Headlamp washer repair and new wipers 2007 V8 Vantage
Discussion
Well, that was interesting (not). 2007 V8 Vantage went in for an oil change and differential oil top-up service at the local AM specialist.
Got a call to say the offside headlamp washer didn’t work and would I like it fixed? With HID headlights they are required post-2009. On my 2007 car I think if they are fitted they must work for the MoT.
Also, both windscreen wipers were split. Only about a quarter of an inch, but probably an MoT fail. They know I do a lot of the maintenance myself so weren’t surprised when I said leave it to me to sort out.
First off the windscreen wipers. After a lot of searching I eventually settled on the alternative parts list and ordered Bosch Aerotwin AR24U and AR20U wipers (£35 all in) from Ebay. When they arrived they were relatively easy to fit, so job #1 done.
The headlight was a little more problematic. You could see that the headlamp washer mounts had broken (a common problem) and the nozzle and cap were now in a small plastic bag, courtesy of the specialist.
I took a look at Redpants on YouTube for an idea of how easy it is to remove the headlight and set to in the garage. Removing the wheel arch liner is probably the toughest bit - not hard, just time-consuming once you’ve got the wheel off. I also loosened the air box to make more room (two bolts). Disconnect the water pipe to the actuator (one clip), unplug the headlight after moving the red sliding lock and then its two Allen key bolts at the back and a single Torx 30 bolt at the front. I managed to scratch the headlight while removing it, which wasn’t a problem as I wanted to re-polish them anyway, but otherwise be warned - cover it with cardboard before attempting to remove the headlight.
Once out I could set about the repair. I bought a 3D-printed repair kit from “greentractorboy” on Ebay for £33 delivered. This is actually “PatCub” on this forum and my grateful thanks to him for this kit. Then it was a case of removing the old mounts (angle grinder), prepping the surface and assembling the whole lot as a test to make sure everything lined up. Then I mixed some epoxy resin, applied it and taped the whole lot down to stop the pieces moving. Note the previous repair to the front headlight mount!
It’s currently hardening, but I was also missing one of the nozzles (God knows where that went). So I’ve ordered a washer nozzle sprayer jet for a Jaguar XJ 2011-2015 (Ebay £9.59) and will doctor that to get the small ball-like nozzle out of it, That will be epoxy-ed in too.
So there you go. Hopefully, that will be the wipers and headlight fixed for under £100. Far better than the £000s quoted from an AM dealer. I’ve put this on Pistonheads to encourage others to have a go. If you take your time its not that difficult
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Quick update. Having finished the offside headlight and put it all back together, I tested it and it worked. However, the nearside washer wasn't working. So ... I started again with the wheel arch liner removal etc.
Turns out, the reason it wasn't working was the pipe had been blocked off with a bolt! Anyway, it looked like the washer had broken away from the headlight (again!).
With an MoT looming I therefore consulted the MoT regulations which revealed that headlamp washers are only inspected on post-2009 cars.
So I put everything back together and pulled the F26 fuse out. The upshot is that it passed the MoT with flying colours and no advisories.
Worth bearing in mind if your car is pre-2009 with headlight washer problems. Never liked them anyway - just sprayed water all over the bonnet!
Turns out, the reason it wasn't working was the pipe had been blocked off with a bolt! Anyway, it looked like the washer had broken away from the headlight (again!).
With an MoT looming I therefore consulted the MoT regulations which revealed that headlamp washers are only inspected on post-2009 cars.
So I put everything back together and pulled the F26 fuse out. The upshot is that it passed the MoT with flying colours and no advisories.
Worth bearing in mind if your car is pre-2009 with headlight washer problems. Never liked them anyway - just sprayed water all over the bonnet!
stevenichols said:
With an MoT looming I therefore consulted the MoT regulations which revealed that headlamp washers are only inspected on post-2009 cars.
So I put everything back together and pulled the F26 fuse out. The upshot is that it passed the MoT with flying colours and no advisories.
Worth bearing in mind if your car is pre-2009 with headlight washer problems. Never liked them anyway - just sprayed water all over the bonnet!
My ‘07 Vantage’s headlamp washers weren’t working when I bought the car. Reading various comments about their effectiveness has meant that I’ve never been inclined to fix them.So I put everything back together and pulled the F26 fuse out. The upshot is that it passed the MoT with flying colours and no advisories.
Worth bearing in mind if your car is pre-2009 with headlight washer problems. Never liked them anyway - just sprayed water all over the bonnet!
I rescue this post, in the end how did you solve the arrangement....
Did you notice that you have a fairly advanced break in the headlight housing, probably from a sudden blow?
In any case, epoxy is not enough, that break must be cured with staples and then with a light layer of polyester and that, guys, DOES NOT BREAK IN A FRONT HIT AT 100KM PER HOUR, that piece remains intact.
Did you notice that you have a fairly advanced break in the headlight housing, probably from a sudden blow?
In any case, epoxy is not enough, that break must be cured with staples and then with a light layer of polyester and that, guys, DOES NOT BREAK IN A FRONT HIT AT 100KM PER HOUR, that piece remains intact.
Hello, you have to follow the drawn yellow line. There you have a HUGE CRACK. Enlarge your photo or disassemble the unit....if you haven't cured it, that crack is still there.
Be careful, the crack reaches to the right ,edge of the white polycarbonate of the headlight.
I enlarged your image x10 and there is a crack there
Be careful, the crack reaches to the right ,edge of the white polycarbonate of the headlight.
I enlarged your image x10 and there is a crack there
Ah! I see what you mean.
To be honest, I reassembled the headlight and put it back some six months ago and it is still in position. I don't think it is a big problem as the crack runs to the large amount of epoxy resin near the front bolt hole.
If ever I have to pull it apart again I will take a look and see if it needs fixing. But for now I'm going to leave it on the grounds of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!".
It is not the easiest job in the world to remove the headlights and I am about to change the thermostat so will be concentrating on that. I don't remember there being any "play" in the headlight when I had it apart.
Steve
To be honest, I reassembled the headlight and put it back some six months ago and it is still in position. I don't think it is a big problem as the crack runs to the large amount of epoxy resin near the front bolt hole.
If ever I have to pull it apart again I will take a look and see if it needs fixing. But for now I'm going to leave it on the grounds of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!".
It is not the easiest job in the world to remove the headlights and I am about to change the thermostat so will be concentrating on that. I don't remember there being any "play" in the headlight when I had it apart.
Steve
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