Hi,

driving in this morning I used washers, and fluid instantly froze to the windscreen.

I expected fluid to be heated to prevent freezing, so this was a surprise, and it took more fluid and lots of wiping to get rid of.

I'm hoping the screen was just SO cold that it froze anyway, but I really hope the fluid is heated.

My model is a 2004 Elegance.

(mix-wise, I topped it up before the journey, with 25% screen wash and 75% water so I would hope that mix would be enough to prevent freezing so easily anyway).

Thanks,

Ben

Not sure about the octavia but I know you can only get heated washer jets in europe for the Fabia.

I dont think heated jets are available on UK spec Octavia MKI

Oh dear, that is a shame. They worked a treat on my Audi A3.

I belive the mixture for most screen wash for winter is usually 50/50 with water

However, if they were available on Euro spec'd cars, is there any reason why they couldnt' be retro-fitted ??

I guess it's either a low-power heater element in the tank, or that the pipes for the washer jets are run past a warm part of the engine?

Or is it the nozzles themselves that get heated? Makes sense for it to be nozzles.

I just read that some cars have their heated jets turned on with the wing mirror heaters or rear window heater, and that makes sense too.

Not sure I am worried enough to retro-fit, as I don't live far North enough to warrant the hassle.

On Range Rovers, the nozzle itself is heated.

Heating the tank would have little effect as the water up at the nozzles would still freeze.

my ocky elegance dosent seem to have heated washer jets, but having said that the water in the tank its self hasent yet frozen

In my previous car, with heated nozzle jets, it didn't make much difference. My most extreme example was on the A702 to Edinburgh (if some know it) as I ended up looking through an area the size of a postage stamp :eek:. Found the fluid had frozen in the pipes on the way to the nozzle!

Don't really know if there's a solution to that, apart from heating the whole system, from bottle along the pipes to the nozzles? Or perhaps using a higher than 50/50 dilution of washer fluid? (was using this concentration @ the time)

Steve

I'd hope that general under-bonnet heat would prevent fluid in the pipes from seizing up, and expect that it's normally frozen nozzles that blocks up the system.

In my case I don't think that would have helped anyway - liquid hit the screen and froze like clear snot, bubbles and all. I had just slowed from motorway speeds so outer glass on the screen must have been pretty cold.

Next time I'll wait for a bit more dirt and crap on the screen before washing!

I always keep the washer mix to 33% in summer (to get rid of road tar/grease splatted bugs) and 50% in winter to prevent freezing.

I wonder if those little blue ****** lights that paxo drivers are fond off fitting to their washer jets would help in heating the nozzles..perhaps uprating the bulb to a higher wattage ?

Reminds me of th time in my mates car driving home from Stranraer one winter and he had used about 1/4 litre of screen wash to 5l of water and wondered why his window was frozen over..I had to sacrifice my flask of tea to enable us to see enough of the road to make it back to the services at Carlisle....quite a strange experience having jets of hot ''tea, milk and two sugars" spraying onto the window every few miles..

Anyone know if any of the UK mk1 Octavia have heated washer jets....L&K?

Part of the problem in cold weather is water freezing in the pipe from th ewasher bottle...it's quite well shielded from the engine bay....sat in traffic it'll eventually warm up.

I was thinking perhaps getting some pipe insulation and heat washer jets...if they are available.