Any of you peeps got a magic cure on how to stop the washer jets freezing solid in this third ice age we are having at the mo?

Every time we have a frost they bleedin freeze solid.

As I live out in sticks the wind chill always ensures they remain solid....as I get into town and hit the queues the underbonnet temp slowly thaws them out.

I was thinking of the old washer pipe wrapped around a hot water hose trick, but the washers are on the opposite side to any hot rad pipes:0(

There must be an easier way though....any magic washer solutions....I have so much washer fluid in mine the waters deep blue and it evaporates off the screen like buggery .....but it still freezes in the jets.....and don't get me started on the wiper blade pivots :(

Any heated jets a la Golf ????

No solution, but me too :(

I've used the Halfords own screen wash for about 10 years. It's bright green, and never frozen on me in the washer jets for the past 5 years or so, despite some very cold temps. Just use it in about 30 - 50% concentration and it works very well indeed.

Tip - instead of scraping your car windows when frozen up, use some warm water from your taps (don't use very hot or boiling water or you run the risk of cracking your windows). Somehting like a 2 litre container (empty milk bottle) is enough to clear all the windows on an Impreza, unless it's very cold and there is a thick layer of ice on the windows. Simply pour from the top of the window frame and the windows clear in seconds. The best bit is that the windows are now warmed up, so won't mist up on the inside when you get into the car and drive off. If there's any water left in the bottle, pour it over the water jets to help thaw them out a bit as well, at least until the engine warms up. If it's very cold, then after clearing the windscreen - use the wipers to clear the excess water from the windscreen asap, or they can start to freeze up again if you leave it 5 miutes or so.

Unfortunately John, it's the Halfords bright green stuff I'm using (it seems to build up a load of green sludge in front of the jets, but removing this doesn't free the jets up so I presume it's frozen inside). Maybe time to increase the concentration (I use about 1/3 green stuff to 2/3 water ATM).

Halfords stuff works fine - didn't freeze on Monday night at -11. Alternative solution is to buy a BM, which heats the bonnet around the washers within 1-2 minutes of starting up. Get the heat resovoir as an extra and the car is toasty and thawed by the time you reach the end of the street ;)

Bloke at work who owns a Toyota MR2 was whinging that after a 90 minute journey to work, his washer jets were *still* frozen. Mine were working by the time I'd finished scraping the ice off the Scoob's windscreen!

I ought to point out that mine worked as soon as I'd scraped the ice off the windscreen, but froze up during the 90 minute journey to work (wind-chill).

I use the hot water trick too - works very well. In 5 years or so of doing this (and I use HOT tap water), I've not had any cracked windscreens or any other problems. I also pour the water over the wipers and washer jets to defrost these too.

The problem I used to find was that within 2-3 minutes of driving, the tap water freezes, blocking the jets and solidifying the wiper blade pivot points. To prevent this, soon after pouring on the hot water, you need to run the windcreen washer for several seconds (adequately concentrated) with the wipers running to spray the pivots with anti-freeze.

D.

My jets have been ok, but this morning, frozen solid. this was one thing I loved about my mondeo, heated washer jets, perfect for this weather. Think the only solution is warm water over washer jets.

well in the wifes bmw 530d this mornin, washers frozen for the entire trip from brighton to southampton :( nearly two hours worth of driving.

Had to stop twice at garages to clean the screen. (it was at 6am so a bit quieter than rush hour).

Also the week before xmas was defrosting the screen with hot tap water which then cracked across 50% of the screen! (methinks the tap water was too hot, tho there was a stone chip in the glass where it started from).

I use a spray bottle which I keep in the house - you can only use it when stationary though. Wind down the window, squirt some water on the windscreen, then use the wipers. Get some funny looks from other road users though.

I chucked the contents of a water bottle over my screen this morning after following a lorry minus mudflaps. Got a bloody cold wet arm :)

Slow Speed at high(ish) revs (3500-4000), gets the intercooler warm, which then warms the bonnet, This combined with the Halfords wash will then clear the washers in no time at all.

Mild Green Fairy liquid frozen solid this morning.... in my station car not the scoob.. frozen inside and out.

Think I'll try the warm water trick.

Dave

Warm/Hot water :eek:

dont take any chances, use cold tap water. this does the job just fine, as tap water is above freezing anyway.

