Any advice please??

[Susieque]

Appreciate this isn't a bike topic but I could do with any help/advice.

I'm leaving Telford at 8am tomorrow to drive to Bedfordshire - motorway virtually all the way.

What I need to know is if anyone has any tips for defrosting the car's windscreen cleaning system? The weather reports say it's gonna be -18 here tonight ( ) & I haven't got a lot of time to fanny about in the morning!

I'm hoping to defrost the car today & cover up as much as possible overnight, but it seems virtually impossible to defrost screen washers - especially the pipes!

[Guest]

Got a feeling screen wash will freeze at about -7?

The screenwash in the engine bay should be ok, I imagine the nozzles will freeze though.

You could try leaving needles in the nozzles overnight, so when you pull em out in the morning there will more chance of the noxxles being clear. Covering the nozzles should help as well. And if they need extra help, then I'd be trying de-icer and or warm water.

Once its clear, it should stay clear, depending on how exposed the nozzles are, and the outside air temperature.

Maybe carry some screenwash and some rags in the car Sue? I imagine you'll be stopping for a break?

[eastanglianbiker]

there is no real way to keep them from freezing as you drive,carry a bottle or 2 of water with you so if you need to you can pull over and pour some on the screen for the wipers to clear the dirt

[Susieque]

Thanks guys - needles is a good idea Dan. The sun is on it ATM but that won't help tomorrow morning

I've got water etc in the car, & wipes etc for headlights too. When I went to Norfolk the other week I had got to Bury St Edmunds before they'd thawed!! What a pain in the bum!!

[urbanmark]

I have never tried this but...............................

Why dont you empty the windscreen wiper wash

Dry your windscreen and put an old blanket over it.

Wrap your wipers in tin foil and put them down over the blanket.

In the morning.......put hot but not boiling water in your windscreen washer with some antifreeze.

Wear some swedish moose hair kecks

Remove the foil and blanket before driving.

[Susieque]

Damn - I'm fresh out of Swedish moose-hair gear! You reckon M & S will still have some???

[cyberwolf]

what i do is have a old 5liter bottle fill with water and a flask fill with hot water and if i need to clean the window screen just mix some hot water with cold in a small bottle turn the wipers on open sunroof and pour water on the screen lol if you dont have sunroof open your side window lol

[bullet5]

If what they say is true your in for one hell of a night. - You'll be lucky if the car starts at all in the morning. Might be suggestable to put a electric blanket around the bottle & pipe. And maybe put the battery on charge, because a battery's power is severly weakened when exposed to cold tempratures, so if it's still -10 in the morning when you come to start it, the battery may not turn the engine over enough. -- Good luck anyhows.

[mattyb]

Bit late but you can get screen wash that works better in low temperatures. I've seen stuff that supposedly won't freeze at -15.

Don't have it in mine so take a bottle of water and squeeze it out the window.

[Guest]

hiya sue. I spend lots of hours on the rd and i think urbanmark has come up with a great suggestion. Empty your bottle and refil it before you set off. Making sure you put winter screen wash in. Then just keep a good distance between you and the car in front so you dont get all there spray on your windscreen. Have a good journey and a very merry christmas x

[hammer5]

Dont forget to spray deicer on your wiper blades and the hinges. Give them a bang once sprayed onto the glass to remove any built up ice and your good to go with all the other advice.

Drive safe and remember an extra few mph will save you seconds not minutes

BB

[Susieque]

Thanks everyone for your helpful advice - will just have to wait & see what the morning brings now.

I've put a blanket under the bonnet over the bottle & nozzles & another one over the screen etc.

Reckon emptying the screenwash bottle would've been good but couldn't see how to do it when it was frozen solid

[Susieque]

Quick update!

Topped screenwash tank with hot water & screenwash and poured hot water over vicinity of pipes - they didn't work!

Took squeezy bottle of hot water/screenwash mix in the car. Going along M54 temp was -14 and loads of muck, so couldn't see a thing at junct with M6!! Scary!

So put window down & squirted stuff from bottle onto screen and it promptly froze as it hit the screen!!!!!!! Even more scary!

Did 250mile round trip & washers were still frozen when i got back!