Legal instructions about headlamp cleaning systems

Since 1996 headlamp cleaning systems are required by lag for headlamps with Xenon-light in Europe. (ECE 45 and ECE 48). In Japan these regulations will be adopted from 1^st January 2006. Up to this time, vehicles can be introduced in the market without headlamp cleaning systems. Merely in the regions NAFTA and Mercosur, there are no legal requirements for headlamp cleaning systems. If they are integrated optionally, they must correspond to the regulation SAE J2111. (This regulation fits ECE R45).
The most important legal requirements in Europe:
- are required for low beam
- require a water supply for at least 25 cleaning cycles
- require cleaning efficiency of at least 70% on one headlamp which is soiled
up to a grade of remaining 20% of the original flux
- assume that during operation a maximum area of the low beam of 20%
may be covered
- ensure operation in a temperature range from -35°C up to 80°C with
allowances for freezing
- require the warranty of function of the headlamp cleaning system up to a speed of 130 km/h

Visible benefit

Main reason for these legal requirements is not, as expected, better view by enlargement of the range of illumination, but rather the avoidance of glare of oncoming vehicles.
A soiled outer lens is not only causing less light intensity by absorbing light, in case of minor soiling grades the glare will also be increased. Thus even in when driving with low beam application the oncoming traffic can be glared. Up to a soilling grade of roughly 60% the scattered light and the glare effect is increasing, in case of higher soiling the absorption is dominating. Accordingly the illumination and range is reduced.

A suitable product for each car

The cleaning of the headlamp lens is carried out according to the type of the vehicle when the headlamp is switched on in accordance with the cleaning of the windshield. To ensure an optimum cleaning efficiency, the following aspects have to be considered:
- the distance between the nozzles and the lens
- hitting angle and speed of the water drops
- the deployed water quantity

By consideration of these aspects, Automotive Lighting offers three different types of headlamp cleaning systems:

1. Static nozzles
2. Telescopic nozzles

Static Nozzles:

Static nozzles are visibly situated on the bumper

Telescopic nozzles:

Aerodynamic headlamps with bigger sweep and inclination require telescope system. In these systems the nozzle holder is hidden, e.g. inside the bumber and reach the appropiate spraying position by a hydraulic movement. In the resting position the nozzles are hidden by a nozzle caps on the bumber. The nozzle holder, the nozzle cap and the telescope fixing unit normaly are harmonized with the individual car.

Hydraulic washing systems

Rigid nozzle holder

Telescopic nozzle