Hi chaps,

Last winter I used winter Washer Fluid, rated to -20 degrees. It froze a bit overnight in my VW caddy and the sensor needed to be reset for the washers to work again.

I used the VW -70 degree stuff and it kept the washers working all through winter.

It’s bloody expensive though. Is there an alternative that doesn’t freeze or knock out the sensor?

Cheers

Ricks

Add a little methylated spirit to your choice of screen wash. The alcohol in it wont freeze. You dont need a lot though.

Europarts are selling a super wash additive to prevent freezing.

Where doth you live ?

Are you diluting the -20stuff or something ?

Just be mindful of what’s in the fluid, we changed 6 washer pumps on one car (one every week ish) all down to some cheap super market screen wash that rotted the seals in pumps.

Sounds like they were making their own chris.

Im cheap- i use aldi or asda special screen wash , ive neither had it freeze nor wreck my washer pump.

My mother on the other hand would use diluted fairy and would trash a screenwash pump a year.

Cheers, live in rural Scotland, so it does get cold up here 🙂

Not diluting it. Just reckon it was only effective down to about -12.

The additive sounds good. Whats a decent brand for Washer Fluid? The rain-x stuff can’t be used, as it bonds to the sensor and trips it out.

I bought a massive job lot of Turtle Wax Fire Water on eBay four years ago, about 50l of the stuff. It’s been great, it does -10/20 at about 20% dilution, and -5/10 at 5%. I only used it in winter, and finally ran out last winter. I can’t find it now. 🙁

My old employer bought Worth stuff and some Swiss brand when a minibus returned from the ski chalet in the Alps – again, bought in massive tubs and much cheaper than UK.

I’m off to look at ebay.de…..

Use Halfrauds fluo green stuff, used in six new cars since 2000ish. Without problems, heard some horror stories mind.

The problem is, VW scolded me twice for not using their branded -70 degree stuff, as the washer fluid in the caddy is very low to the ground, so it freezes very quickly.

Whatever is on offer just dilute as appropriate never had a single issue even when it’s hit -15c..

Ran it in my Golf R for four years 😉

Have a look here ➡
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/proper-winter-formula-screenwash

I generally get my screen wash from the local auto parts shop however have noticed the local garage have high concentrate stuff for a decent price.

I would be looking at trying to insulate the washer tank.

The problem still is that it seems to be a VW Caddy specific issue. I was in the VW garage waiting for them to reset my sensor and another 3 Caddy drivers came in with the same problem.

I was using the high concentrate stuff from Halfords when the problem last happened.

Is your in the same stupid place as the Polo i.e. down by the nearside wheel arch and away from the engine?

Insulating the tank just means that as it all gets cold it will take longer to heat up 😉

Halfords green stuff is nasty, streaks like nothing on earth, cheapo Asda fluid is much better.

It’s down by the floor, as close to concrete as you could possibly get. And when it reaches a certain temperature, the sensor kicks in and disables the washer motors!

I was pretty bemused at being scolded for using the wrong Fluid the first time, as I’d just picked up the van from the VW forecourt the day before, and they filled it.

Is your in the same stupid place as the Polo i.e. down by the nearside wheel arch and away from the engine?

Touran is the same.
Why would you not have the reservoir high up in a warm, ‘sheltered’ place in the engine bay! Twice our Touran bottle froze, even with neat ‘winter’ Halfords stuff in, once shattering and once popping pump out as it expanded. That is when I went searching for better stuff.

Can you not get some type of 12v tank heater run off an external temperature sensor? Maybe I’ve just found something for Dragons den…

Nice to see they are still using that ridiculous design. I had fun and games a few years ago replacing the water bottle. Stupid bloody, grumble, grumble……………. Replacing the thermostat in my Octavia VRS still trumps it for bonkers design [/offtopic]

Comma xstream FTW.

Halfords green stuff is nasty, streaks like nothing on earth, cheapo Asda fluid is much better.
Explains a lot. Been using Halfords wash for years but there always seems to be a “film” on the screen, time for a change.
Cheers…

Comma xstream FTW.

Hooooooow much?

I picked up 2 x 5 litres of Asda screen wash for £5. I use it neat since having the tank freeze a couple of winters back meaning I couldn’t work till it thawed.

That’s on the Fiesta. Same silly set up, in front of the near side front wheel right behind the bumper. My Mates Transits simular and his froze a few years ago as well.

Bring back the simple tanks on the inner wing that only held a litre or so of fluid, at least those didn’t freeze or if they did, it melting with the heat of the engine.

Comma xstream FTW.

Hooooooow much?

It’s very very dilutable… -65C if neat.

[predictableresponse] It’s a VW don’t bother with antifreeze just divert the exhaust onto the windscreen in the morning and the emissions will immediately melt everything they touch [\predictableresponse]

I’ve had problems before with cheapo fluid blocking pipes/pumps as it allows things to grow in it rendering the washers unusable.
The genuine stuff (not VW) doesn’t seem to be affected by this problem though.
It’s not cheap though although I did manage to get some from ebay which was a fair bit cheaper

Aldi stuff is something equally daft like -60.

Or you could just buy a Ford with heated screenwashers 🙂

Ah! Now there’s a point. I’ve had heated screen washers in my last few VAGs maybe that helped. 😀

Or you could just buy a Ford with heated screenwashers

I have that, it is when the tank starts freezing is the issue….
Add quick clear windscreen to the reasons to buy a Ford as well…

I never knew any of this was a ‘thing’! – I always use the cheapest stuff at the petrol station, and then not at the strength recommended as it rarely gets below -5 in this country!!

“at the strength recommended as it rarely gets below -5 in this country!!”

either very general to have two exclamation marks or your not uk based then ?

Sounds like a shit design – as above i would insulate the tank.

Laughably my landy ones still worked when the static temperature with windchill was down to -28 in another part of rural scotland …..shame it then froze to the windscreen – i hit the stalk by accident 🙁

Haha, done that as well, pulling over to scrape sheet ice off the screen was a PITA when the roads were full of snow.

On insulating- surely, unless the tank is heated, the insulation would have to be so thick to counter the cold that by the time you fit it you would be better with it in the cabin? If you make the insulation thinner then you’re just prolonging the time it takes to defrost when it does eventually freeze. Thats the way I look at it anyway. Heat the bugger or put it somewhere sensible (ie. not the inner wing)

When I lived in the frozen north we just waited until the engine warmed up before we washed the windscreen…which would itself need to warm up so that the fluid didn’t freeze/smear on contact. Or carry a coke bottle with washing up liquid solution and pepper pot holes in the cap – arm out the window and squirt!

VW do heated windscreens as well as ford, I have one in my Passat. You don’t find many with them though as it is an option.

Years ago, we used to wrap a copper wire round the exhaust then around the washer tube ( with tin foil between ) and finally into the washer bottle. Pretty low tech I know and not recommending you try it.
Just sayin different times, before everthin went “tronic & sensors”