Frozen washer jets

derrick

skivenov wrote: »

Tend to find once I've thawed the nozzles with a bit of warm water and given them a blast, they don't normally refreeze. Could be wrong, often am, but if you've got a decent screen wash in, the freezing problem tends to be frost that's formed on the metal nozzle inserts rather than the screenwash freezing.

SLITHER99 wrote: »

I leave my car idle for 5-10 minutes in the morning, that way everything works. It seems if I get in and drive straight away, I'll never have any washer jets on the journey.

I think the problem with the vehicle I am driving, VW mini bus,has the jets and pipework on the wiper arm, so is probably more prone to freezing a larger amount of liquid,and after driving for 2 hours the washers where still not working

Hintza wrote: »

He is an idiot.

Antifreeze is nasty nasty stuff.

And it trashes your paintwork.

I said to him about the paint work and wiper blades, his response was, "has anyone actually tried it, I have been using it for 27 years on various vehicles including time in the army where temps where down to below 30C and never had any paint damage or frozen washers"

Yesterday after driving for 2 hours the washers where still not working, (they where later on after the sun had been out for a couple of hours), I dropped of this guy and his car was still outside, had been all night, and he turned on the ignition, pressed the washers and his jets where not frozen.

.

StrongWork

gord115 wrote: »

If you mix concentrated windscreen wash to the correct ratio shown on the bottle,it wont freeze up.
Never had a problem with either of our cars,and I only use Asdas own make.

Depends on the operating temp of the screen wash in question.

Iirc ASDA screen wash (use it myself) undiluted is (allegedly) effective to temps of -5.

poppasmurf_bewdley

Oh, the joy of having heated windscreen washers. (Sits back looking smug ).

StrongWork

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

Oh, the joy of having heated windscreen washers. (Sits back looking smug ).

The screen wash can still freeze in the tubes connecting the screen wash bottle to the nozzles themselves.

Got heated jets on the E36 but there's not a huge amount you can do about the above except use concentrated screen wash to prevent it freezing in the first place, or let the engine defrost it.

cardinalbiggles

sillygoose wrote: »

Its brilliant stuff, even at 50% dilution it will resist a serious lot of coldness. I use a bit neat to defrost the windscreen by pouring it on (when in a hurry) its that strong works instantly!

(Cars are worse for freezing washers now as to cut engine noise many have insulated bonnets that block the engine warm from reaching the jets.)

I have a supply of it as well, its excellent. Its not excellent when almost an entire container empties into your boot however and you spend 2 weeks trying to get the smell out!

It has been freezing for a few days here now, continually, and I have had no problems with freezing washers like I used to get using normal screen wash.

cardinalbiggles

StrongWork wrote: »

Depends on the operating temp of the screen wash in question.

Iirc ASDA screen wash (use it myself) undiluted is (allegedly) effective to temps of -5.

-5 isnt much good up here in the Northern outposts when at the moment that's the maximum daytime temperature, probably different for you southerners basking in the sun 12 months of the year

kevanf1

Engine anti freeze will not damage your paintwork! I think somebody is getting confused here with brake/clutch (hydraulic) fluid. Now that stuff will lift paint within a few minutes, I know, I had the tiniest of leaks in a brand new toolbox

Best thing to do barring having a good quality screenwash in your washer bottle is to drape an old item of clothing, jumper, sweatshirt even a t-shirt, over the jets themselves. It should help to keep them clear and even a modern car will then not take too long to thaw out the actual connecting tubes.

A word of caution. Before you even attempt to use the wipers carefully release them from the screen. If they are stuck fast then by repeatedly trying to shift them by flicking on the steering column arm you will end up blowing a fuse The same will happen with the screenwash jets if they are frozen.

Limey

TRace wrote: »

You gan get a heated washer kit, depending on the car.

I need to get a set of them for my MR2, with engine in the back the nozzles never defrost if the screen wash isn't up to the outside temps.

I remember driving to work once and having to remove the sunroof so I could reach out and pour screen wash over the windscreen. That was a bloody cold commute. :rotfl:

poppasmurf_bewdley

Limey wrote: »

I need to get a set of them for my MR2, with engine in the back the nozzles never defrost if the screen wash isn't up to the outside temps.

I remember driving to work once and having to remove the sunroof so I could reach out and pour screen wash over the windscreen. That was a bloody cold commute. :rotfl:

I always kept a Fairy Liquid bottle in the door pocket filled with de-icer and used to lower the window and squirt onto the windscreen when I had frozen nozzles. Worked wonders.

GolfBravo

StrongWork wrote: »

The screen wash can still freeze in the tubes connecting the screen wash bottle to the nozzles themselves.

Got heated jets on the E36 but there's not a huge amount you can do about the above except use concentrated screen wash to prevent it freezing in the first place, or let the engine defrost it.

You need to get a "proper" winter screen wash, something like the Lidl -60ºC concentrate and then dilute it 50/50.

The standard "concentrated" -5ºC Tesco/Asda/etc. screen wash is just a joke, it is absolutely useless in winter and you end up paying more than the £6 Lidl stuff (5l. bottle).