Dave S

I've just replaced both wipers after just 7000 miles - the rubber had perished.

DavidLewis

I belive you can get washer bottle additives that also include some form of anti-freeze that doesn't eat your paintwork.

nigel

It doesn't matter where the hose goes the washer jets themselves are on the outside of the bonnet. Just use plenty of screenwash that contains antifreeze and you wont have a problem. Get some from a reputable maker and it wont damage the paintwork either.

JHall

Hello everybody!

Cold and rather snowy here in Aberdeen at the moment. Have had my MY96(P) Turbo saloon for just over two months, and have never enjoyed driving in the snow quite so much!
I don't like the horrible graunching feeling through the brake pedal when the ABS locks though!?
It's quite funny watching people in such motors as 2wd Saphire Cosworths and fancy BMW's making complete ***** of themselves while 'trying' to pull away from traffic lights!
A mate of mine managed to spin his MX-5 360 degrees unvoluntarily yesterday on his way to meet some fellow drivers for a drive in the sticks. He went home before the rendezvous in fear of denting his beloved rear wheel drive sardine can?!
Anyway, down to the point of all this.
Is anyone else as unimpressed as me with the windscreen wipers and wash jets??
My car had been parked in the bitter cold street overnight on Saturday, before transporting me and a friend to the hills for some snowboarding on Sunday. First thing in the morning, wash jets work fine, drivers side wiper works fine, passenger wiper a little frozen. As we are driving out into the countryside, the passenger wiper blade wipes less and less, yet drivers side blade is okay? Also, drivers side wash jet starts to fail, before giving up, totally frozen.
By the time I get to Glenshee, my windscreen is filthy, and both windscreen jets have frozen?!?!
I have noticed that the fluid hose runs across the underside of the bonnet from the passenger side to the driver side, and does so in close proximity to the bonnet scoop. Could the rather cold air entering here be freezing up the hose?
Would I be better trying to insulate the hose better, or to reroute the hose away from the bonnet scoop?
Has anyone else had similar trouble with this?
Any help with the situation would be appreciated, as it can get a bit hairy when you are overtaking a struggling vehicle on a snowy country road when you can't see out the windscreen?!?!

Cheers,

JHall

JohnS

iTrader: (1)

The main trouble is that the jets are on the bonnet themselves. When you are going at a reasonable speed (eg on the open road), then when the ambient temperature is something like -1 (as it was yesterday), then due to the wind chill factor, it's effectively a lot colder.

Try wetting your hand and sticking it out of the window travelling at 60mph on a freezing day and see how long it takes for your hand to get cold!

The only solution is to use a strong concentration of quality washer fluid. I have used the Halfords own brand for about 10 years now, and have never experienced the washers freezing yet. It costs about 5 or 6 quid for 5 litres, but it lasts quite a few months, and in 50% concentration protects to minus 15 or something like that. Another trick I have found, is to add a generous dash of washing up liquid as well. Don't know what it does technically, but it does help clear the screen a lot better (probably the "wetting" agents in it).

Another solution, is to install a heater for the washer fluid tank. Haven't seen them for retail sale, but they are available.

Mark Sleap

JohnS mentions water heaters. I have seen a kit in a local motor spares place for about 15 quid. It has a device that they descride as a heat exchanger, which fits onto the heater hose, and you get flexible plastic pipe and instructions where to splice into your washer pipe. Fits virtually any car. I have also seen an article in a mag sometime back where the same principle is used, but instead of a heat exchanger ,plastic washer pipe is coiled around the heater hose, then spliced into your washer pipe. Author of the article says this is the first mod he does to all his cars, not so much from a winter stand-point, but the simple fact that hot water clears dirt better than cold.

JHall

Good advice as usual from everyone, although I forgot to mention that I was using a reasonable concentration of anti-freeze in the tank as it was?!
Perhaps it was just crap stuff!
Think living up in Aberdeen, with all its Arctic Tundra and all(!), I'll get better anti-freeze wash liquid that won't damage paintwork, and use it to a higher dilution.
I've heard adding some methilated spirits will help due to its very low freezing point. Would I be wise to use some?(paintwork etc?)
Still miffed about my wipers freezing up though. Can anyone recommend a decent set of wiper blades that are less prone to freezing? I don't know what the standard ones are, but the Bosch Triple Edge jobs I had on my last car worked okay.

JHall

ps - anyone else got any stories about driving in the snow, whether yourself or others? Good fun, eh?!
Just got to watch out for some of the other morons that drive about!

JohnS

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't risk using meths, as there's a good chance it will damage the paintwork, or at least strip off any wax on it.