Try using half a cup of meths spirit mixed in with your screen wash. ive used this for years and the system only freezes on very very cold mornings.

mix at about 20 to 1 (depending on the size of screen wash tank)

Happy New Year

Steve

Coming from a land of ice and snow I can only endorse the use of higher screen washer concentrations (at least 30% for the pathetic "cold snap" we're experiencing - try driving round at -40 oC )and would politely suggest that you'd have to be completely stoopid to throw water anywhere near your windscreen, particularly HOT water :eek Anyone getting away with that has just been plain lucky IMHO.

Canuck

just a note on screen washers etc.

the wifes beemer has two bottles, one for concetrated screen wash, one for straight water.

one freezes everytime and is a ******* to thaw, the others fine.

what a great idea mr bmw........

Sorry guys, but hot water is the solution!!

I use it straight from the hot tap, you wont crack your screen cos it's laminated glass. Being doing this for 15 years or so.

Make sure you throw some on the jets as well because they are usually frozen at the exit point, then flush them through with whatever is in your washer - i use 40% concentration - all the screen wash liquids contain the same chemicals, so I'm suprised if it's the brand rather than the dilution

What, you mean they dont fit heated washer jets on Subaru's ?? :rolleyes:

Damn that must be a pain when they freeze then :p ;)

"Sorry guys, but hot water is the solution!!

I use it straight from the hot tap, you wont crack your screen cos it's laminated glass. Being doing this for 15 years or so."


I'm sorry but I disagree. You may well be very lucky that you've never had a problem but You can crack your screen by using hot water on a freezing screen. The glass being laminated means nothing. I wouldn't advise using hot water on a cold screen IMHO

Guy

I have been using tap water from the cold tap for clearing ice for the past 10 years. never had a problem.

I did have to stop this morning though because my jets were iced and the hinges on the wipers frozen too!

I use the cold water from the tap routine as well and it works a treat :).

On the news this morning they had a traffic update and mentioned that a number of people had been pouring boiling water on to their windscreens and then phoning up the RAC/AA, etc.. to get them to replace the broken windscreen. I'm not sure how they can help, but they did however highlight that this method should not be done.

For years i've lengthened the washer tubing prior to the jets and wound quite a number of turns around a convenient hot water hose this heat ensures a rapid thawing of the jets after driving a short distance and the warm water cleans the screen better. Years ago you could buy a clamp on mini reservoir that held more water but did the same thing.May be of some use.
Sandman.

elephant pi55 works for me.
Makes good sweetcorn soup too.
Matthew

richie your post when right over ther heads m8.
what richie said was get some vauxhall ones that are heated.no more freezing.:p

LOL Lee..... ah well at least someone got it :rolleyes: :D

I think a few on here know what I drive now.... roll on tomorrow and come 13th or 20th Jan (Rolling road day in Scottish board) a few might sit up and take stock ;)

Aye, nice heated washer jets are the business this time of year just like heated leather ;) :D

I know its been said before, but:
The Water trick is the best way to clear the ice off, but water from the hot tap(if its like mine)is too hot, it only needs to be warm, if its too hot to put your hand in, its too hot for the w/screen.Have seen people use boiling water straight from the kettle & yes they get a cracked screen :rolleyes:
15yrs of using WARM water and NO probs for me :D

As far as washer jets, Ive got cheapo stuff from Asda's(Car Club brand-around £1.50 per 2.5L) in all my vehicles. Went in one of the Vauxhall vans this morning,outside temp display reading is -8 degrees, had THICK ice over screen, did the water trick 1st and used washer jets straight away,worked fine ALL day even though temp was way below zero through out. Screen wash says to use 25% but I use it at 50% and its great!
If stuck you can throw it on the screen undiluted and it melts the ice, but dont think the paintwork would like it too often.

BOB

:confused:
Don't the laws of physics work the other way :rolleyes:

something hot with cold water thrown on it would make it crack not the other way round :rolleyes: i.e heat something up, it expands, cool it down quickly, it contracts then cracks

Plus i thought windscreen glass was toughened not laminated?

Scott

btw, i use hot tap water or if only a thin layer i use a credit card ;)

DISCLAIMER:
I'm no scientist...blah blah blah

Anyway, as far as I'm aware, its the sudden change of temp that does it, it dont matter if its hot-to-cold or cold-to-hot it still has the same effect.

Put a glass in the fridge for 1/2hour take it out & pour water from a "just boiled" kettle into it (*WARNING* stand the glass in the sink 1st so you dont get scolded)
I bet you a gallon of SUL (sorry,4.546litres!)the glass shatters...
I had one bust on me when trying to make a hot lemon type drink for flu symptoms when I was younger, and the glass wasnt that cold.

BOB

Point taken aaarrrrrrrgggggh :D
but toughened glass is tough