How to stop windscreen wash fluid freezing?
Discussion
I hope not too many people from cold countries are reading this thread.
Although it does sound as though you are being sold some cr@p.
Big black plastic (trash bag opened up) over the windsceen that also covers the washer jets.
No scraping of screen, no frozen jets.
Each end of it trapped by the front doors, wipers left "up" to prevent wind blowing it away.
Although it does sound as though you are being sold some cr@p.
Big black plastic (trash bag opened up) over the windsceen that also covers the washer jets.
No scraping of screen, no frozen jets.
Each end of it trapped by the front doors, wipers left "up" to prevent wind blowing it away.
jeff m said:
I hope not too many people from cold countries are reading this thread.
Although it does sound as though you are being sold some cr@p.
Big black plastic (trash bag opened up) over the windsceen that also covers the washer jets.
No scraping of screen, no frozen jets.
Each end of it trapped by the front doors, wipers left "up" to prevent wind blowing it away.
Thats fine, but after 20 miles at -10 and the screen is coated with a layer of baked on salt and ground up sand, you need some way of clearing the screen. Either magic non-freeze and heated nozzles or a stop every few miles for a squirt with the inside-the-car reserve...Although it does sound as though you are being sold some cr@p.
Big black plastic (trash bag opened up) over the windsceen that also covers the washer jets.
No scraping of screen, no frozen jets.
Each end of it trapped by the front doors, wipers left "up" to prevent wind blowing it away.
Or piss on the screen...
eldar said:
jeff m said:
I hope not too many people from cold countries are reading this thread.
Although it does sound as though you are being sold some cr@p.
Big black plastic (trash bag opened up) over the windsceen that also covers the washer jets.
No scraping of screen, no frozen jets.
Each end of it trapped by the front doors, wipers left "up" to prevent wind blowing it away.
Thats fine, but after 20 miles at -10 and the screen is coated with a layer of baked on salt and ground up sand, you need some way of clearing the screen. Either magic non-freeze and heated nozzles or a stop every few miles for a squirt with the inside-the-car reserve...Although it does sound as though you are being sold some cr@p.
Big black plastic (trash bag opened up) over the windsceen that also covers the washer jets.
No scraping of screen, no frozen jets.
Each end of it trapped by the front doors, wipers left "up" to prevent wind blowing it away.
Or piss on the screen...
andy-xr said:
eldar said:
jeff m said:
I hope not too many people from cold countries are reading this thread.
Although it does sound as though you are being sold some cr@p.
Big black plastic (trash bag opened up) over the windsceen that also covers the washer jets.
No scraping of screen, no frozen jets.
Each end of it trapped by the front doors, wipers left "up" to prevent wind blowing it away.
Thats fine, but after 20 miles at -10 and the screen is coated with a layer of baked on salt and ground up sand, you need some way of clearing the screen. Either magic non-freeze and heated nozzles or a stop every few miles for a squirt with the inside-the-car reserve...Although it does sound as though you are being sold some cr@p.
Big black plastic (trash bag opened up) over the windsceen that also covers the washer jets.
No scraping of screen, no frozen jets.
Each end of it trapped by the front doors, wipers left "up" to prevent wind blowing it away.
Or piss on the screen...
I got a 5 litre bottle of concentrated fluid from GSF for under a fiver a couple of weeks ago. It's been fine partially diluted even when I've seen -12 Celcius on the dash display.
I suspect the stuff being sold in Tesco/Homebase/et al is fairly diluted, even if they're calling it concentrate, hence why it's freezing.
I suspect the stuff being sold in Tesco/Homebase/et al is fairly diluted, even if they're calling it concentrate, hence why it's freezing.
I bought the stuff from B&Q that said 'for extreme weather, use neat.'
The stuff that wouldn't fit in the washer bottle (why aren't they all 5 litre capacity?) I left in the bottle in the footwell.
It froze solid.
I had some stuff from JTF Wholesale in the other car (neat) and that seems fine although the nozzles freeze - apparently the alcohol evaporates at the nozzle so it freezes at a higher temperature. The neat stuff from Tesco seems ok too, but it hasn't been *really* cold here since I filled up with that.
The stuff that wouldn't fit in the washer bottle (why aren't they all 5 litre capacity?) I left in the bottle in the footwell.
It froze solid.
I had some stuff from JTF Wholesale in the other car (neat) and that seems fine although the nozzles freeze - apparently the alcohol evaporates at the nozzle so it freezes at a higher temperature. The neat stuff from Tesco seems ok too, but it hasn't been *really* cold here since I filled up with that.
I seem to remember from an old formulary I looked at that screenwash is basically alcohol, detergent and something to make it smell nice, plus water. The more water present, the closer the freezing point would come to 0°C
Googling suggests that methanol freezes at -98°C, ethanol at -118°C and isopropanol -90°C.
So I suggest adding any alcohol of these types (not ethylene glycol etc which is/was in brake fluid) to your reservoir and over time this should melt the frozen screenwash.
Methylated spirits is probably the easiest version to find.
Two points though:
1. This won't melt the frozen liquid in your pipes and nozzles - diffusion rates mean that winter will be over before the alcohol works its way through to the nozzles. You would have to melt the tubes with a hair drier so you can flush them through with the high concentration screenwash
2. I have found adding high concentrations of alcohol ie. very little water makes the screenwash smear so win some lose some
3. Don't bother with cheap vodka - nice idea, but too much water there already
Best of luck
Googling suggests that methanol freezes at -98°C, ethanol at -118°C and isopropanol -90°C.
So I suggest adding any alcohol of these types (not ethylene glycol etc which is/was in brake fluid) to your reservoir and over time this should melt the frozen screenwash.
Methylated spirits is probably the easiest version to find.
Two points though:
1. This won't melt the frozen liquid in your pipes and nozzles - diffusion rates mean that winter will be over before the alcohol works its way through to the nozzles. You would have to melt the tubes with a hair drier so you can flush them through with the high concentration screenwash
2. I have found adding high concentrations of alcohol ie. very little water makes the screenwash smear so win some lose some
3. Don't bother with cheap vodka - nice idea, but too much water there already
Best of luck
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