Windscreen wash fluid

Scooby22 · Mar 2, 2018

How many of us have found our windscreen washer fluid frozen in the last few days, I also have a volvo xc90 and use the volvo forum and this topic was discussed on there.
One guy posted his fluid had frozen solid and when he checked the supermarket bought fluid bottle it was useless below 0°c, I was in Asda yesterday and checked their washer fluid and it said effective antifreeze to minus 5°c when undiluted, so will probably freeze at 0°c in normal 50/50 mix.
Look for a good washer fluid that will not freeze so easily, Boyes stores in my area have a washer fluid thats good to minus 20°c and only £3 for 5ltrs. Polygard arctic. Other people said they add methylated spirit to there washer fluid.

RogueTrooper · Mar 2, 2018

Hello mate, in your neck of the woods as well, temps and snow been crazy here. Using the Halfords pink screen wash, (supposedly) effective up to -10 degrees C. It was still working in the 90 day before yesterday. Not had to try it since as snow was keeping windscreen wet enough to clear with wipers the rest of the time. Considering putting thermal blanket or foil jacket over the engine and reservoirs once parked up; have been spraying WD40 on nozzles as well. Been hard to get doors open as well, frozen shut as snow melts and runs down the side (and yes, drips down my right welly inside!), sprayed the locks each day as well. Worth covering the nozzles on parking up as well maybe.
Going to be a few problems when this lot melts I think.
Hats off to the older yellow LWB Defender with the snow plough attached that flashed me on its way to Durham on Wednesday! Nifty piece of kit - didn't see any Council markings so presuming it was private. Never seen such cheery waves from other older Land Rovers as over the last week!

Scooby22 · Mar 2, 2018

My bonnet and bottom of screen are currently under a foot of snow, I will have to make an effort and clear it off and start her up, I have taken the soft option the last few days and used my XC90 which I can start up remotely from the house using my mobile app, lovely warm seats and heated steering wheel, front and rear screen already free of ice and snow and engine warmed up nicely ready to jump in and drive away, it has heated windscreen washers as well so no problems with washing the screen, Local roads are very bad but main roads all clear around here. I have sprayed silicon lubrication spray on my door rubbers on both the XC90 and Defender and it helps stop the freezing up, the Volvo rear passanger doors are terrible for freezing up, even worse than the Defender.

Disco1BFG · Mar 2, 2018

Another vote for the polyguard stuff. IIRC, you can dilute it 9:1 in the summer, and use it stronger in the winter... we buy it from the local HGV spares place...

Since we switched a few years ago, it's one problem we don't have any more

Scooby22 · Mar 2, 2018

A mate of mine extended his washer tubes and ran them to the radiator hose and coiled them round the hose before going to the spray nozzles to warm the fluid.

Grem · Mar 2, 2018

Scooby22 said:
A mate of mine extended his washer tubes and ran them to the radiator hose and coiled them round the hose before going to the spray nozzles to warm the fluid.

Should have wrapped it round the exhaust will warm up quicker

mick the builder · Mar 2, 2018

Sling a bucket of warm water over everything before I get in. sorted. By the time I need washer fluid, engine bay has warmed up enough to defrost water.

discool · Mar 2, 2018

Scooby22 said:
How many of us have found our windscreen washer fluid frozen in the last few days
Look for a good washer fluid that will not freeze so easily, Boyes stores in my area have a washer fluid thats good to minus 20°c and only £3 for 5ltrs. Polygard arctic. Other people said they add methylated spirit to there washer fluid.
View attachment 143543

Unfortunately 5ltrs is four times dearer on eBay

Scooby22 · Mar 2, 2018

Grem said:
Should have wrapped it round the exhaust will warm up quicker

Ok if tubing was copper and you want to boil off your fluid, lol. Hey theres and idea, a defender teasmaid tea or coffee maker. Can I patent it.

Scooby22 · Mar 2, 2018

discool said:
Unfortunately 5ltrs is four times dearer on eBay

Yes, the likes of Boyes stores and Home Bargain stores tend to get these bargains in and sell them really cheaply, unfortunately its sometimes hit and miss if they get the products back in when stocks are sold out, so best to stock up while they have them in. I have a load of waterless cleaning kits I bought from Home Bargains that were £5 in store but ~ £23 elsewhere. (For my volvo not the Defender)

Oldseadog · Mar 2, 2018

Us old gimmers used to use clear vinegar for de-icing ... and still do!
Squirt it on with a squirty bottle, which helps it into frozen locks as well!
It works in the washer bottle too ... one part vinegar to two parts water.

Dippypud · Mar 2, 2018

Oldseadog said:
Us old gimmers used to use clear vinegar for de-icing ... and still do!
Squirt it on with a squirty bottle, which helps it into frozen locks as well!
It works in the washer bottle too ... one part vinegar to two parts water.

Also one part water, two parts rubbing alcohol ....

lynall · Mar 2, 2018

Halfords purple screenwash works well, none of my cars has frozen so far.
4.50 for 5 litres, I normally mix it 50/50 for general use and neat for winter, but its still running on the 50/50 mix.

flat · Mar 2, 2018

lynall said:
Halfords purple screenwash works well, none of my cars has frozen so far.
4.50 for 5 litres, I normally mix it 50/50 for general use and neat for winter, but its still running on the 50/50 mix.

That’s what I use, smells of berries to

Colthebrummie · Mar 2, 2018

I have collected a few litres of methanol which is a by-product of my hooch making. I've added a litre to the washer bottle and so far it has worked. I don't want to breathing in the fumes though.

Col

mikescuba · Mar 2, 2018

I use a Pink fluid from Norauto here in France which is a subsidiary of Halfords You can buy for down to -20 or -30c I always buy the -30c. Seems to work.

Wimblowdriver · Mar 2, 2018

Colthebrummie said:
I have collected a few litres of methanol which is a by-product of my hooch making

There is speculation that is what caused the shop / flat explosion in Leicester earlier this week.

headintheclouds · Mar 2, 2018

Colthebrummie said:
I have collected a few litres of methanol which is a by-product of my hooch making. I've added a litre to the washer bottle and so far it has worked. I don't want to breathing in the fumes though.

Col

I think methanol is good for keeping the washer bottle from freezing but it evaporates from the nozzles and they freeze up.
I used several different types of cheap screenwash in the past few years and had a few that became gloopy in the summer so I had to take the whole system apart and clean it.
I now stick to Halfords and seem ok so far.

Colthebrummie · Mar 3, 2018

Wimblowdriver said:
There is speculation that is what caused the shop / flat explosion in Leicester earlier this week.

That can happen with a home made still. The first part of the distillation process creates methanol and then ethanol which is the bit that you drink, both are highly flammable.

Col

TheQ · Mar 3, 2018

I lived on an estate where there was the concrete base of a house, the house disappeared when the resident when out for food but left the still running...

The house was in Dahran, Saudi Arabia.

Windscreen wash fluid

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