So a bit frosty this morning.  I was most miffed that my supposed heated washer nozzles simply didn't work. Nothing came out if them at all to wash the screen leaving a very dirty and difficult to see out of windscreen - bit dangerous! 

I can only conclude they frosted up. Either that or the lines that feed them from the washer bottle had frozen. Headlight washers worked ok.

 

Bit pants really.

Having heated washer nozzles doesn’t help if you haven’t got the correct screenwash solution for the current temperatures.

only the nozzles r heated - the washer lines and washer bottle themselves are not.

hence, as already suggested above, u need ensure u have the correct screen wash solution.

Thing is, I did fill up the washer tank with winter solution just last night. So I'm assuming it must be the 'summer' solution that was still in the lines that has frozen. And as I said, the headlight washers are fine. Oh well.

My wife can always tell when I have upped the ratio as the smell wafts through the car  when I use the washers and wipers.

Edited 12 December, 20178 yr by Danny 57

The most pointless option on the car, warm nozzles are no good when the tubes that feed them aren't heated.

 

If it's really cold a strongly concentrated washer fluid won't necessarily cure the issue either.

12 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

The most pointless option on the car, warm nozzles are no good when the tubes that feed them aren't heated.

 

If it's really cold a strongly concentrated washer fluid won't necessarily cure the issue either.

 

Roy, you need to start a " Most Pointless Option on a Car "  Thread.   If you do, I'm going to put " Heated Nozzels "

 

 

Edited 13 December, 20178 yr by Auric Goldfinger

5 hours ago, silver1011 said:

The most pointless option on the car, warm nozzles are no good when the tubes that feed them aren't heated.

 

If it's really cold a strongly concentrated washer fluid won't necessarily cure the issue either.

 

one must pee on the the washer lines/tubes for the heated nozzles to work at its optimum

(p.s. any excess pee, may, if required, be used on the windscreen to help speed up the process)

Stopped topping up washer fluid about two months ago, both cars warning lights came on at the same time two weeks ago and both were filled with winter concentration.

 

Last car I had with heated washers (2000 Passat) also had trace heating on the tubes.

 

 

On 13/12/2017 at 21:42, silver1011 said:

The most pointless option on the car, warm nozzles are no good when the tubes that feed them aren't heated.

 

If it's really cold a strongly concentrated washer fluid won't necessarily cure the issue either.

 

Not all washer fluids are created equal though. Most of the crap you get in petrol stations, Tesco etc. is only good down to about -7C when used neat - no use. I've always gotten mine from Costco, the stuff they sell works down to minus 20-something neat, and will do -12C at a reasonable mix ratio, more than enough for 99% of icy days in most of the UK.

I'm running VAG genuine screenwash - neat...

 

I use the Euro Car parts -30'c stuff or the Lidl -20'c stuff for years....

 

Though avoid the cheap supermarket or rain x stuff as they can congeal on the level prongs and provide false low level alerts..

On 13/12/2017 at 20:54, Auric Goldfinger said:

Lol very true.

Maybe skoda will develop a heated washer fluid container too.

On 13/12/2017 at 20:54, Auric Goldfinger said:

 

 

 

I use Prestone from Screwfix in only works to minus 10 but works great

On 13.12.2017 at 22:54, Auric Goldfinger said:

 

Roy, you need to start a " Most Pointless Option on a Car "  Thread.   If you do, I'm going to put " Heated Nozzels "

 

 

 

Actually, I do not remember all the physics, but when spraying under high pressure there will be separation of alcohol and water right on nozzle and the water mist freezes. That`s why you need only nozzles heated.

And I may assure, the nozzle heating has point and works just fine.

 

Try to turn the mirror`s knob one click and then back to mirror heating position. Usually all the heating works together and it might bring back the nozzle heating.

Edited 16 December, 20178 yr by linni
typo

In my manual it says that nozzel heating is active from 10°C.

 

Does this mean that it independent of other heating systems - Windscreen, door mirrors etc ?

Seems to be independent.

Try to find some cold morning when car is covered with frost (not snow). Couple of minutes after starting the car you can see melted areas around the nozzles appr 1 cm wide. So you can determine whether they are intact or not.

 

Most screenwash contains ethanol as the additive to lower freezing point of water, this can evaporate with high under-bonnet temps leaving the water to freeze

 

http://blog.consumerguide.com/windshield-washer-fluid-froze/

Edited 20 December, 20178 yr by Q102

I'm also using the Prestone stuff (Costco rather than Screwfix) at 50/50 and I had exactly the same experience as TGR, i.e the headlamp washers worked but the windscreen washers didn't.  This was after 20 miles driving to get to work on that frosty morning.  I can only conclude that the heated bit of the washer nozzles isn't actually the heated version, isn't being switched on or doesn't work (faulty).  As its both that didn't work, I don't think faulty.

 

I dropped into a dealer who told me that 'there's no fault code'. 

 

Duh!