Interpretation ID: nht68-3.4

DATE: 10/03/68

FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; C. A. Baker; NHTSA

TO: Deputy Chief Experimental

TITLE: FMVSS INTERPRETATION

TEXT: Thank you for your letter of August 23, 1965, to Dr. William Haddon, Jr., concerning windshield washers.

Based upon the information you provided, your annually operated windshield washer system appears to meet the requirements of Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 104, Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems. You state your washer system will deliver the required 15 cc of fluid to windshiell (as specified in paragraph 2.11 of SAB Recommended Practice J942, November 1965) within a period of 3 seconds or less (as specified in paragraph 4.4.2(b) of J942). You also state your manual system will meet the washer system capability requirements of paragraph 3.1 and the durability requirements of paragraph 3.4 of J942.

Apparently your concern is that your annually operated system will not deliver 15 cc of fluid per stroke. However, if you can provide the required 15 cc of fluid by using additional strokes within a 3 second period and if this type of operation will clear 75% of the effective wipe pattern within 10 cycles, you meet the performance requirements we consider necessary for highway safety.