I haven't had problems with the washer water freezing yet (I'm in Aberdeen as well for those of you who don't know), even when it got really cold a few years ago (-20 degrees or something like that).

Can't think that one set of wiper blades will help prevent freezing more than any others, but the water heater does seem like a sensible idea.

I too had some fun in the snow yesterday, but also a few scary moments, as 17 inch low profile tyres aren't the best for grip on compacted snow and ice, especially when braking going downhill!! The worst people on the roads are those that shouldn't be out there. Terrified out of their wits, and driving at 6mph with long tailbacks of traffic behind them.

Mark McE

Some Volkswagens have heated washer jets that stops the wind-chill freezing them solid. I don't know how easy it would be to fit them to a scooby.

Paul L

I've got heated washer jet nozzles on my MGF (a necessity on a mid-engined car - no engine heat to stop them freezing)

Do they do the trick?

What do you think! They maybe allow the temperature to drop a degree or 2 further but that's it - and then they freeze just like any other nozzles!

Paul L
(still awaiting my MY99)

Miles

I know a guy whose fitted a heater for the jets to his Seat. It's a heat exchanger which is strapped to one of the coolant hoses, some washer jet extension hoses lead up from the heat exchanger - same idea as the one Mark mentions. Got it from Carnoisseur (sp?) for about 15 pounds. Takes about 10 mins or so to unfreeze the water.
Or, alternatively take your Subaru for a service - mine's just been serviced and the screen wash is superb.

PS Car Trivia: The Mk2 Carlton new in 1986 was the first car to have heated washer jets.....

nigel

My friends 'A' reg Audi quattro's turbo had heated washer jets.

JHall

Well, I went to Halford's yesterday and bought 5 litres of their screenwash. Dumped it straight into the washer tank undiluted, so with any luck it won't freeze!
Typical though - go in only to buy some washer fluid worth about 5 quid, and come out with 35 quids worth of gear?!?!
Also changed the passenger side wiper to one of the Bosch triple-edge numbers, and invested in some Xenon headlight bulbs.
Plus chamois demister.
Plus Auto Glym Tar Remover.
Haven't fitted the bulbs yet - is it easy to change headlight bulbs?!?!
And are they worth it?

Cheers....

JHall

ps - JohnS:were you driving about last night in town? I thought I saw your car turning onto Holburn Street from Union Grove between 9:30 and 10pm (I was in the Granary).
Off home, or to have some fun in the snow?!?!

JohnS

iTrader: (1)

The Xenon bulbs are an improvement, but don't expect too much. A brighter/whiter light which picks up detail at the side of the road better. Quite easy to change, though you'll need a 10mm (or is it 12 ?) socket to get the air intake bit off on the driver's side for easier access. A 5 minute job at most I would say.

I was out last night, and was near Holburn street, but at about 8pm. There are quite a few other Terzo's in Aberdeen though, and 2 which "live" about 5 mins walk from Holburn street. Both have high level rear spoilers, and non standard alloy wheels, with one having the same 17 inch ST's as me.

spence

Snowing here in Holland big time. Lots of fun, trouble is the local do not seem to go for the safe distance to stop theory... even in ice!

I was following some pore spanish guy in an old rear wheel drive Volvo, he had it sideways at nerly every oportunity!

gpa

Snow is always entertaining, as long as there's no-one in the way.. This morning it was deep enough (8 - 12") here (40m west of Aberdeen) that I nearly beached the WRX !
My 95 car has no ABS, but I always found with the Audis that ABS is best turned off in the snow. The worst danger is often folks in Range Rover type devices who believe themselves foolproof in snow/ice (as witness one on it's roof by the road yesterday), but however many wheels are driven, if there's no grip..., and I'd rather have a low c of g if in a spin!

I miss the heated washer jets and heated mirrors on the Scooby, but then it's a bargain car.
The rubber compund in wiper blades stiffens when cold, maybe there's a Scandinavian blade maker wiith a better compound?

Miles

Over the last few days I have discovered after driving through heavy snow and then stopping for a couple of hours with the wheels (my car has the 98MY 16" alloys) heavily clogged up, the brakes are very uneffective (read dangerous) for the first few minutes }:-(. Must be snow on the brake discs but disconcerning if you have to stop quickly cos it won't do it........


PS Heated jets: I know a 86 D Ur-quattro without heated jets + Vauxhall made a big deal of it back in '86

[This message has been edited by Miles (edited 11-02-99).]

Mark McE

I had a 84 B Ur-quattro and it didn't have any.