Heated washer jets

2543 Views 21 Replies 16 Participants Last post by dino_smith, Mar 4, 2005

Tonyt3

Discussion Starter · Mar 3, 2005

Whats the point in them? They seem completly useless to me.

My car has heated washer jets and my screen wash is supposed to stop the water freezing down to -8c.... it was cold last night, but not that cold (about -2c) so why did I have to drive to work this morning with an increasingly dirty windscreen because the fluid in the washer jet pipes had frozen?

Is it really asking to much for someone to invent a system that prevents this problem, and fitting it as standard to a modern car? Something that either insulates the system properly from the cold, or quickly thaws it out if it does freeze when you power up the car? i'm thinking along the lines of an inbuilt heating loom in the washer jet tubes....

Anyone else having this issue? Or is the antifreeze washer solution sold in Halfords just particularly bad at actually doing its job?

With the amount of cack that the councils spread on the road in the UK to stop icing, the muck on your screen needs constant washing off or it becomes impossible to see out (I had to leave the motorway and find a local garage this morning - as their hose had froozen up I had to buy a bottle of evian to wash the screen - nice profit margin there!!!

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

pocketrocketowner

· #2 · Mar 3, 2005

Was there ice accumulated on top of your washer squirters?? If so that would explainyour issue. Of course I have the heated thingy's as well but I refuse to drive PKT RKT when they spread salt.....so fat lot of good they do me as well

Anyways, I know how you must feel, nothing worse in the universe that a dirty windshield in the fecking winter.....and it is fecking snowing in fecking Paris at the minute to boot!

PS Buy stuff that works to -20........

ButtonIt

· #3 · Mar 3, 2005

It's happened to every modern car I've owned

The only car that was any good at washing my windows in the cold was my old 1978 Clubman

AidenL

· #4 · Mar 3, 2005

Apparently stripping back some under-bonnet insulation will allow engine heat to thaw them out........they are pretty useless.........

mini01

· #5 · Mar 3, 2005

I have this problem alot. I travel thirty miles to work in the mornings and the washers just start working by the time i get there.

TopMini

· #6 · Mar 3, 2005

You have sooo touched a nerve here man.
I was extremelly crossed this morning. Just when you need the damn thing the most it doesn't bloody work!!!! What is the point!!???
Anyway gripe has been aired.
Still love the car.

PortRhombus

· #7 · Mar 3, 2005

The worst is when the window is well dirty. So you pull the stork back to release the water and wipe them.

But then no water comes out because they are frozen. The wipers start doing there thing which cant be stopped until theyve run there course! All the dirt is smeared into a rainbow consisting of brown only!

The window ends up 10 times worse.

moonshine

· #8 · Mar 3, 2005

Take the underbonnet lining out. my washers kept freezing last year, dispite having heated jets, so this winter i have taken the underbonnet insulation right out and the washers have never frozen.

The problem seems to be the under bonnet insulaton is too good, and stops the engine heat from defrosting the pipes. The heated nozzles seem to work okn as these are never frozen.

I checled my washers were working by using a tyre pyrometer - they were about 55 degrees celcius.

Gerry

dcfkan

· #9 · Mar 3, 2005

Discovered how useless they were during Apple's first winter in 2002/3, together with how easy it was to have the windows frozen preventing me to get into the car and start the engine!

Now I have a bottle of defrost spray and scrapper indoors just in case I got frozen out again

DK

:apple:

Rooster

· #10 · Mar 3, 2005

Its happened to me a quit a few times and when it does I darnt put the wipers on, smudges the weedscreen to make it worse. Its very anoying especially as I do alot of long distance driving.

I have sort of solved my problem. I have started using "Comma"(brand) Xstream screenwash(excellent,highly recomended) just been adding to water at a higher strength as its been so cold.
However, this does "defeats the object of having heated washer jets".

If you've got the money you could allways go for the "Hotshot". HotShot heats the washer fluid to about 65°C within 30 seconds and sprays it onto the windscreen. Suposed to be good for de-icing windscreens on chilly winter mornings.

see http://www.webasto-hotshot.com/index_en.php http://www.webasto.co.uk/general/en/am_automobile_3406.html

"GoMini" mag issue Dec/Jan05 states its £199.75 via website

MINISHEL

· #11 · Mar 3, 2005

FANTASTIC!!!!!!

