Francis K

Travelling 200 miles tomorrow and the washers are not working. I assumed the bottle was frozen up but I have poured lots of hot water down it and it doesn't seem to have ice in it. There is no motor sound at all. The wipers work so, if I have read the manual correctly, the fuse hasn't gone.

The strange thing is that the flexi dipstick attached to the filler cap is stuck fast despite all the boiling water. Is it possible that the end is stuck in the pump itself.

Anybody know how to get to the washer pump?

Any ideas PLEASE

DannyM

same problem as me.

i put luke warm water on the washer jets/headlight washers and into the water bottle itself.

took about 10 minutes to clear them.(it helps to work in a heated garage )




boiling water freezes faster than cold water doesn't it? or is this just a myth?

Francis K

Danny,

Was the pump trying to pump? Mine it silent. Its the jammed flexi dipstick that is fooling me.

Was the pump trying to pump?

Thaanks

Francis

rob84

iTrader: (5)

the pump wont turn, if its frozen solid. the diptick wont even reach the washer pump its physically not long enough

Bungleaio

iTrader: (1)

Did you really put boiling water in the washer bottle? If so you may have melted the dipstick and bottle, boiling water onto or into very cold surfaces is a very bad idea.

Chances are the dipstick is still encased in ice. You could leave the engine running to try and get some warmth in the bottle.

To get to the bottle and see exactly whats going on you will need to take the front bumper off, not a job I'd fancy doing for the 1st time on the drive in the cold and dark. If the fuse hasn't blown and it's not melted the washer motor could be fried, you can check that by putting a voltage across the motor.

I've attached the pages from the service manual for reference.

Wiper and washer system - https://files.me.com/bungleaio/5zpibk

Bodywork - https://files.me.com/bungleaio/j1nfjx

Like i said though chances are it is still frozen solid. When you get it thawed make sure you get some decent screen wash in there!

Francis K

Thanks Bungleaio - it was never boiling but it was pretty hot. It's now snowing again so I reckon it's a quick trip to the dealer- 200 miles of salt spay without washers isn't very appealing - the missus wont sit on the roof with a squeezy bottle!

imprezajon

iTrader: (2)

hey Bungleaio.
dont suppose you have the pages on the headlight washer jets in the frt bumper???? your a superstar if u do.

fpan

iTrader: (11)

Switch on your lights and try spraying again. Do the headlight washers work?
Stupid as it may sound it could be that the washers on the bonnet have frozen, pour some luke warm water over them. It happens when travelling.

WRX_SWRT

iTrader: (2)

take it out for a good thrashing then park it up half hour later my pump and washers and lines are all fine 07 sti.

bigarf

iTrader: (67)

and then when they have cleared,pour some antifreeze into your washer bottle then it wont freeze up anymore.i havnt had a frozen washer bottle at all this year because i always mix a little antifreeze in the water.

DannyM

it was silent on the first try, i left it and poured luke warm water(just from the tap) into the system and let it work its way round.

tried the washers again and the pump was working but no water out of any of the jets.

kept pouring on luke warm water on the jets and the jets slowly came back to life. starting at a small trickle, to soaking me with water when i looked into the nozzle and someone(thanks OH) pushed the washer button.

Bungleaio

iTrader: (1)

I don't think so sorry mate.

I've had a few requests for other info so I've uploaded everything I've got, hopefully it's of some help

https://files.me.com/bungleaio/nh19wh

Dougmy06wrx

iTrader: (4)

Cheers james tried to send you pm but it said your inbox is full.

Doug

speedking

Use screenwash at the appropriate concentration, not (coolant) antifreeze.

Francis K

Thanks guys for all the advice - poured a load of meths in with the warm water - went out to help a friend recover their car which they had abandoned in the snow - and lo and behold the washers worked.

Well done all !!!!!!!

bigarf

iTrader: (67)

i have a 25l tub of antifreeze sitting in me garage,so until its empty then thats what i'll be using.

DannyM

doesn't antifreeze damage the paintwork?

