Front Windscreen Jets

[Tom (the imposter)]

Anybody else out there who's front windscreen jets block up frequently?

Every time it happens, I've got to undo the bonnet lining, remove the jets and disassemble to clean them out.

Many many moons ago, I used RainX additive in the screen wash which claimed to keep the screen in tip top condition after a RainX application.
The liquid itself did a great job of sheeting off water, so great, that windscreen wipers were almost redundant.

Stopped using it when I realised that a film buildup was accumulating inside the washer tank.

Have replaced the rubber hosing and the "Y" connector as well as the jets at least 5 times.

Unhooked the pumps and using a pressure washer, blasted out the screen-wash tank to clean it up. 99% of the film was removed but every couple of months a blob of the remnants gets trapped in the bonnet jets causing strange spray patterns whereby the car behind me gets a nice clean screen courtesy of moi.

Anyone any ideas how I can permanently deal with this?
Is there any sort of flushing liquid that is safe for plastics that will get rid of debris?

 

[Tom]

New washer jets are only a couple of ££ from Fiat, well worth buying. I replace mine every other year as its not worth the fuss unblocking them.

 

[Tom (the imposter)]

Hey Tom,

I have more or less replaced them every year. So much so that the parts chap has asked me if I have them for breakfast.

As you state they are a couple of quid, but even with new jets, they become blocked every fill or every other fill of screenwash.

So much so that every couple of months I disconnect the pipework and flush a tankfull of clean water through the pipework into a bucket.

Is it worth adding some radiator cleaner to the solution (bearing in mind the paintwork will not be affected)?

 

[Tom (the imposter)]

I meant to say, I remove the jets and flush out the entire system into a bucket.

 

[Tom]

What do you use in your washers? Just plain water? The tank in my sisters uno had some odd growth in it but that was cos she had not been using screenwash.

Maybe you need to clean the system out with some mild bleach.

 

[Tom (the imposter)]

I use a screenwash solution at concentrations as per bottle's instructions.

 

[Anonymous]

Never had a problem with my jets, personally i think they are the best i have had on any car (simply because of the number of jets)...

The only problem i get is from polish clogging them up.

Daz

 

[Tom (the imposter)]

Dismantled the whole system only to find a phlegm like substance floating about.

If my experience is anything to go by, avoid Halfords standard screenwash.
It talks about being able to reduce windscreen judder, which is probably a water soluble plastic/rubber film agent which explains the floating phlegm in the tank.

Had to use some general purpose high pressure wash cleaning chemical to soak it for 30 mins, then high pressure lance sprayed directly into the tank to blow all the crap out.

Flushed out by 4 tankfulls of clean water.
Found an excellent way of unblocking the jets - ultra fine 0.3 mm interdental brushes, like a baby bottle cleaner but mini sized. Brush allows you to scrub into the nozzles without distorting the shape of the holes.
An hour and a half of mucking about, but system is back to life again with all 8 jets working.



What brand of screenwash do people here use?