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Frozen Windscreen Wash Pipes

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Cooheed

Cooheed

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Any of yous got any ideas on how to unfreeze the windscreen wash pipes? Just bought an old vectra with the pipes that are internal in the bonnet. Methinks the previous only had a summer mix in and have put in half a bottle of concentrate but obviously, that wont help till till I get it through the whole system. This place has never got above -1 over the last few days. Ta in advance. :PDT_Xtremez_27:
 
I've super duper winter screen wash in mine and the fcukers still froze up this morning on the way to work at 5.30 am. The thermometer read -4, add the wind chill factor in for driving at 50mph and thinking back to my days as a Met Observer, gives a wind chill of something like -52 C (bit rusty, so may be wrong)
 
FOMz said:
I've super duper winter screen wash in mine and the fcukers still froze up this morning on the way to work at 5.30 am. The thermometer read -4, add the wind chill factor in for driving at 50mph and thinking back to my days as a Met Observer, gives a wind chill of something like -52 C (bit rusty, so may be wrong)
Click to expand...

So the heat off a running engine has no effect either? Guess it's not moving till it warms up a bit then :PDT_Xtremez_41:
 
I had an hours drive in this morning and they froze up after about 40 minutes, they had thawed out by lunchtime though!
 
I use Decosol deicer/screenwash from Halfords, only cost about £3.50. Stopped mine from freezing up, though granted, it wasn't as cold then as it is there for you now.
 
Mine froze up last night within about 5 minutes of filling the bottle, the display in the cr reckoned it was around -5 (plus, as FOMz pointed out, the windchill factor)
I think your best bet is to try gem's suggestion for the windscreen, use a couple of hot water bottles, unless you can find a garage/bay you could park your car in to warm it up.
 
I put cheap Vodka in my screen wash bottle and even in the sub zero temperatures of Southern Germany, it works a treat! At 3 euros a bottle, it's cheaper than normal screen wash too!
 
On me old Mini we ran a length of pipe ( the kind you get from a per shop for your fish tank ) from the washer bottle , around the engine and then to the washers in the bonnet - when the car warmed up , it warmed the water up and sprayed warm water onto the window. It dint help the initial freezing , but after 5 - 10 mins it got rid of the problem.
 
Take windscreen out, get some goggles from clothing stores a old rag for wiping goggles, always a simple solution!
 
Move to a warmer country! A bit extreme maybe but it solved the problem of a frozen windscreen or washer jets for me! Mind you, it does take a while for the Air Con to get working.
 
There's a very useful optional gadget called "Hot Wash" (Halofrds?).

As the tubes are under the bonnet, you might like to try putting a little warm (not boiling) water over them FIRST, and then do the screen.

Works on my old Astra.


:PDT_Xtremez_43:
 
Same as Humble Scribe, I used cheap vodka whilst at Lousymouth, and not once did my screenwash freeze! It was always a problem on my Cavalier and my Vectra too. Used to have to keep a bottle of water in the boot for emergency screen washing!
 
Down here.

Down here.

Here in Southern Bavaria we are reaching -9 during the daytime and -14 at night. No probs with my windscreen wash mix. Last weekend down in Sud Tirol and it was -21 at night....stuck in some cheap dodgy vodka, not much mind, and all worked well.

JL.
 
Was talking to some of the lads at work about this today, and mentioned the vodka thing. One of the guys said white vinegar, a couple said they used vodka, and it was also suggested to remove the valve on the bottle so the water drains out of the pipes and then they don't freeze up.
 
laboratoryqueen said:
it was also suggested to remove the valve on the bottle so the water drains out of the pipes and then they don't freeze up.
Click to expand...

The problem then is the pump would have to prime the pipes each time you wanted to use the wash. That could lead to scratching the windscreen as the wipers would be operational for as long as it took to pump the fluid, every time. Obviously this is a long term problem....
 
It's easier to simply light a fire under the car until it warms up.
 
an alternative to vodka

an alternative to vodka

You might try stuffing some meths in the reservoir. It migth be cheaper than Voddy in some parts. . . . . .



:PDT_Xtremez_14:
 
It might be a Rover and so gets lots of stick, but my MG ZT-T comes fitted with heated washer jets.

I'm led to believe that you can get upgrade kits for lesser cars off of Flea-bay.

A previous car of mine used to get frozen jets in the winter - I found that a bit of my early morning hot coffee poured over the jets worked a treat.
 
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