Frozen washer jets
Discussion
Strap in for an exciting topic.
I'm obviously doing something wrong. I continually have issues with none-functioning washer jets on cold days. This is across a few different cars. Most have had heated jets. At this time of year, I've generally switched to neat concentrate rated to about -15C from various brands though most recently a couple of the big 20litre drums from ECP. Triplex brand I think.
I obviously need to change tactic. Yesterday my F11 BMW washer jets didn't come into life at all on a 1 hour journey to a client site. Temperature overnight had been down to about -5. This morning, we're hovering around freezing and my wife's E-Up!'s washer jets were frozen solid for the entirety of the 30 min school run.
So, any top tips for avoiding this in future? Warm water on the jets after a cold night? Change of product?
I'm obviously doing something wrong. I continually have issues with none-functioning washer jets on cold days. This is across a few different cars. Most have had heated jets. At this time of year, I've generally switched to neat concentrate rated to about -15C from various brands though most recently a couple of the big 20litre drums from ECP. Triplex brand I think.
I obviously need to change tactic. Yesterday my F11 BMW washer jets didn't come into life at all on a 1 hour journey to a client site. Temperature overnight had been down to about -5. This morning, we're hovering around freezing and my wife's E-Up!'s washer jets were frozen solid for the entirety of the 30 min school run.
So, any top tips for avoiding this in future? Warm water on the jets after a cold night? Change of product?
Edited by Gad-Westy on Friday 22 November 08:52
First thing that comes to mind would be to make yourself a coffee while the car is warming up, cool some of the water from the kettle so it isn't scorching, then pour it over your washer jets.
For a more proactive approach, maybe covering the jets overnight will do it? Sounds like water is freezing into the nozzles overnight and there's enough of a blockage that the heaters on the washers can't shift it.
For a more proactive approach, maybe covering the jets overnight will do it? Sounds like water is freezing into the nozzles overnight and there's enough of a blockage that the heaters on the washers can't shift it.
Ive found that this is quite dependant on the make of car and how the hoses must be routed around the engine bay and up to the scuttle. I had a few cars where it was never an issue and then had a Honda that continually suffered from it. There were times where they would thaw out while sitting in traffic only to freeze up again when they had an air flow over them when the car was moving.
Puddenchucker said:
Are you diluting the screenwash?
Have you run the washers for long enough to get the fresh -15 screenwash through the tubing to the nozzels?
As per OP. At this time of year I'm onto neat.Have you run the washers for long enough to get the fresh -15 screenwash through the tubing to the nozzels?
In the case of the VW, the bottle was fully empty when I refilled it with neat a couple of weeks ago when temperatures were still in double figures. So any remanence of summer mix should have been long gone. Can't say for certain on the BMW. But actually this issue has happened so frequently in the last few years on everything that I think the exact timings in this particular case aren't relevant. It seems it can happen to me even if it's my third refill of neat stuff well into winter.
Gastons_Revenge said:
First thing that comes to mind would be to make yourself a coffee while the car is warming up, cool some of the water from the kettle so it isn't scorching, then pour it over your washer jets.
For a more proactive approach, maybe covering the jets overnight will do it? Sounds like water is freezing into the nozzles overnight and there's enough of a blockage that the heaters on the washers can't shift it.
Cheers. I think getting preemptive sounds like a plan. Not always easy as I'm not always starting from home but as you suggest maybe something to cover the jets overnight if I know it will be cold. For a more proactive approach, maybe covering the jets overnight will do it? Sounds like water is freezing into the nozzles overnight and there's enough of a blockage that the heaters on the washers can't shift it.
ShredderXLE said:
Ive found that this is quite dependant on the make of car and how the hoses must be routed around the engine bay and up to the scuttle. I had a few cars where it was never an issue and then had a Honda that continually suffered from it. There were times where they would thaw out while sitting in traffic only to freeze up again when they had an air flow over them when the car was moving.
One of the most disappointing cars we had for this was a Panda 4x4. In almost every respect it was a winter monster. Proper winter tyres. Undefeatable traction. Heated seats and front screen. And yet..... an opaque windscreen due to blocked 'heated' jets. I notice that our 535i appears to have incredible bonnet insulation. I drove it 250 miles on Tuesday and it still had large parts of the upper surface frozen after probably 3 hours of motorway driving. You'd sort of hope that would be keeping all of the screen wash piping lovely and toasty under there but I think the blockages probably happen in the section that runs through the scuttle area that is a bit more exposed to the elements.
Ranger 6 said:
BMW?
If you haven't used BMW fluid it may have congealed and blocked the pump. There's much talk about fluids reacting badly if you don't use OEM stuff.
BMW's yes, but also VW, Audi, Fiat. I'd happily buy the proper BMW stuff if I felt that was the only problem. But the pump works fine as soon as the jets aren't frozen solid. If you haven't used BMW fluid it may have congealed and blocked the pump. There's much talk about fluids reacting badly if you don't use OEM stuff.
snotrag said:
On cars with non heated jets I usually re-route the pipework, adding in a couple of feet and doing a wrap around a coolant hose - in effect making a heat exhanger. Works superbly.
Probably increasingly difficult to do on some modern cars but have a look under the bonnet.
I like that tip. I don't think I can do it on either our current cars though. I need to double check but I don't think the BMW system routes through the engine bay at all. And the VW is electric. Probably increasingly difficult to do on some modern cars but have a look under the bonnet.
Ranger 6 said:
BMW?
If you haven't used BMW fluid it may have congealed and blocked the pump. There's much talk about fluids reacting badly if you don't use OEM stuff.
My i4 has BMW fluid and froze overnight this week near Bristol where it only dropped to -3° C. To make it more challenging, it's full electric so no toasty engine to help the thaw. Will be filling up with Prestone -18° C fluid at the weekend.If you haven't used BMW fluid it may have congealed and blocked the pump. There's much talk about fluids reacting badly if you don't use OEM stuff.
LordGrover said:
Ranger 6 said:
BMW?
If you haven't used BMW fluid it may have congealed and blocked the pump. There's much talk about fluids reacting badly if you don't use OEM stuff.
My i4 has BMW fluid and froze overnight this week near Bristol where it only dropped to -3° C. To make it more challenging, it's full electric so no toasty engine to help the thaw. Will be filling up with Prestone -18° C fluid at the weekend.If you haven't used BMW fluid it may have congealed and blocked the pump. There's much talk about fluids reacting badly if you don't use OEM stuff.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prestone-Screen-Wash-Seas...
I just ran out of the triple qx and although it smells of lovely apples, I'd rather have something that looks like trucker's piss but actually clears the screen.
RicksAlfas said:
My Volvo has the washer jets on the wiper arms and they suffered from exposure, despite being lagged. I started using Triple QX "15 Below" Screen Wash and it's been much better. Watch the labels though as it looks very similar to their All Season stuff.
That's actually what I've been using. Blue one like that initially and more recently the green apple version. Both -15 rated. Mercedes route a small part of engine coolant circuit through the screen wash reservoir. It works well. You could do this as a DIY using a drill, 2 x grommets, 2 x hose joiners, and a length of hose...depends on how much time you are willing to spend 
Personally I don't like screen wash additive as it tends to be hard on bodywork and trim. If just a daily it doesn't matter, but with something a bit more then special I'm not keen.
Personally I don't like screen wash additive as it tends to be hard on bodywork and trim. If just a daily it doesn't matter, but with something a bit more then special I'm not keen.
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