Retrofitting headlight wipers on a V70 wagon, do I need a software upgrade? Topic is solved

TheMrFailz · Post by **TheMrFailz** » 13 Oct 2018, 07:10

So the TL:DR version is basically this: I've got a 2002 V70 2.4T that I've done a S60r bumper swap on, and now I've got headlight wiper holes but no headlight wipers. There are covers in existence but the problem is since the S60R's wiper holes are different shaped, the covers for them are rarer and a whooooooooole lot more expensive (between 60 and 110 USD a piece), to the point where it is literally cheaper to for me to pull headlight wiper assemblies / arms off a dead v70 or s60 and just slap them in there to fill the gap.

Circling around back to the title I've been trying to figure out if, should I put them on, I would need a software update to get them to work. Interestingly enough of all the things on the car that clearly need software updates to be retrofitted on (see: foglights), hl wipers are basically the only thing that there is 0 info on in either official media or from people on the net likely because most people generally want to take them off and not put them on*. I don't have a vida subscription right now so I can't check the most up-to-date software download list but based on the list I found here: https://www.volvotechinfo.com/index.cfm ... 090109.pdf there doesn't appear to be any specific software for this.

In terms of any related info that I've dug up, I've read somewhere that headlight wipers generally came with cars that had heated seats as part of a winter package. The reason I mention that is supposedly according to a thread on the net I found**, the heated seats didn't really have a software upgrade either and instead required the heater pads to be installed (they connect to the power seat module) and to have the button put on. Obviously you need to throw a relay in probably in both cases but I'm wondering if the wipers are the same here.

*Now I know what at least one person reading this is thinking: "Heavens above why would you want those things?" probably due in part to the fact that blades can be a bit pricey to replace (or not for some of the slightly more generic options) and the motors have the life expectancy of someone who just fell off a cliff (which is to say not long). Truth be told, at the end of the day if the hole in the bumper is filled I'm a happy camper regardless of whether or not they work (but it would be nice if they did).

**https://forums.swedespeed.com/showthrea ... ated-seats

Post by **Rattnalle** » 13 Oct 2018, 07:32

An educated guess:
In Europe where most of these were sold every single car had them. There wasn't an option to go without. Therefore I'm guessing that if you pop them in there they'll work since they didn't bother to remove them from any software. It should be easy enough to test, just find the connector back there and see if it's powered. It's three pins. Power, ground and a signal to get them started. Should be somewhere behind the headlight on each side if you have it.

Post by **Rattnalle** » 13 Oct 2018, 07:41

Oh and you'll have to find the tubed and the split from the wiper fluid pump as well.

Headlight wipers are bliss in the slushy winter months. Just imagine driving through winter without touching the windshield wipers..

TheMrFailz · Post by **TheMrFailz** » 13 Oct 2018, 07:48

Rattnalle wrote: ↑13 Oct 2018, 07:41 Oh and you'll have to find the tubed and the split from the wiper fluid pump as well.

Headlight wipers are bliss in the slushy winter months. Just imagine driving through winter without touching the windshield wipers..

I know about the wiper fluid bit, and to be totally frank I'm probably not going to bother with it if possible. The main thing I like to get out of them is the snow clearing for the winter months here where the snow has a tendency to build up on the lenses (our snow likes glass especially apparently).

TheMrFailz · Post by **TheMrFailz** » 13 Oct 2018, 14:59

update: it fits and "works" but one of the motors I got at the scrap yard is el' crappo'd and the other must have a dead gear somewhere as it just spins but the arm won't move. Not the end of the world but I guess that answers the original question as to whether or not it'll work out of the box. I'll prolly open them up at a later date and repair them. Either way, no big deal, I'm just happy the hole is filled.

Now time to fill the foglights!

Post by **Rattnalle** » 13 Oct 2018, 16:22

Good to know!

It looks like you might have the wiper rubbers the wrong way though. Short end goes toward the middle. They shouldn't quite touch like yours do or they'll scratch the paint when they move. Not an issue yet of course