Time delay relays

Hi, have seen in the circuit plan that the headlight washing system is running over a so-called ‘time delay relay’. What exactly does this have to do? With my headlight washing system, there is no ‘time delay’: if I use the window washing system when the light is switched on (it happens more often at the moment), water is sprayed directly on the headlights, and immediately and for as long as I have pulled the switch. That can’t really be right, think e me, because by the fact that the headlight washing system has completely a lot of liquid out I have a animally high water and disc cleaner consumption and also the whole front car is so slow with window cleaner, so that it starts foaming with every moisture of itself. Greeting, guitarno