Screen wash jets constantly freezing and it is being a pain now

alyssadrysdale

Morning,

I have a 2016 C1 and had it for over a year. The issue seems to be the screen wash jets constantly freeze over in this cold weather. It did this last year, but I only lived around the corner from work at the time. I have since moved to other employments where my commute is now nearly an hour on the motorway. 

The screen wash in the reservoir is -20 stuff that I got from the dealership that I work at so that is not the issue at all - it seems to be fine and not freezing. I have tried letting the car sit for 20 minutes and even that does not work - I only managed to get one of the jets to work before it quickly refroze again. My windscreen is getting covered in muck and I can't clean it making it a very uncomfortable drive home where I am struggling to make it around dark country roads knowing I have no washer to clean my window. 

I took it to a garage who said it was working fine and it would just take time for the jets to defrost because they work absolutely fine once the car has been warmed up but I cannot wait an hour for it to be sorted.

Last night, same thing happened and took it to my partner's uncle's house, who is a mechanic, and low and behold, the windscreen washers were working only after the drive home and the car had been sitting there. The back one started to work after around 50 minutes on the way home too, but it is the front ones that I need in these weather conditions. Due to the issues of the rail strikes, I am stuck relying on my car. 

I can hear the pump going, so that seems fine and there are no leaks - is there anything I can try? I have tried de-icer - didn't work. Tried covering the washer jets and that did not work either.

Ebe_Scrooge

alyssadrysdale said:

The screen wash in the reservoir is -20 stuff that I got from the dealership that I work at so that is not the issue at all

Is it neat screen-wash, or have you diluted it?  If you've diluted it, that might be part of the problem.

For what it's worth, I get the same issue sometimes.  The reservoir is fine (although that may be due to the heat from the engine), but the jets sometimes block.  I'm not sure if it's due to evaporation which lowers the temperature below even what the screen-wash is rated for?

alyssadrysdale said:

My windscreen is getting covered in muck and I can't clean it making it a very uncomfortable drive home where I am struggling to make it around dark country roads knowing I have no washer to clean my window.

A short-term solution until you get to the bottom of it - keep an old lemonade bottle with a couple of litres of water in it, in the car, as well as a sponge or an old rag.  At least then you can stop, get out, and give the screen a clean.  Sure, it's a bit of a pain, but better than not being able to see clearly.

fatbelly

Can you take a sample of fluid? You might need to top up the reservoir then use a straw to take a bit out.

Then put it in an eggcup and into the freezer. It shouldn't freeze solid but at -20 it might go a bit slushy.

If it keeps freezing the problem has to be the fluid - maybe too diluted. 

Flight3287462

It has never been the same since Lidl stopped doing the -60 stuff.........sigh!

fatbelly

I always used to use the Lidl stuff - now run out of supply.

diystarter7

Hi
I used to get that many years ago. Not sure its because I may have heated nozzles not sure or the fluid the main dealer puts in the car on services and i buy a bottle as well. I think its down to the liquid and if possible use the neat stuff.  I have noted that the different types of fluid make a difference how the screen is clean, ie better or not too good.

Try to buy the stuff just before winter as often cheaper.

OP
Your pipes are getting to cold for the fluid and oce warm up, ok. When i had that years ago - I took out all of the old fluid vis depressing screen wash and put in new stuff, neat stuff as per intructions on the bottle, It was all good, we had a hard winter that year - can't recall what the liquid was but bought it from halfords as I always use them for odds/ends for cars.

Thanks

Thanks

Grumpy_chap

alyssadrysdale said:

Morning,

I have a 2016 C1 and had it for over a year. The issue seems to be the screen wash jets constantly freeze over in this cold weather. It did this last year, but I only lived around the corner from work at the time. I have since moved to other employments where my commute is now nearly an hour on the motorway. 

The screen wash in the reservoir is -20 stuff that I got from the dealership that I work at so that is not the issue at all - it seems to be fine and not freezing. I have tried letting the car sit for 20 minutes and even that does not work - I only managed to get one of the jets to work before it quickly refroze again. My windscreen is getting covered in muck and I can't clean it making it a very uncomfortable drive home where I am struggling to make it around dark country roads knowing I have no washer to clean my window. 

I took it to a garage who said it was working fine and it would just take time for the jets to defrost because they work absolutely fine once the car has been warmed up but I cannot wait an hour for it to be sorted.

Last night, same thing happened and took it to my partner's uncle's house, who is a mechanic, and low and behold, the windscreen washers were working only after the drive home and the car had been sitting there. The back one started to work after around 50 minutes on the way home too, but it is the front ones that I need in these weather conditions. Due to the issues of the rail strikes, I am stuck relying on my car. 

I can hear the pump going, so that seems fine and there are no leaks - is there anything I can try? I have tried de-icer - didn't work. Tried covering the washer jets and that did not work either.

It does sound like everything is working correctly on the car.

The solution is as @ebe_scrooge said - keep a bottle of water and a squeegy in the car.  I suspect you'll find most of the driving population need to do that at this time of year.

fatbelly

Reviews seem to like Prestone -23

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/prestone-23c-concentrated-screenwash-1ltrs-winter-season-552998290

Sea_Shell

Grumpy_chap said:

alyssadrysdale said:

Morning,

I have a 2016 C1 and had it for over a year. The issue seems to be the screen wash jets constantly freeze over in this cold weather. It did this last year, but I only lived around the corner from work at the time. I have since moved to other employments where my commute is now nearly an hour on the motorway. 

The screen wash in the reservoir is -20 stuff that I got from the dealership that I work at so that is not the issue at all - it seems to be fine and not freezing. I have tried letting the car sit for 20 minutes and even that does not work - I only managed to get one of the jets to work before it quickly refroze again. My windscreen is getting covered in muck and I can't clean it making it a very uncomfortable drive home where I am struggling to make it around dark country roads knowing I have no washer to clean my window. 

I took it to a garage who said it was working fine and it would just take time for the jets to defrost because they work absolutely fine once the car has been warmed up but I cannot wait an hour for it to be sorted.

Last night, same thing happened and took it to my partner's uncle's house, who is a mechanic, and low and behold, the windscreen washers were working only after the drive home and the car had been sitting there. The back one started to work after around 50 minutes on the way home too, but it is the front ones that I need in these weather conditions. Due to the issues of the rail strikes, I am stuck relying on my car. 

I can hear the pump going, so that seems fine and there are no leaks - is there anything I can try? I have tried de-icer - didn't work. Tried covering the washer jets and that did not work either.

It does sound like everything is working correctly on the car.

The solution is as @ebe_scrooge said - keep a bottle of water and a squeegy in the car.  I suspect you'll find most of the driving population need to do that at this time of year.

Bit tricky to do that on the motorway 😉

lemondrops69

It doesnt help you I know, but the last 3 winters I have had a Jag with heated front screen and heater washer jets, it's been fantastic, plus you can start the car from your bed is you so wish so warm inside when you get into the car

Car_54

There have been various gadgets around over the years to heat the screenwash - things like a heater in the reservoir itself, or electrical heating elements wrapped round the tubes. A low-cost idea was to extend the tubes and wrap them around the top radiator hose.
I have no idea whether any of these worked.