frozen washers!!

[doylenj]

Hi, I have a C180 auto and since the bad weather my washers are frozen. I have tried pouring luke warm water over the jets but this doesn't work. With the bad weather I clear my screen but have to pull over as soon as the dirt from the road gets on it as the jets don't work. Are the washer pipes known to freeze? Thanks Nick

 

[wemorgan]

Have you tried increasing the concentration of the washer fluid?

Most pre-mixed fluids from Halfords and supermarkets are only good to -4C, so I suggest you buy the concentrated fluids, which if undiluted can go to -20C (some even lower)

 

[NW_Merc]

Buy it from BMW, much better than the MB stuff.

 

[bluevenetian]

My washer fluid box under the bonnet has been frozen, not solid, but enough to block teh pipes -- I had to chip the coolant with a penkinfe ---

 

[flango]

Just add 50ml of Mineralised Methylated spirits to each litre of screenwash will protect down to well below - 20 and no problems with glass, paint or rubbers as it's used in the commercial glass cleaning industry.

 

[JOB-BLACK-RAT]

Buy it from BMW, much better than the MB stuff.

BMW!!!

Shame on you, and you've kissed your mother with those lips!

 

[Charles Morgan]

I bought some German washer fluid in an autobahn service station, and wondered why it was so expensive (about 15 euros for 5 litres). Filling up the washer bottle the next time I found out why - it was guaranteed down to -70c! It was like having a blue Curacao based cocktail squirted across the windscreen - thick, blue and very alcoholic.

 

[sean3513]

i have modified the jets on my subaru ( still to do on the merc)

i have the outlet pipe from the washer bottle going via a length of 4mm alluminium tube cable tied to the top hose......works a treat and cleans the windscreen with hot water.

i am currently working on a heater that fits inside the washer bottle.........it will look so much nicer under the bonnet of a merc....lol.

i will post results in the next few weeks

 

[Cabe]

RoadPro | C1207 | 12V Beverage Heater

A possibility? I wonder how hot it can get the tea/coffee/etc it was supposed to go in.

 

[flango]

The Volvo has a spiral coil that runs of the water circuit (top hose) just get one of these plastic weld it into the MB water bottle make the connection into the top hose (t peice or similar) Saab do a heater element that fits in theirs which might be an easier mod

 

[Tiff]

This is the Saab on as fitted to my 190D ..

Works great, but won't help with the bottle freezing.

Last years thread.
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/78609-heated-screenwash.html

 

[crankiejohn]

moss used to sell a heater kit it was a heat exchanger you connected to the heater pipes and rerouted the washer pipes through it.i put one on my mini it worked fine

 

[mbzclk]

The washer bottle in my CLK is heated as are the jets....

Had no problems at all this winter. Are all mercs not heated jets and bottle?

I do not use readymix however.

 

[rf065]

The washer bottle in my CLK is heated as are the jets....

Had no problems at all this winter. Are all mercs not heated jets and bottle?

I do not use readymix however.

Mine too, I've had previous cars where just the washer jets are heated, but if the whole bottle freezes you still have no water to clear the screen. Heating the water bottle in the CLK means they have not frozen once this winter.

Russ

 

[kwakdonut]

Lidl were selling 5L bottles of screenwash just before Christmas - good down to -60C apparently!! Certainly not bad at that price