TSS sensor washer

The other day I got a notice that I need to clean the front sensor, wasnt very dirty, but I guess dirty enough to prevent it from working.
I took it to the car wash as I wanted to clean it anyways. While waiting in the line I got to thinking about a way to fix this issue.

Headlight washers! They sit flush on bumpers, then pop out and spray the headlight when on. This seems like a good way of cleaning the sensor. Im going to order a headlight washer and see if I can get it mounted up behind the grill right above the sensor.

 

I'd be interested to see how this turns out.

Might be nice on longer trips to just be able to spray some of the road grime off. I've had the sensor throw an error on a 4 hour trip and had to pull over and wipe it off. I would have just ignored it, but I got tired of seeing the screen rotate through all the errors.

 

Shit....I just figured out my retirement plan. I’m going to market “TSS Cleaner” to the overland crowd. It’ll be like those angry beaver shovels that are just re-branded shovels from some other maker. I’ll put Windex in a different colour “trail rated” bottle and make a fortune.

 

Put it right next to the blinker fluid.

OP I don't think that will work, but I could be wrong. These trucks seem to take issue with all the new sensors and computers they are adding. Lots of people are having issues and toyotas response it they are out of calibration and most of the time need replaced.

 

I’m gonna sell the bottle with a powerfist mount and comes with a sticker. Just gotta get it to market before ARB or TRD picks up the scent and launches their own version.

 

Maybe sell 2 washers to a set. One for the sensor and one for the 3rd brake light.
Hope the 3rd light dont leak though

 

Yes plenty of these kits on eBay. Wire it to activate when you spray the windshield.

Wouldn't mind seeing a kit for the backup camera...

 

I almost went broke marketing my coconut-oil-based 3rd brake light sealant.....can’t go down that road again.

 

I actually thought about that too, unfortunately there is no good mounting points on the tailgate. I guess a hole could be drilled and a normal washer jet installed just below the camera.

 

It gets dirty just driving on a rainy highway with traffic. So, your demographic is much larger.

 

Yes, and it would look OEM (like the washer nozzles on the hood on 1st and 2nd gens). Someone on here once tee'd a windshield washer hose from under the hood and routed it all the way to the tailgate. However, lacking a check valve, the nozzle leaked whenever the tailgate was down (i.e. below the reservoir's elevation).

 

True, but the overload crowd has the two things I need for them to dig deep in their pockets:

1-fear of the outdoors
2-an Instagram feed showing their mods

This shit ain’t going to be cheap, but it will come with a sticker.

 

One of the newer German luxury cars (Bentley? can't remember) Has a heating element in front of their radar sensor so it will stay clear of snow and ice in the winter.

Check valve wouldn't do anything here. What you need is a vacuum breaker.

 

This is another problem I was thinking of, Im in MN so we get road salt and ice build up on there.

Heating the emblem would add cost and complexity, but if I had a separate washer fluid tank for just the TSS it could be filled with deicing fluid (rubbing alcohol/washer fluid) Then a momentary switch that turns on just the sensor cleaner so it can be cleaned without hitting the wipers.... since the windshield is heated via the defrost setting you dont need to turn on the wipers when the ice is built up on the sensor.

I ordered a retracting washer jet and a washer tank/pump today. Should be here next week.

 

A few hundred Englishmen just had a heart attack.

 

They're VWs now unfortunately.

 

I don't see how just simply spraying water will help this issue. It's going to need to be wiped off.

 

Gonna also need a wiper arm to be effective. (like the old Benzes)
And I will laugh my fucking ass off the first time I see one in action.


Edit: PvilleJohn beat me to it. ^

 

Wouldn't do a damn thing, with the possible exception of deicing..

 

Pretty sure a pressure jet of fluid washes away road salt and grime just fine.... I mean car companies abandoned the wiper arm on headlights long ago in favor of just jets.