Windscreen washers

whysomoody

Guys,

Do we have any good ways to deice the windscreen washer so that it can be used. best suggestions I have heard are pouring boiling water into it, mixed with some anti-freeze.

Thanks

FREDNISMO

antifreeze stops it freezing alright but it leaves a smear on windscreen, tried it still it was better than a filthy windscreen

Tom Slick

By antifreeze do you mean actual washer fluid?

aidhan

Reroute your washer pipe using approx 1.5- 2 ' (depending on location of pipes) of clear plastic washer pipe hose and wrap it around a heater hose five or six loops and back onto your washer jet. This will keep it thawed and hopefully (in this weather) give you heated screen water.

Biglad

Fill it with the correct antifreeze for the job, big can in Tesc* for 3 Euro, you could dilute that by 50% and still be good to -20c. I find it's not the fluid in the reservoir that freezes but the actual nozzles. Little bit of luke warm water in the morning solves that problem. I also use some lock anti freeze in a little squeezy bottle to defrost the nozzles, works a treat as well.

whysomoody

Thanks for the suggestions guys. if indeed the pipes are frozen as i expect them to be, will a bit of warm water follow through do we think?

Stheno

whysomoody wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions guys. if indeed the pipes are frozen as i expect them to be, will a bit of warm water follow through do we think?

It might take them a while to defrost if the pipes are frozen, warm water will clear the nozzles themselves.

-Corkie-

Bit off topic but just to show you how thick Volkswagen are. My missus has a Highline Passat (08) with every extra. One of them is heated windscreen washer jets which I thought that will be handy in the frost. It turns out only the jets are heated. What fcukin good is that...:mad:

Atlantic Dawn

Leave the car running for an hour and they should defrost, may be too risky this weather to drive it and hope they defrost.

Stinicker

-Corkie- wrote: »

Bit off topic but just to show you how thick Volkswagen are. My missus has a Highline Passat (08) with every extra. One of them is heated windscreen washer jets which I thought that will be handy in the frost. It turns out only the jets are heated. What fcukin good is that...:mad:

That is quite a sensible option by VW if you have the correct windscreen washer solution it will not freeze however in a car without the heated option (like mine) I have the correct solution but the jets occasionally freeze.

I have a gallon of windscreen washer fluid from Halfords and the instruction are a ratio of 20:1 for summer (20 parts water to 1 part washer liquid) and 4:1 to for Winter and 2:1 for severe weather, I actually used it at 1:1 after removing the summer diluted stuff first and it remains liquid in -12/-15c a friend of mine had the summer diesel freeze in his motor in the same conditions.

Sully

The girlfriends cars pipes actually leak the water following last years cold spell where the frost damaged it. Filled it with water and it refuses to work - she did an 8hour journey and made no difference.

Asked her to check the nozzles but she hasn't yet.

Stinicker

Sully wrote: »

The girlfriends cars pipes actually leak the water following last years cold spell where the frost damaged it. Filled it with water and it refuses to work - she did an 8hour journey and made no difference.

Asked her to check the nozzles but she hasn't yet.

Water freezes at 0c sully for these conditions you need something that can withstand at least -20c, its probably frozen in the tank and pipes so unless you can overnight the car in a heated garage you will be hard pushed to get it out for to be able to replace it with something better.

Nforce

Stinicker wrote: »

I have a gallon of windscreen washer fluid from Halfords and the instruction are a ratio of 20:1 for summer (20 parts water to 1 part washer liquid) and 4:1 to for Winter and 2:1 for severe weather, I actually used it at 1:1 after removing the summer diluted stuff first and it remains liquid in -12/-15c a friend of mine had the summer diesel freeze in his motor in the same conditions.

Same deal here...I've a 1:1 mix of water and washer liquid too. Hasn't let me down at up to -13°C and heated nozzles on my E46.

danjo

Will anti-freeze damage the paintwork?

darsar

I half boiled the kettle this morning and that was perfect..

Nforce

danjo wrote: »

Will anti-freeze damage the paintwork?

I've heard it can. Best to use the proper washer fluid.

TJJP

You really don't want to be using engine antifreeze (coolant) in your washers if that's what being suggested on here. Antifreeze can cause all kinds of issues including poisoning (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002751.htm). Ever notice the citrus or apple scent in regular screen cleaner as you spray it on your windshield and it comes in the vents?

Furthermore I’d rather not contemplate a driver approach me with a ‘smear on windscreen’ as a better alternative to a ‘filthy windscreen’, in this weather.

5L of Holts washer fluid is €3.99 in Woodies/Atlantic and it’s good to -20C.