seams its one side or the other😂
Yes, I did own a Saab in the early 90's, and it happened to be my very first new car!! I believe it was a 900S 2 door, and probably a 90 or 91 model year. Sadly, I heard that Saab did stop manufacturing cars about 10-15 years ago? Or at least, stopped selling them in the US? Regardless, it was really a great car!!
THE FUTURE!!
IS IN THE PAST!!!
They really become useful in countries like here in Canada with long winters..They are not fir snow. But salt, dirt build up .With our limited daylight hours during Winter, having clear headlights become necessary, especially on country roads at bight. A Swedish study concluded that drivers were not cleaning the film of grime off the headlights. Squirters are incorporated on the wiper arms to spray off the grime.Very effective. If treated with car and usex for the right .purposes. All my winter cars have had them .Get the odd comment from people about them..They look cool and upscale too.I admit in most of the areas of the world, they are gimmicky. Sad they don't exist now.
I think it is a very handsome detail, and it makes the car more elegant, but it is not Really necessary.
my dad's old benz convertible had them, it was really weird. i think they were broken
Now that modern cars no longer have rectangular or square headlight lenses, headlight wipers are no longer useful
Some new cars still have rectangular headlights, but with the introduction of headlights washers, the need for headlights wipers diminished.
@@damilolaakanni And some new cars still have circular headlights, but rare.
My Dads 92 MB SL has this. Sprayer were/ are a law to have in Europea for Xenon lights.
I currently own a 96 volvo 850 with headlight wipers but one of them is missing :*)
1970 wasn't the first year of headlight wipers. I've seen a few 1960s Mercedes with them. w114 and w115 for example
Yes! I have seen some 60s Mercs w/ headlamp wipers! And maybe even some late 60s Saabs,& Volvos!
Look up the mini cooper head light sprayers.
My p3 v60 has squirters, the only cars we’ve owned with actual wipers were saabs. rip
My dad bought a nice sporty turbo powered car years ago, it had some headloght wipers and i thought it was so cool that a car would have one, sadly the car didnt last long as the turbo blew up
Well, my 96' Volvo 850 has them. I find them to be rather pointless, because the headlights produce so much heat that theyre melting all the snow and ice... But oftentimes people are giggling about these tiny wipers. They think it's really cool :D I guess an oldschool swedish car has to have them :D
Car manufacturer put headlight sprayer on EDM cars not because it's useful or work, but EU request they to.
Headlight washers (sprayers) are mandatory in EU for all cars equipped with Xenon lights.
More often than not, if Xenons were optional, the washers came only with them.
not true, my citroen c4 had xenon lights but no sprayers
@@eS._Te I've literally searched "Citroen C4 Xenon washer" and they had washers.
Did you own your car since it was brand new?
If someone retrofitted xenon's it's likely they didn't bother with washers.
EU regulations state that Xenon lights require washers and auto-leveling to be homologated.
My 1990´s Lada Niva has it.
Was waiting for the clip of my v70 😢
Oh my gosh I literally took clips of your car just for this video and I totally forgot 😫
Also walking into an auto parts store asking for headlight wipers 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Good video!
Though the wiper sequence in the clip at around 0:15 looks atrocious
Why do they swish like that
Ironically, you just know they would become frozen to the light after an ice or snow storm.
I'm curious to know if only cars with glass headlights used wipers. I would think that if small rocks and dirt got on the wiper it would scratch a plastic headlight?
That’s exactly why cars now have high-pressure sprayers rather than the wipers.
My 850 failed inspection cuz it was missing its factory headlight wipers...
Would be helpful with snow if the car had LED headlights but they went out of style long before LEDs existed
I had a 98 volvo wagon with them. Did'nt work. Got headlight washers on my 09 rx350 and they dont work either
Kind of useless for rain but for dirt, mud and snow extremely useful
Still waiting for the smokers window video
Maybe some countries mandated headlight wipers… I’ve seen some that were so ineffective that only a law forcing the issue seems the case😂😂
0:52 - lolwhat? The scene starts in an American streetcar, but just in 5 to 6 seconds one can suddenly see Tatra T3 trams from Moscow.
Hey man, streetcar stock footage is hard to find, I tried my best 😅 they don’t have them in my area
Does this mean technically they had "headlight fluid?" 😅
For the sprayers to spray on the headlights
😂😂😂😂
i dont need to drink like an animal/cup holder? wtf? that big?
Only car I’ve had with them was both of my Rolls Royce’s.
1970’s and 80’s but was completely useless 😂
Why dose auto wipers use
Had them on a mercedes 560 sec. Total pain in the ass, ugly and didn't always work.🤬
It’s painful watching the wipers at 2:16 wher all of them anre out of synch.
Wiper headlights are so unnecessary.