WINDSCREEN WASHER JET / SPRAY NOZZLE - Has anyone upgraded to an aftermarket one?

[YVR88]

Would be willing to pay for an upgraded version of the washer jet if Tesla offered.

It's unfortunate that Tesla was not able to purchase the washer jet from Mercedes Benz or another company.

I do hope they can improve the design ASAP and offer customers the option pay to upgrade.

 

[Andyw2100]

Have you looked into getting yours adjusted?

 

[ToxNuke]

+1 for an upgrade needed. The jet sucks, i need a ton of fluid to get a not even close to decent result. Considering a DIY mod.

 

[robby]

If you come up with a good DIY mod please post it. My wipers are a mess in the winter.

 

[mattr2]

Amen. The washer jets are about the only thing I complain about on my Model S. good news is, hey.... it's the only thing I complain about in the model s.

 

[Todd Burch]

Agree. As amazing as the engineering is on the S, the washer nozzles must have been assigned to a freshman intern.

Surprised they haven't taken the time to improve them either.

 

[YVR88]

I can't see it being a major fix. I believe it could be as simple as replacing the washer jet nozzel with one like the ones mercedes uses.

I understand the Model S already uses several mercedes parts on the interior. No harm adding the jet nozzles to the list.

 

[thegruf]

Knew I'd seen something about this on here

Windshield Washer Stream

it appears later cars have fan spray nozzles fitted, time to check with your SC?

 

[Dax279]

I have the fan spray and would say it is one of the things I complain about. I find it works best when stopped, but still does not get the lower middle windshield all that well.

I have decided to try and find a thread I read a few weeks ago on some suggested wipers and give that a shot.

Our roads here are very messy through winter and one can go through a lot of fluid quickly.

 

[ThisIsTrue]

it appears later cars have fan spray nozzles fitted, time to check with your SC?

I think the sprayers on my facelift (made in October) suck. Don't know if they suck less than earlier models.

 

[RScottyL]

From Washer Nozzle Retrofit | TeslaTap

Washer Nozzle Retrofit
On earlier cars (perhaps pre-2015) the washer nozzles shoot a stream of water. This design has changed on newer cars to shoot a spray. A retrofit from Tesla is available to switch the nozzles. The cost is about $50 for parts and labor (which may vary depending on your local service rates).

Stream vs. Spray

It was reported by a fellow S owner that using a stream works better at cleaning the windshield when moving at higher speeds, and a spray works better when stopped or at low speeds, so you may prefer one type of nozzle over the other.

 

[Andyw2100]

I have decided to try and find a thread I read a few weeks ago on some suggested wipers and give that a shot.

This thread, possibly? Bosch Icons?

P85D wiper blades

 

[Dax279]

This thread, possibly? Bosch Icons?

P85D wiper blades

That was it thank you!

 

[bob_p]

My 4-year old P85 had the original dual spray nozzles - which seemed to move out of adjustment often (and took quite a bit of time to re-adjust manually).

I paid around $100 for parts & labor to get the new "fan spray" nozzles, and they work much, much better.

 

[Barry]

I recall reading that if you had the cold weather package, they couldn't switch them out. is that still the case?

 

[migselv]

Sorry for digging this thread out of it's grave.....

...but there is a good reason: It is now possible to upgrade from jet to spray for Model S with the winter package and thus the heated nozzles!
It's not an official upgrade offered by Tesla, but it might as well be.

I saw this tip by user "Neon" on the German based TFF forum.
He found a 100% fitting heated nozzle from Ford.
There are two versions. One with a short cable (older Model S, i.e. 2013) and one with a longer cable (newer Model S, i.e. 2015). Not sure when the design changed exactly.
Part number: PM51-17666-BB (short cable)
Part number: PM51-17666-DA (long cable)

I just got two of these (short cable) in the mail today and made the conversion on my Classic Model S from 2013. It was quite easy and in my case I didn't even need any tools at all (10-20min job):

1. Open the frunk.
2. Find one of the nozzles and pull/push it towards the front of the car (keep it parallel to the frunk lid).
3. While pulling/pushing try to gently lift the side of the nozzle where the water ejects away from the frunk lid (kind of pull it downwards).
4. The nozzle should now be freed which gives you a bit extra freedom for disconnecting it.
5. Disconnect the electrical connector. You have to pull in a small node to release the mechanism.
6. Pull the nozzle a bit out (stretching the hose a bit) and simply pull off the hose.
7. Gently remove the nozzle (be gentle with the large cable connector - I promise you it can get through the hole).
8. Install the new nozzle in reverse.

There is not much room to work with and getting the cable reconnected was a bit tricky. In the TFF forum it was suggested to use a small pry tool for point no. 3.

The spray is exactly like the OEM Tesla spray on newer models and without winter package (had a chance to see it on a loaner a while ago).
One thing I noticed is that the spray on the drivers side hits the washer arm and is thus partly blocked (when the arms are down). This is a flaw in the general design. The washers are too far in under the frunk lid and there is too little space left for the water to eject.
This is partly the reason the spray works best at a standstill or at very low speeds.

I have attached a few images that show the direct comparison between jet and fan and also the two nozzles side by side.

Hope someone finds this useful.

Cheers

Marcel

 

[TaoJones]

That was very helpful - thanks.

Unfortunately, with both my late 2014 S and the current early 2017 S, the OEM spray nozzles (evidently an upgrade from the older jet style) remain utterly useless for cleaning the top third of the windshield at speed. As you've generously noted by mentioning that the wipers are best used at lower speeds.

I've never gone through so much windshield wiper fluid as with these two cars, and now carry an extra gallon or two during extended road trips. Cleaning the fluid off the *inside* of the hood due to the aforementioned poor design/design flaw gets old as well.

Along the way, I have found that the Costco Goodyear blades (about $15/set iirc) work just as well as $40 worth of Bosch Ikon blades, so there's that.

Amusingly, none of this is a problem in SoCal. But venture forth into the interior of the country, and the only way I'm able to see out the windshield is with the aid of a detail spray (I mix 7:1 distilled to ONR (Optimum No-Rinse Blue) in a pint spray bottle) used at every SC stop.

And then the front end of the car looks like an insect convention, but that's another matter.