Frozen washer jets
Discussion
Having had a recent service and inspection on my E92 I had assumed the indi BMW garage had topped up the washer bottle. The indicator was pinging and after service no more pings.
This morning found the washer jets were frozen, OK it was -2 last night but I didn’t expect the nozzles to freeze at that temperature. Or am I being unreasonable ?
This morning found the washer jets were frozen, OK it was -2 last night but I didn’t expect the nozzles to freeze at that temperature. Or am I being unreasonable ?
^^^^
Yes this is my point, the BMW indie filled the washer bottle, I suspect with plain water. Penny pinching misers, why would a garage do that for such little profit on the issue. I was more concerned that the nozzles and/or water hoses would crack. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I am taking the car back on Monday to follow up my telephone conversation with a face to face complaint.
Yes this is my point, the BMW indie filled the washer bottle, I suspect with plain water. Penny pinching misers, why would a garage do that for such little profit on the issue. I was more concerned that the nozzles and/or water hoses would crack. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I am taking the car back on Monday to follow up my telephone conversation with a face to face complaint.
crankedup said:
^^^^
Yes this is my point, the BMW indie filled the washer bottle, I suspect with plain water. Penny pinching misers, why would a garage do that for such little profit on the issue. I was more concerned that the nozzles and/or water hoses would crack. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I am taking the car back on Monday to follow up my telephone conversation with a face to face complaint.
That's why I don't use indies, much lauded on PH but I used one for years on an old sl320 and they ripped me off and cut corners and I decided that it wasn't worth it. Yes this is my point, the BMW indie filled the washer bottle, I suspect with plain water. Penny pinching misers, why would a garage do that for such little profit on the issue. I was more concerned that the nozzles and/or water hoses would crack. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I am taking the car back on Monday to follow up my telephone conversation with a face to face complaint.
Your local BMW dealer wouldn't have done that in my experience.
-2degC air temp is likely,and easily a real -5/-6degC at surfaces radiating to the night sky - roads, bonnets...
(this is why the OBC warns you of ice at temps of +3degC and below..)
TBH - get over it. Maintain your own screenwash. You should anyway.
You'll find that keep fluid unfrozen at, say, -5degC you need a really, really rich solution of something rated to a far lower temp. i.e. a lot of alcohol in the mix (eg from looking at the MSDS, Halfords concentrate to do this is c.30% ethanol)
(this is why the OBC warns you of ice at temps of +3degC and below..)
TBH - get over it. Maintain your own screenwash. You should anyway.
You'll find that keep fluid unfrozen at, say, -5degC you need a really, really rich solution of something rated to a far lower temp. i.e. a lot of alcohol in the mix (eg from looking at the MSDS, Halfords concentrate to do this is c.30% ethanol)
Edited by Huff on Saturday 24th February 22:10
Worth buying the better stuff in my view, if only for peace of mind. A lot of screenwash available is only good down to -5 degrees C even if you use it neat. -5 degrees C is probably enough for most UK conditions, but of course not all, and anyway I expect many people dilute it with water...
(I usually buy whatever they have at Costco, which is supposedly good to -23 degrees C when used neat. Since this is the UK rather than Siberia I dilute it 50/50, and that seems to be enough in practice to stop it freezing.)
(I usually buy whatever they have at Costco, which is supposedly good to -23 degrees C when used neat. Since this is the UK rather than Siberia I dilute it 50/50, and that seems to be enough in practice to stop it freezing.)
I looked up my car on realoem: a post-LCI E90. Apparently the windscreen jets are heated, but the headlight ones don't seem to be.
Windscreen cleaning with heated spray nozzle: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=PM12-...
Headlight cleaning without heated spray nozzle: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=PM12-...
(Either way, one thing worth noting is that the heaters won't run with the engine off, and ice won't melt instantly. So the nozzles can end up frozen and unavailable whether heated or not...)
Windscreen cleaning with heated spray nozzle: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=PM12-...
Headlight cleaning without heated spray nozzle: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=PM12-...
(Either way, one thing worth noting is that the heaters won't run with the engine off, and ice won't melt instantly. So the nozzles can end up frozen and unavailable whether heated or not...)
Edited by to3m on Sunday 25th February 00:01
to3m said:
Water freezes at sub-zero temperatures, and there's a risk of damage from this process since solid water takes up more space than liquid water. If somebody refilled my car's washer reservoir with water alone then I'd certainly moan if I noticed, especially at this time of year.
No s
t Sherlock? Water freezes at sub-zero temperatures? Who’d ‘a’ thought? 
Wills2 said:
crankedup said:
^^^^
Yes this is my point, the BMW indie filled the washer bottle, I suspect with plain water. Penny pinching misers, why would a garage do that for such little profit on the issue. I was more concerned that the nozzles and/or water hoses would crack. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I am taking the car back on Monday to follow up my telephone conversation with a face to face complaint.
That's why I don't use indies, much lauded on PH but I used one for years on an old sl320 and they ripped me off and cut corners and I decided that it wasn't worth it. Yes this is my point, the BMW indie filled the washer bottle, I suspect with plain water. Penny pinching misers, why would a garage do that for such little profit on the issue. I was more concerned that the nozzles and/or water hoses would crack. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I am taking the car back on Monday to follow up my telephone conversation with a face to face complaint.
Your local BMW dealer wouldn't have done that in my experience.
Huff said:
-2degC air temp is likely,and easily a real -5/-6degC at surfaces radiating to the night sky - roads, bonnets...
(this is why the OBC warns you of ice at temps of +3degC and below..)
TBH - get over it. Maintain your own screenwash. You should anyway.
You'll find that keep fluid unfrozen at, say, -5degC you need a really, really rich solution of something rated to a far lower temp. i.e. a lot of alcohol in the mix (eg from looking at the MSDS, Halfords concentrate to do this is c.30% ethanol)
BMW say that the screen wash is OK for around -15.Its. to the fact of frozen water more the issue of broken trust. If the garage skimps on this what else is missed or skimped.(this is why the OBC warns you of ice at temps of +3degC and below..)
TBH - get over it. Maintain your own screenwash. You should anyway.
You'll find that keep fluid unfrozen at, say, -5degC you need a really, really rich solution of something rated to a far lower temp. i.e. a lot of alcohol in the mix (eg from looking at the MSDS, Halfords concentrate to do this is c.30% ethanol)
Edited by Huff on Saturday 24th February 22:10
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