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

It can "stain" if you have too much concentrated antifreeze and left to dry for too long yea, but nothin a bit of polish won't budge.

Steve001

iTrader: (7)

meths does the job, i have used it for years and years. you dont need much.

hot water in bottle + sprayed on to cold windscreen can = cracked glass

dont believe me? stick a glass in the freezer for a few hours (one that you dont like) and throw it into a bowl of hot water

my06 ppp silver

iTrader: (2)

so to be clear, can someone confirm please, i put my screenwash in neat in these conditions but prolonged periods of about -4 freezes it. so will adding a small amount of antifreeze or meths to the neat screenwash sort it? cheers.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Yes.

Or you can get screenwash for harder frosts.

But tbh, there's not much will stay liquid at -20 and 60mph, the chill factor is enough to freeze it.

lazadude

iTrader: (1)

Halfrauds double concentrate is what ive jsut put neat into mine, rated to -23 apparently, seems to do the job !! Then left over was used to make sure the steps at my front door dont freeze

my06 ppp silver

iTrader: (2)

cheers

--------

Anti-freeze is harmful to certain kinds of rubber, (maybe the rubber around the windscreen or seals in the washer pump) and as mentioned is'nt kind to paint it can also cause streaking on the windscreen as theres little or no detergent properties,windscreen wash is cheap enough an providing it used in the correct ratio i.e If you DONT dilute it, (remember there's probably Diluted windscreen wash ALREADY in the bottle, thus diluting Anythin you put in) it WONT freeze.

The above statement does'nt really apply to defrosting windscreens ,neither does the arguement "hot water freezes quicker than cold water". For a start you do not use hot water, you do not immerse the whole (frozen)windscreen into hot water and you DONT leave the water on the windscreen long enough for it to re-freeze (unless yer stupido???? is mi grarmarr, ok!)) The WARM water you splash on the windscreen prevents any ice from re-forming (especially inside) as it warms the glass temp (slightly) so its above freezing point ( ICE MELTS AT ANYTHING ABOVE 0.DEGREES) thus a windscreen only has to be at ZERO degrees and above and it WONT freeze. Bin drivin since '88 an drivin HGV since '93 and NEVER cracked a screen.Oh, Windchill DOES NOT affect freezing windscreens/water/anythin, wot-so-ever. Windchill does NOT affect
inanimate objects (basically windchill does not affect anything that that DOES NOT give off heat (Google it)).Again, stupid people will now be pouring hot water on their frozen windscreens, Doh!!!

Steve001

iTrader: (7)

i did'nt say it WILL just that it CAN (i have seen it done, not me BTW ), even more so if you have a little chip that you have not noticed.

peterhum

The trick with water to defrost is to use lots of it but only lukewarm/cool to the touch. I have an old 5l screenwash bottle I cart out each morning & pour from the top of the screen.

First pint or so does nothing then bit by bit it clears the screen. Best to lift the wipers first if they're not frozen down, otherwise you have to whack them on the screen to shift the ice...

Been doing this since '82, including during big cold (-20 ish) in the 80's and 90's.

Never broken a screen (toughened or lam) not even when already dammaged.

Still, if you chuck a boiling kettle over yours, don't blame me if it shatters! ;-)

matty01

exactly right ,if your screen is -18 hot water is well dodgy if its -2 not so dodgy ,the colder the screen the cooler the water needs to be[just need to use a bit more], but as posted above 20 years using water no problems just dont use it too hot and never boiling water de icer is crap just freezes the inside

matty01

screenwash rated to -20 or lower, will stay liquid at -20 in winds up to the speed of light , google windchill

Steve001

iTrader: (7)

The only reason i brought it up was the word 'boiling' was used earlier in the thread so i did'nt want anyone getting the wrong idea

sometimes if im caught short on de-icer i will use tap water, run the tap til its as cold as it will get and use on the screen. the fact that it run out of the tap means its well above freezing

just to clarify

cold water on frozen screen =

boiling/very hot water = (if your unlucky)