Practically Classics Forum

As it is that time of the year as the temprature drops the screen wash freezes.

Anybody have any experience with heated washer fluid kits?
or has anybody made their own kit to heat their screen wash reservoir?

How I was thinking of doing it would be to put a heater into
the washer bottle operated by a micro switched relay.

There would be a temprature sensor for the micro chip to get
a reading and it would be switched on until the washer bottle
reaches the desired temperature.

The power to the micro chip operated circuit would first be
only operational when the ignition is in the on position and
also through a second switch on the dash to turn it off
entirely if not required during the spring and summer.

A plate inside and a plate outside with gasket seal to make it
water tight, with a Cooling Water Pre-Heater ment originally
as block heater for a VW or Audi TDI bolted through them.

There is a micro cip and sensor from maplins.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/temperature-act ... kit-220003

And the coolant heater plug

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volkswagen-Po ... 20b9da503c

What do you think?

i've often wondered if just lengthening a convenient coolant hose in the engine bay and wrapping it round the washer reservoir would do the same thing ? it would take longer to warm up though.

Most aftermarket heaters I've seen work on the principle mentioned by Spiny; that way the ice is removed from the pipework first & foremost. Applying heat solely to the reservoir would not be of any assistance with clearing the frozen pipes under the bonnet & out into the jets.

I just mix some methylated spirit into the fluid, never froze when I did that last winter.

Years ago I bought a screeenwash heater, length of metal pipe fitted into heater feed hose and surrounded by a plastic jacket containg the washer fluid, the unit connected in series between the washer pump and the jets. Simple idea and it worked very well for a number of years until the plastic lost its seal to the pipe.
The use of hot water for the screen good - all year round (it also worked well for bugs during the summer).
Add to the fluid a drop of meths as mentioned by Luxo and it was a very good system. One drawback was the intake of fumes through the heater inlet. Rather eye watering at times.

I'd likely buy another if I could find one.
Regards.

Have I missed something here? Why not just buy washer fluid that doesn't freeze? Cheap as chips in the shops over here (France).

scimagain wrote:Add to the fluid a drop of meths as mentioned by Luxo and it was a very good system. One drawback was the intake of fumes through the heater inlet. Rather eye watering at times.

Shorry - I jush don' see the prblm with that? hic!

Mikey77 wrote:Have I missed something here? Why not just buy washer fluid that doesn't freeze? Cheap as chips in the shops over here (France).

I used a decent concentration of proprietary so-called anti-freeze washer fluid last winter, and it didn't work once it was below about -5 or so, sometimes less. Meths sorted it for good though, and it didn't need much.

On my Mk2 golf GTi the washer jets were heated via electrics. Its a few years ago that I had that car but I seem to remember the heated jets combined with undiluted screenwash made for a very good combination. Slighty off the original topic but may be worth considering?