I was looking for this thread last night! what a bloody waste of money the heated water jets are!

I was going to ring my dealer up today to check if they were working! Thought they might have forgotten to include this on my car! My heated mirrors are excellent, they work fine....

Glad there's not just me disappointed with the heated jets!

Shell

dcfkan

· #12 · Mar 3, 2005

Mind you, the heated wing mirrors work very well, providing one can get into the car to start the engine, so for the price of 40 GBP for both, it is not really that bad for value (2002 price) IMHO

DK

:apple:

MINISHEL

· #13 · Mar 3, 2005

dcfkan said:
Mind you, the heated wing mirrors work very well, providing one can get into the car to start the engine, so for the price of 40 GBP for both, it is not really that bad for value (2002 price) IMHO

DK :apple:

I drove to work the other morning with my window out of line! It took me a while to open the bloody door and when I eventually got it open my window wouldn't move! (thought it was going to break at one point)

Oh well nearly summer...... wont need heated water jets!

dcfkan

· #14 · Mar 3, 2005

MINISHEL said:
I drove to work the other morning with my window out of line! It took me a while to open the bloody door and when I eventually got it open my window wouldn't move! (thought it was going to break at one point)

Oh well nearly summer...... wont need heated water jets!

I was informed to pour lukewarm water along the sills to melt the ice, and that worked quite well

DK

:apple:

Mandalay

· #15 · Mar 3, 2005

Hmm, well mine seem to have been working fine and it has been as cold here in Normal Norfolk as anywhere else in Britian I believe.

Tonyt3

Discussion Starter · #16 · Mar 3, 2005

dcfkan said:
I was informed to pour lukewarm water along the sills to melt the ice, and that worked quite well

DK :apple:

OI! stop hijacking my thread missus......

dalboyne

· #17 · Mar 3, 2005

We fill the cars with screen wash rated to minus 20 degrees in the winter, not had any probs....and it was minus 15 on Monday night....

btdoyle

· #18 · Mar 3, 2005

What is all this talk about putting water in your washer jets? Are you crazy? If you live in a cold climate splurge for the two dollar jug of washer fluid that will not freeze until it gets to negative 30 degrees outside... That will save your problems... The heated washer jets will only help remove the ice that is actually covering the washer jet..... Maybe I am missing something here....

Damo

· #19 · Mar 4, 2005

Tony*t3 said:
Whats the point in them? They seem completly useless to me.

My car has heated washer jets and my screen wash is supposed to stop the water freezing down to -8c.... it was cold last night, but not that cold (about -2c) so why did I have to drive to work this morning with an increasingly dirty windscreen because the fluid in the washer jet pipes had frozen?

Is it really asking to much for someone to invent a system that prevents this problem, and fitting it as standard to a modern car? Something that either insulates the system properly from the cold, or quickly thaws it out if it does freeze when you power up the car? i'm thinking along the lines of an inbuilt heating loom in the washer jet tubes....

Anyone else having this issue? Or is the antifreeze washer solution sold in Halfords just particularly bad at actually doing its job?

With the amount of cack that the councils spread on the road in the UK to stop icing, the muck on your screen needs constant washing off or it becomes impossible to see out (I had to leave the motorway and find a local garage this morning - as their hose had froozen up I had to buy a bottle of evian to wash the screen - nice profit margin there!!!

Feel your pain mate, mine froze up on the way back from a romantic weekend in Scotland Couldn't see a thing. Even the washer jets on my lights still worked

Damo

· #20 · Mar 4, 2005

MINISHEL said:
FANTASTIC!!!!!!

I was looking for this thread last night! what a bloody waste of money the heated water jets are!

I was going to ring my dealer up today to check if they were working! Thought they might have forgotten to include this on my car! My heated mirrors are excellent, they work fine....

Glad there's not just me disappointed with the heated jets!

Shell

Agree with you there. THe heated mirrors are good. Although they do get dirtier quicker than non heated ones

as they make the water evaporate and eave behind all the crap that was in the water.

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

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