I'm new to the Volvo community, and have really valued the info available to solve problems. This is the first time I think I can make others lives easier as the info on this was varied - so here goes.
2015 Volvo V60 has the headlight washers and they drink the sauce like crazy. We don't live in a climate where washing the headlights every 5th time (that is how the headlight washers work - they come on every 5th windshield squirt) is sensible and in the summer it just hoses down the paint and leaves the car looking gross.
So - I wanted to stop the headlight washers. Answers were varied, but I figured out two ways to do it and wish there was a 3rd (via software) that I didn't manage to find.
Option 1: unplug the washer pump electrical connector. Pros: works. Cons: leaves the connector on the harness and pump to get gummed up and fail. Process: start the front bumper removal process:
You only have to take off the 5 screws in the driver's side wheel well that fasten the bumper to the fender liner and you should be able to open enough space to unplug the headlight washer. I didn't take pics, but it is the pump with the valving on it, closest to you. Unplug the electrical connector, and that kills it.
Option 2: unplug the fuse. Pros: works and is easy to undo. Cons: The info out there to do it is...confusing. And I'm a pretty sharp tack - usually. Process: Open hood, pop open fuse panel on drivers side next to the battery. Manual gives you this diagram:
Fuse number for headlight washer is 15. This is the confusing part: I was looking for a standard, mini blade fuse @ 20A per the manual. The manual graphic and reality aren't perfectly in cahoots, so I took this pic:
That 20A thing is a fuse. Looks like a relay ; it is a fuse. And close inspection shows there's an F15 mark, but it is next to the 10A that is above this location. There is another F20 mark on the 10A too, which shows that it is F20, and the hole next to it, where the 20A cube goes is F15. Pop that out, put in glove box (or other safe keeping location) and you now have no headlight squirters. I reckon weird fuse is for time-delay on the motor circuit, or something.
Option 3: Change software settings using VIDA. I managed to get a DiCE, and work through the hoops of getting the VM with VIDA going. I'm a VM expert of sorts, and this was...one of the more challenging instances of getting a peripheral to work in a VM. I'll write up on that in the VIDA forum later. But...I couldn't find a setting to either a) disable the headlight washers or b) reduce the 5x frequency to say 30x or something. That would have been my preferred choice. Or add a time-delay where if you hold the juice on for 2 seconds, then the headlight juice goes. If you just give 1s shots - no headlight gushing. I know you can fast tap the washers with some success, but my wife doesn't do that and boom - bug juice explosion.
If anyone knows how to change headlight washing in VIDA, I'm all ears!
And...I've seen lots of posts in other forums with "How do I turn off headlight washers?" answered with "why would you do that?". We get it - they designed it this way for a reason. But - they didn't design it for me, or my climate as it wastes windshield washer juice, and that stuff isn't harmless - it still goes into the environment, and gets washed into storm drains. We should be able to conserve resources however needed, even if it is cheaper than bottled water. Economics are the poorest form of establishing value!
Happy Trails (and happy windshield washing!)
