I've been in my GS F Sport for just over 2 weeks now. As much as I refer to the manual (or the search bar here) I still come up short trying to find an answer. So, please forgive me if this is something that can be easily found. I wanted to ask, how can I operate JUST the windshield washer WITHOUT activating the headlamp washers? Every time I attempt to clean off my windshield, I wind up spraying my headlights. Can these two functions be done separately?

 

The headlamps get washed if the headlamps are ON and you activate the windshield sprayer. To have windshield only, the lights have to be off...i am pretty sure

 

Thank you for that!! At night, I guess I don't have a choice.

 

Very welcome. I literally just read my manual like 2 days ago, so it is still in the brain

 

Wow, I didn't even know that... I thought by not pressing the headlight sprayer button, it doesn't activate. Didn't know it comes on with the regular windshield sprayer if headlights are on.

 

Haha I thought it was completely random Makes more sense now.

 

on my wife's GS450H I can activate headlamp washers by pressing a button on left side from steering wheel, otherwise they stay off even when I spray my windshield with headlights off or on.

 

I have the GS450h with the same button. When you press the button it'll spray just the headlights only but otherwise if your headlights are on (actually on and not just on Auto) it sprays the headlamps along with the windshield.

You can see there's no indicator light for that button like for the heated steering wheel and BSM, so it's not a toggle.

 

aha... make sense now if Auto enabled.

 

Such a good post. I thought it was my imagination that somethings the lamp washers fired and sometimes didn't. Totally makes sense now.

 

I remember reading somewhere the headlight sprayers do not activate every time. They come on every 5th use of the windshield washer function. This is for GS350 without the specific button like the 450h.
Talking about the "cold weather package"

 

I still think this is the most stupid gimmick on any car, when was the last time you saw a Lexus with dirty head lights.

 

^ You don't live in NY do you? lol

 

It is a gimmick but kind of interesting. Normally you see Lexus and other brands with yellowing/hazy lights from UV exposure which a washer won't help. I think the washer/wipers were originally made more for places with a lot of large bugs so the owner did not have them caked on and had to wash them off on long trips. Mercedes was one of the very few companies that did wipers for the lights. It would be nice if more upscale cars had glass headlights so they don't yellow after a few years.

 

I think it is more for places with lots of snow, built up on the bumper covering the headlights. Volvo, Saab might have been first with headlight wipers/washers. When I was in college way back in the 80's I had an old beater 74 Volvo 144. It had seat heaters. Bought it used, and was surprised one day when the seat all of the sudden got hot. As I remember, they were outside temp dependent. There was no on-off switch, they just came on when the outside temp was below some temp that I have forgotten.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1974-volvo-144/

Mine was just like this.....ORANGE BABY!