hattymender Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Done a search and didn't come up with anything so please don't flame me out if this has been discussed before......... Windscreen washers on a 110. Frozen for third morning this week. I've tried neat washer fluid and wrapping pipe around a hot hose but it's freezing at the nozzles so unless I give them a squirt every 100 yards they stop working. Anybody got a cure? (and I'm too old to move to Australia before that's suggested) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Humphreys Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Get some heated ones from a car and stick them on the bonnet. Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiWhite Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 I've had this problem recently - the only solution I thought of would be to tear apart some heated seats for a couple of feet of the heating wire. This could be folded in half and poked inside the washer tube from inside the engine bay. Then 12 volts across the wire would quickly heat the ice inside the washer. The same could be done for the washer bottle. Could be wired to come on with the heated screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MECCANO Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 some oen beat me to it but... Well it requires a bit of effort, not a bolt on solution but alot of modern cars have heated washer jets: http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=heated+washer+jets&_sacat=0&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_odkw=power+steering+ram&_osacat=0 The only thing is these are bonnet mounted. Hope that is of some help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Can't you guys get washer fluid that does not freeze in the UK? The normal stuff here is good to -40. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete3000 Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 build a simple heat exchanger out of microbore 8mm copper central heating tube wrapped a few times around the exhaust manifold. solder the turns to keep tight and over wrap with exhaust wrap. Add push fit connectors and voila. A non-return valve before the make shift heater would keep an amount of warm washer fluid on-tap sorry! good idea? if so i'll ave the royalties for dragons den etc... Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgnas Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Does the washer fluid give any indication of it's strength on the bottle? I've seen some "winter strength" premix only good to -4C Best non diluted I could find goes to -27C used neat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 I have had the same issue, adding the fluid neat but still it freezes. Only thing I can think of really is to seek out a different brand. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgnas Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Heating the fluid is great and warm fluid will clean the screen better all year round. However I still see problems:- Without a heated nozzle (or possibly the last 3ft of pipe in the dash rail) it will still freeze up. Heated fluid will freeze on the screen if the concentration is still low, and that is not pleasant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 On My Volvo there is some sound deadening removed below the jets so a few miles and they are heated as they are above the exhaust manifold. We recently drove from Norfolk and it wasn't until Reading the L/R ones started functioning as the Temp rose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 http://www.btinternet.com/~madmole/HowDoI/EasyMods.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hattymender Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 build a simple heat exchanger out of microbore 8mm copper central heating tube wrapped a few times around the exhaust manifold. solder the turns to keep tight and over wrap with exhaust wrap. Add push fit connectors and voila. A non-return valve before the make shift heater would keep an amount of warm washer fluid on-tap sorry! good idea? if so i'll ave the royalties for dragons den etc... Pete Think what you've just 'invented' is known as a flash boiler in other circles. Mmmm, steam cleaning? Could be interesting....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardAllen Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 When I was a kid in Germany, Dad used to put gin in the washer fluid. His excuse was that NAAFI gin then was cheaper than washer fluid. He used Export Gordons. I don't do the same because I drink Plymouth. Reagrds Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Train Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Can't you guys get washer fluid that does not freeze in the UK? The normal stuff here is good to -40. I went to top up my washer bottle on Monday figuring I would use neat concentrate. The bottle was in the boot and it had turned to thick slush so I didn't use in the washer bottle. Splashed it straight on the windscreen instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hattymender Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 A reflective trudge around the block behind a cigarette and a dog lead and I think I've cracked it! What I need is a small, cheap, 12 volt heating device that I can attach to the jet housing (there's a gap of about 1/4" between the rain channel and the housing). I already have loads! Light bulbs! (Genius! almost had to lie down in snow to get over giddy fit). One small bulb, say 5w, wire it in to switch and gob it in place with black silicone to hide light. Patient applied for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 This isn't just something that happens to a Land Rover. How about the vehicle manufactures whe put the washer bottle down below the left headlight, The best place for it to freeze up. Then the volume car maker who would fit the washer pipes between the metal bonnet and the bonnet sound deadening felt..... I do think the heated jets are a good ides. Olso you could get an extra length of washer pipe and wrap it round the heater hose. Only for the jets to freeze. So far I have had water at the jets every time I've used the washers. Tank tape in front of the washer jets also works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkk2 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Aren't Range rover water jets heated on the last of the classics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol209 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 What I need is a small, cheap, 12 volt heating device that I can attach to the jet housing (there's a gap of about 1/4" between the rain channel and the housing). Or for extra marks for science, how about a pair of 68ohm 3W resistors in parallel (34R, 6.09W at 14.4V)? I used to have arm mounted jets made out of old brake pipe on the 2A, those would be easy to heat by wrapping them in resistance wire (a bit of maths required, as you'd need the resistance per unit length of the wire) and then heatshrinking it all. Interesting idea ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Train Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I think I will have to make up some heated washers. Trying to squirt deicer though the open door window each time I stop at lights or a junction is silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
task Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 My 1992 classic had heated washerjets, I miss those, the Disco doesn't have them. I wonder if they were fitted to the TD5 and if they could be retro fitted to the Disco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
task Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 agh, double post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Looks like I could make money selling washer fluid in Europe. I've never heard of anyone having frozen washer nozzles here. When it gets really cold, you switch to the -45 formula. http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/3/AutoFluidsChemicals/WindshieldWasherFluid/PRD~0294173P/Motomaster%2BWinter%2BWindshield%2BWasher%2BFluid.jsp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top90 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 If you have heated washer jets, what do they get switched on with... the heated screen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MECCANO Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 If you have heated washer jets, what do they get switched on with... the heated screen? Normally. Also heated mirrors if you have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aragorn Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 The A4 runs them all the time, They also run the heated mirrors all the time on all models after 1996 (ours is a '96 so the mirrors run off the heated screen) I foudn this odd at first, but the heated mirrors help keep moisture down and stops spray etc building up on them, and running your heated screen to defrost the washer nozzles isnt very wise either, replacing new nozzles when they burn out is not much money, replacing the screen costs quite a bit! Its also pretty common for the nozzles to refreeze once driving, whereas the screen will tend to stay clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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