Technical Frozen windscreen washers

[babbo umbro]

Can't find this topic in previous postings.

Took Mrs babbo umbro's MJ from Devon to Surrey and back yesterday to visit my aged mother. Temp about -3 in Devon (spoke to my brother in Norway, where it's -28C so it could be worse) - car in garage overnight. Washers were frozen for first 40 miles. Mrs b u admitted to filling up with no screen wash - topped up - about half a tank full - with ample screen wash and unfroze nozzles - no further problems on way there - warmer in Surrey. Coming back the temperature dropped to minus a few and washers froze again round about Yeovil. Little indent that holds nozzles had frozen water blocking it off. Don't know if 100HP suffers same problem.

Design fault?
Solution? - no pun intended.
Additional sound deadening on diesel also insulating scuttle area from engine heat?

 

[earthman]

I doubt that there is anyway of stopping the water freezing in the jets apart from using a LOT of screen wash (compared to water) or fitting electrically heated ones.

The worst design are the ones on my Alfa, the jets and hoses clip onto the wiper arms so there's more exposed to the cold air.

 

[Andy Monty]

get yourself to lidl they have winterscreen wash in at the moment £4.99 for 5 ltrs i have been diluting it 1 ltr with 4 water not had it freeze in any cars yet and its been down to -8 or so on a couple of nights

 

[Davren]

There was an option on the Stilo (mine has it) to have heated washer jets. Don't know if it's available for the Panda or if you could retro fit or adapt Stilo heated washer jets to fit.

Dave.

 

[306maxi]

Can't find this topic in previous postings.

Took Mrs babbo umbro's MJ from Devon to Surrey and back yesterday to visit my aged mother. Temp about -3 in Devon (spoke to my brother in Norway, where it's -28C so it could be worse) - car in garage overnight. Washers were frozen for first 40 miles. Mrs b u admitted to filling up with no screen wash - topped up - about half a tank full - with ample screen wash and unfroze nozzles - no further problems on way there - warmer in Surrey. Coming back the temperature dropped to minus a few and washers froze again round about Yeovil. Little indent that holds nozzles had frozen water blocking it off. Don't know if 100HP suffers same problem.

Design fault?
Solution? - no pun intended.
Additional sound deadening on diesel also insulating scuttle area from engine heat?

If there isn't enough concentrate the washers will freeze up, simple as that. I premix my own washer fluid rather than guessing how much is in the tank and trying to get the right concentration that way.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

There was an option on the Stilo (mine has it) to have heated washer jets. Don't know if it's available for the Panda or if you could retro fit or adapt Stilo heated washer jets to fit.

Dave.

How they operate? With heated door mirrors or just when temp below a certain level outside?

 

[Andy Monty]

How they operate? With heated door mirrors or just when temp below a certain level outside?

on the focus they work with the heated front screen

 

[babbo umbro]

If there isn't enough concentrate the washers will freeze up, simple as that. I premix my own washer fluid rather than guessing how much is in the tank and trying to get the right concentration that way.

That's good.

 

[Davren]

How they operate? With heated door mirrors or just when temp below a certain level outside?

I believe they operate with the heated rear window and mirrors but as they've never frozen, I've never had any reason to check.

You can tell if you have them, there will be wires running up the off-side bonnet hinge and under the bonnet insulation.

Dave.

 

[trackdayqueen]

I just buy premixed screenwasher, it's not expensive and my washers never freeze up.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

I believe they operate with the heated rear window and mirrors but as they've never frozen, I've never had any reason to check.

You can tell if you have them, there will be wires running up the off-side bonnet hinge and under the bonnet insulation.

Dave.

Oh right. Mine haven't any way as I've retrofitted mist jets. But it never had them in the first place lol. I wonder how easy to buy aftermarket and fit they are.

 

[T14086]

I wrapped front washer tubing in silver paper then used 10mm foam tubing. For screenwash I use a 50%-40%-10% mixture of water-whisky-seal blubber.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

You can tell if you have them [electrically heated washers] , there will be wires running up the off-side bonnet hinge and under the bonnet insulation.

Not so on the Panda as the jets are not mounted on the bonnet, but instead on the plastic panel under the screen. So far as I know, heated jets have not been available on the Panda.

Plenty of screenwash concentrate is the answer -- as much as 50/50 water/screenwash if it gets really cold.

 

[babbo umbro]

Not so on the Panda as the jets are not mounted on the bonnet, but instead on the plastic panel under the screen. So far as I know, heated jets have not been available on the Panda.

Plenty of screenwash concentrate is the answer -- as much as 50/50 water/screenwash if it gets really cold.

Any implications for paintwprk?

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Any implications for paintwprk?

No - screenwash is a mix of water, detergents and alcohol (its the alcohol that prevents it freezing). Even used neat should be OK (if expensive) as there's still a fair amount of water in the mix -- my Holts Double Concentrate (from Costco) advises that 1:4 ratio prevents freezing to minus 6C, and used neat will work at -26.

Salt water (from winter deicing salt) will harm the paintwork more...

 

[306maxi]

No - screenwash is a mix of water, detergents and alcohol (its the alcohol that prevents it freezing). Even used neat should be OK (if expensive) as there's still a fair amount of water in the mix -- my Holts Double Concentrate (from Costco) advises that 1:4 ratio prevents freezing to minus 6C, and used neat will work at -26.

Salt water (from winter deicing salt) will harm the paintwork more...

I use the holts double concentrate stuff from Costco Dead cheap and dead good

 

[puffed out daddy]

I had the same problem on Tuesday 23/12/09. Left London heading back to Blackpool at 0730 washer jets frozen solid and that was with a mix of anti freeze screen wash from Lidl.
Used anti freeze spray on the nozzles and finally got the drivers side working about 70 miles up the M1, i was not alone, every services we stopped at drivers with frozen washers.
Anybody else feel that the Panda wind screen gets very dirty quickly, possible the rake of the wind screen, going down to London on the 22cnd emptied the screen wash completley.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Here's a couple of handy hints:

Test to see if the washers work without letting the wipers start by giving a series of very short pulls at the wiper switch - long enough to see if water comes out but not so long that you get the three wipes. If it's only lightly frozen, a series of short pulls at the control will often unblock them too.

if your washers do tend to freeze, carry a bottle of water in the car with one of those 'sports tops' or a flip top (like on a mineral water bottle). Then if the washers don't work and the screen is dirty (and yes, I agree the screen does get very dirty very quickly), open the window and squirt water from the bottle onto the upper part of the screen, and wipe before it too freezes. Best not done while driving along, but works fine in traffic queues or at roundabouts. Only problem I had (before I'd beefed up the screenwash concentration) was that the water left in the drinks bottle overnight set solid!

P

 

[Ffoxy]

Change the pipe that goes from the washer bottle to the washer nozzles for a much longer one that can be wound around a heater hose. Use the correct grade & quantity of screenwash additive and all will be fine.

 

[earthman]

Change the pipe that goes from the washer bottle to the washer nozzles for a much longer one that can be wound around a heater hose.

Have you actually done that?

I've heard of this before & can see how it would work/make sense but if the stretch going from the heater hose to the nozzles is on the long/exposed side then surely the heat generated will not travel that far???