Does anyone know when the heated windscreen washer nozzles heat up?

(They were a specced option - so should be on the car.....)

 

Barely mentioned in the manual - one line just says that they "can be heated automatically after starting the engine. "

 

I tried them in frosty conditions last night - and the water felt - cold. Very cold.

I had the engine running, and also turned on the heated rear window, just to be sure.

 

Didn't pay attention or check them last winter - though I suspected there wasn't much happening then either.

 

Will the water spray be noticeably warm? ( !! seems obvious that it would be quite noticeable on a frosty night !)

 

Also - in normal use (apart from the heat question) I find there's a delay of nearly 2 seconds before the spray gets going properly on the front washers - the rear washer jet sprays water almost instantly.

Asked garage about that - and they said it was a pressurised system (!) but couldn't explain why the back of the car got water before the front of the car!  I didn't have the heart to ask them how windscreen washers would operate without pressure!  At that stage, it was plain that basic hydraulics weren't a part of the knowledge set.

 

I was wondering if the "heated" part on the nozzle was causing a delay in the water flow.

 

Looked on the Octavia 3 and Superb 3 part of forum and don't see anyone complaining about this.

Edited 21 November, 20169 yr by Dithane

I've had heated jets on a number of cars and never seen them get the water warm. They do stop the nozzles freezing though. In particularly frosty conditions I've seen a bit of vapour around them. On the one car that I know the circuit they are on whenever ignition is on, but that's not a Skoda.

As stated above, the heater will keep only keep the nozzles from freezing. You're not the only one with the lag on the windscreen, I noticed it right away after I got my Fabia, I also have to hold the knob for quite a long time to get reasonable amount of water on it. (2sec lag + 1-2sec for enough water). Don't know if it's like that for everyone or there is a fault in my car.

 

As for the turning on the heated nozzles - I have no idea when they start heating up. I've wondered about this myself too, because i speced my car with them.

Same on my car a delay before water issues from the jets and then it is a very fine spray but with good quality screen wash does the job 

I've had heated jets on a number of cars and never seen them get the water warm. They do stop the nozzles freezing though. In particularly frosty conditions I've seen a bit of vapour around them. On the one car that I know the circuit they are on whenever ignition is on, but that's not a Skoda.

 

Mmm .. yep - OK, that would make sense - that it's just to keep the nozzles from freezing. Warming the water as well would be a bigger ask! 

 

Anyway - a little relieved to hear others have the delay as well. 

Wondered if all Fabias have it - i.e. those without the heated nozzles ?

 

Same on my car a delay before water issues from the jets and then it is a very fine spray but with good quality screen wash does the job 

 

Does your car have heated wash nozzles fitted ?

And yes - the screen wash does a really good job.

I believe they are called fan jets which give a finer spray than my old Skoda which may explain why it needs extra pressure and yes I get that slight hesitation before the water sprays out. The rear wash appears to be just an unpressurised water stream which does not have the delay the front has. Joe

I believe they are called fan jets which give a finer spray than my old Skoda which may explain why it needs extra pressure and yes I get that slight hesitation before the water sprays out. The rear wash appears to be just an unpressurised water stream which does not have the delay the front has. Joe

 

Thanks Joe -- that's interesting about fan jets - so they build a head of pressure internally before they jet. And the back one is a regular nozzle with no back-pressure. Good to know that it's just meant to be like that!

Mmm .. yep - OK, that would make sense - that it's just to keep the nozzles from freezing. Warming the water as well would be a bigger ask! 

 

Anyway - a little relieved to hear others have the delay as well. 

Wondered if all Fabias have it - i.e. those without the heated nozzles ?

 

 

Does your car have heated wash nozzles fitted ?

And yes - the screen wash does a really good job.

No I Don't have the heated nozzles  But looks like they all have the delay. It adds a little excitement when a lorry on the motorway sprays you with filthy water lol  

I thought that car makers fitted a non return valve to the pipes so that the pipes remain full of washer fluid, so when the pump is switched on you get near enough immediate delivery of washer fluid.  I have not noticed this on wife's new Polo - yet!