Heat Shot, the after-market heated windscreen washer system

[Gary Stockton]

The screen wash freezes in the pipe and the spray nozzles unless you run heavy alcohol content which doesn't clean the windscreen very well due to evaporation and freezing. The water bottle isn't close enough to the engine to get warmed up - at least on the 120 - it's miles away in the front wheel arch.

 

[Roger Fairclough]

Doesn't the screen wash get warmed up from just being in the engine bay? Unless you live in the arctic circle surely this is the most pointless modification ever fitted?

Not so you would notice.

Even with anti-freeze in the washer bottle, extremely cold days can instantly freeze the fluid when it hits the screen. Heating the water prevents this.


Roger

 

[Neil Stone]

Quite often have frozen nozzles
Even had neat screenwash freeze on contact with the screen.

 

[Neil Stone]

In fact even had neat de-icer freeze on contact with the screen.

 

[sae70]

I use this Comma Xstream -26C screenwash from Halfords when the weather turns and have no complaints

It's about a tenner for 5Ltrs and if there's any left in the washer bottle at the end of the season, I empty it back into the bottle and store it ready for the next winter

No heated water, no heated washer jets and no problems, just squirt and wash

I use De-Icer to clear early morning screen ice or get up earlier and start the engine up

 

[TonyP]

In fairness Steven it probably does not get as cold south of the Watford Gap In anticipation of mega cold last Xmas I bought 2 x 5L of similar super duper never freeze screen wash and I still have 1.5 bottles left

 

[sae70]

True, very true

Essex has the longest coast line, least rainfall and warmest weather compared to any other UK county

I do wonder why I spend two weeks at the beginning of the holiday season in Devon and Cornwall as the weathers always better back in Essex

In fact this year we came home two days early to get some sun and dry out

We had snow for just over a week last winter and only one bad day and evening, when it was a struggle to get about Unless you owned a Land Cruiser of course

 

[AndyCook]

ive seen -28 up here before.... and it got to -18 a couple years ago brrrrr

 

[Gary Stockton]

Not much helps this:





Fun though!!

 

[Neil Stone]

I use this Comma Xstream -26C screenwash from Halfords when the weather turns and have no complaints

Just out of interest, you've had no complaints at what temperatures?
I'd go for some of that if it works. The stuff I was using was supposed to be minus 15 (diluted as instructed) but it was awful and even neat didn't do that temperature.

 

[clivehorridge]

Thanks Gra, and it works...

Here it's regularly -20 to -25 C (and I've known it down to -35 C) in the winter. Main problem I have is the rear washer pipe which always freezes even with -30 C windscreen washer liquid.

There are too many freeze points to cure. First the bottle (where the pumps are) then the routing of the tubes (across a big bonnet dissipating heat or the whole length of the car to the rears) then the jets themselves.

You'd have to have a very elaborate system to cover them all.

The warm water approach is the best, from my experience. Good washer liquid doesn't freeze in the bottle, even at -30 C but it does freeze in the tubes and jets.

Running the car for 5 minutes first is essential if it's very cold, I can't stand all that scratching people do first thing in the morning, many of them haven't even started their engine!!

 

[Roger Fairclough]

Maybe the ultimate system would go along these lines.

Firstly the bottle needs to be heated. You could either fit an electrical element, or, my preference, a copper pipe coil using water from the heating system. The pipework/hoses from bottle to jets needs to be drainable (new word) after each days run. The jets need to be heated, just like a Ford Fiesta.

First thing in the morning you start the car. You lock the doors and that sets the alarm/immobiliser. You finish breakfast and return to car. Hot water in bottle. No frozen water in pipes. Jets clean and clear.

Bingo.

Roger

 

[adrianr]

Ebespacher plumbed into hot water system and small circulating pump. no need to start engine then just leave ebespacher do do the preheat?

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Ebespacher plumbed into hot water system and small circulating pump. no need to start engine then just leave ebespacher do do the preheat?

Where do you get those from then?

 

[Roger Fairclough]

Type "Ebespacher" into your search engine.

Roger

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Thanks Roger, I must remember to be so helpful in future, doesn't actually answer the question.

 

[adrianr]

Hi Jon

There are normally quite a few on ebay out of vans used to provide hot water for washing.

Also i think range rovers have the engine heater variants to preheat the engines in the morning. get one off a knackered range rover - there will be a few floating about by now!! Perhaps Webasto thermo top?

You caravan probably has the hot air version for heating?

Would be a neat solution i think thought could be pricey.

a few ideas here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_n...t=0&_odkw=engine+pre+heat&_osacat=0&_from=R40

 

[Roger Fairclough]

Thanks Roger, I must remember to be so helpful in future, doesn't actually answer the question.

Jon

You asked where you can get Ebespacher heaters from. I typed the name into google and I got onto their web site. Amongst the list of various subjects was their dealer network.

The very thing I assumed you wanted.

I wasn't being flippant. I was just giving you information and I don't think that warranted your sarcastic response.

roger

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Sorry Roger, I took your reply as being flippant, my apologies.

My question was intended to generate discussion about Ebespacher heaters and more specific knowledge than putting the name into a search engine, which I had already done btw and looked at their web site but the results are not helpful, with all the companies I followed links to not even mentioning Ebespacher although that wasn't an exhaustive sample.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

You caravan probably has the hot air version for heating?

Thanks Adrian. Our caravan just has a gas fire, it's too small to need blown air heating but previous ones just had a fan in a housing on the back of the gas fire for blowing hot air down pipes around the van. Be interesting to see if anyone posts about having fitted something like this to a cruiser.