Windscreen washers

[atkinsnk]

How many times have you had to fill up your washer bottle these last few weeks!!! I guess I travel too much, but not only do they empty really quickly but they have been frozen every morning (whilst the weather was bad). Before you say it, yes, I did have the correct level of washer in with the water!. Did any one else have this problem? The weird thing is that they were fine once id finshed work (5pm)and it was still cold???? ...Oh well, at least the weather is better now. Better go fill up my washers .. again!!!

[Humourl3ss]

I find I have to refill the bottle every 7-10 days, depending on the weather. Such are the joys of a grubby Canadian winter.

In summer, I would expect a full month from each refill.

I am a little put off by the small size of the bottle though. It only swallows about half of a 4 litre jug, whereas my old Civic SiR would guzzle the whole thing and ask for more.

-CW

[Jazzy Jase]

Atkinsnk,

You're not the only one... see this thread on screenwash usage:

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=22384


Your washer fluid should not be freezing. You should add more screenwash to the water, or it could just be the nozzles freezing up.

[GTT 280]

Quote:

Originally posted by atkinsnk
How many times have you had to fill up your washer bottle these last few weeks!!! I guess I travel too much, but not only do they empty really quickly but they have been frozen every morning (whilst the weather was bad). Before you say it, yes, I did have the correct level of washer in with the water!. Did any one else have this problem? The weird thing is that they were fine once id finshed work (5pm)and it was still cold???? ...Oh well, at least the weather is better now. Better go fill up my washers .. again!!!

The reason they are OK when you've finished work is probably because of the slight change in climate in addition to the heat from your engine which will be enough to stave off the intense wind chill experienced over night.

Think about it !!

EB MINI

[GTT 280]

Quote:

Originally posted by Cooper_S
Atkinsnk,

You're not the only one... see this thread on screenwash usage:

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=22384


Your washer fluid should not be freezing. You should add more screenwash to the water, or it could just be the nozzles freezing up.

I never add screen wash to the water. Plain water only for me. That stuff stinks and over time can ruin your rubber seals and possible effect your paint work (who know's).

Water only for me !!

EB MINI

[Humourl3ss]

Quote:

Originally posted by EB MINI
Water only for me !!

Not an option here, I'm afraid to say. It's currently -14 Celsius outside. The water would freeze solid in the tank and lines.

-CW

[lightbody]

Yup. Heated washers freezing up and reservoir too small! I dont think they did their calculations based on the fact that in mucky cold weather the rear washer is on almost all the time!!

[GMINI]

Quote:

Originally posted by lightbody
Yup. Heated washers freezing up and reservoir too small! I dont think they did their calculations based on the fact that in mucky cold weather the rear washer is on almost all the time!!

Here in the states the mixture gets no water, straight up from the bottle. Mixing is ony recommended during non-wintre months. So you folks must be getting very potent stuff, or perhaps you're not using it at it's full potency. I've been facing some ZeroDegree (F) weather and never seen a frozen washer system.

I will maintain that a major design flaw lies in the rear window. Rearward mounted wheels create a goofest back there. One can easily find oneself in a perilous situation when the fluid has just been spent and the forward view becomes dangerously occluded. Happened to me today. Three hour drive and two gallons of the stuff. The back of my car looks like it's made of clay.

Remedy: Separate larger reservoirs for front and rear.

Also: rear wiper needs to be speed adjustable. The MINI needs no precipitation to make the rear window clouded. To say the least. With forward wipers off, the rear one slow speed does not cut it.

[Wul]

In my old vw golf i always carried a 2litre bottle of water premixed with fluid spare as in the winter no matter how concentrated the mix was - the windchill would freeze the nozzles! so it ended up being used to pour over the windscreen!

So if your not happy with the volume it holds - carry a bottle premixed(even 500ml would suffice and fit behind the panels in the boot!) for emergency top ups.

I top mine up weekly at present but i'm quite happy with the volume of the reservoir - any bigger and it wouldn't fit down the the side of the wheel arch as it does at present and i can't see much space to fit it in the engine bay, and i don't need to mention in the boot!

When mines run out mid journey i keep an emergency can of de-icer in the cabin - at the next set of traffice lights - quickly reach out the window or door and a few sparing squirts on the windscreen soon have me seeing again! Although this is not recommended on a motoway!

[atkinsnk]

Thanks for that,it must be the nozzles. I think a pre mixed mobile bottle of screenwash is definatley a good idea!

[Chris Williams]

I have long said...well for the past couple of months that the washer fluid reservoir is far too small and that even in an engine bay as crowded as that of the MINI a bigger tank could have been fitted.

Regards
Christopher

[erichui]

i never had to refill the washers for years on other cars
this mini i have refill after like 2 weeks already.
sigh.
guess have to play less with the headlight washer

anyone notice that the headlight washer fluids drain much quicker than the windscreeen one???

[OhioCowboy]

I thought one fluid resevoir was for the front and one was for the back all this time. I'm running dry every 2 days here in Northern Ohio. It has been bad lately, but I've never run out so quickly before in my 30+ years of driving.
The other problem I have with the resevoirs is they are too small. I bet I lose about 25% of my fluid while refilling.
Another question-how do I avoid using the fluid for the headlights when I just want to give the winshield a quick cleaning?

[ezrally]

Just have the headlights off & they won't squirt.
If driving @ nite the fogs(OK for a short time?) stay on w the running lights, if you really want to save fluid!
I really don't understand the fuss about the small reservoirs.
The amt of juice coming out everywhere is amazing- esp when the crud is plentyful!

[StevePSB]

erichui, I have noticed exactly the same thing with the headlamp washers.
Filled to the brim about 3 weeks ago, and they've only been used about 10-15 times and I realised the bottle was empty the other day!

If you watch them at work, you realise why. I'd say that only 40% of the water hits the headlamps, the rest misses the car entirely!
I have found that to be an amusing little flaw... I got my Mum (by accident!) with the l/h washer the other week!