De-icing washer jets.

[hippy43]

All this sub zero weather and all my washer jets have ceased working. Had to stop three times on the way home last night to rub snow on the wind screen in order remove traffic film from it.
I suspect they are iced up somewhere along the lines as I've cleared the nozzles.
Now I've seen a few people pouring a kettle of hot water into the resevoir. Is this a wise thing to do?

One more thing, when they were working the passenger side one was spraying over the wind screen and into the air scoop of the Gruppe M, is there anyway to redirect the washer jets?

 

[Evl]

it's called freezing, upping the screen wash would help but with the problems of minus temperatures will only work for so long.

Don't pour hot water in, you know it's a fools decision, and will only result in more harm than good.

 

[hippy43]

it's called freezing, upping the screen wash would help but with the problems of minus temperatures will only work for so long.

Don't pour hot water in, you know it's a fools decision, and will only result in more harm than good.

I'd already upped the concentration of the screenwash and de-iced the nozzles, but I would of thought that when temperature in the engine bay gets up it would be enough to melt any ice in the lines for at least the front washers. However judging by last night this is not the case.
Yeah thought the boiling water thing would be a bad idea, hence asking the question before doing!

 

[Neily03]

I'd already upped the concentration of the screenwash and de-iced the nozzles, but I would of thought that when temperature in the engine bay gets up it would be enough to melt any ice in the lines for at least the front washers. However judging by last night this is not the case.

It's likely frozen in the bottle and pump more than the pipe and where they are situated they don't get much heat off the engine.

In winter I use Halfords ready mixed -6C screenwash (the pink one). It's only ever frozen once and that was the other day when it was -9C....

 

[mr_sport]

I had the same problem with my mum's car but all i did was put in Halfords screenwash without mixing it and i have not had any problems with it since the snow/sub zero temps started and did the same to mine and my sisters car. And no problem since with them.

With regards to the jets going over the wind screen i changed mine to the Honda Jazz jets. They are a mist when spraying and i give them 20/10 for hoe good they are and 10/10 for how easy they where to fit. All you need to do is keep the ruber under the jets for the new ones.

Hope this helps

mr_sport

 

[Jdmep3civic]

it's called freezing, upping the screen wash would help but with the problems of minus temperatures will only work for so long.

depends on the quality of the screen wash, i get mine from work either jaguar or bmw branded stuff. i normally put a whole bottle in the tank then mix with water and that's normally allrite for -0*c. lately i have been two bottles in the tank works out to 2l of screen wash that's good for -10*c plus!

 

[maurice]

In winter I use Halfords ready mixed -6C screenwash (the pink one). It's only ever frozen once and that was the other day when it was -9C....

I use the Halfords pink stuff too and yet the washer nozzles freezing up is a common occurrence these days, even at just -2.

 

[Neily03]

I use the Halfords pink stuff too and yet the washer nozzles freezing up is a common occurrence these days, even at just -2.

Are you emptying the washer bottle before you put it in? It's been fine for me upto and including -6C used it every winter for several years and its only frozen once last week like I said when it was -9C.

 

[maurice]

That's a good point, I've never let it run down that far before topping up.