[Closed] Proper Winter Formula Screenwash

the premixed stuff is only to -5 isnt it.

the concentrate can be put in neat and i think is down to -15.

the concentrate can be put in neat and i think is down to -15.

Doesn't the concentrate take your paint off as it flies past your A pillar though?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_274583_langId_-1_categoryId_229902

-65* any good for you? The standard Halfords concentrate is good for around -8* without diluting iirc, and the double concentrate for around -20.

the concentrate can be put in neat and i think is down to -15.

Seem to remember I tried concentrate last year and it still froze solid at around minus ten.

Look in a proper wee motor factors. Around a £10 for 5 ltr of stuff that will go to -65c neat, or in more typical winter conditions will dilute to make about 100 ltrs. Most of the stuff in halford/b&q and supermarkets is overprice/over diluted garbage by comparison

I'm using it neat at the moment and -15c one squirt of the washers and one pass of the wipers completely de-ices/ de-snows the screen.

If you're putting good stuff in run your washer tank empty first, it doesn't take much water/duff screen wash to reduce the effectiveness of the good stuff

Ooh that Halfords stuff looks like the business. Cheers.

Just need to get to a Halfords now... 😕

Just need to get to a Halfords now...

you most likely won't find they have any when you get there, and only small ones if they do. Its the first place everyone heads for. Same stuff in bigger bottles for a better price in a proper shop.

I've got some that is meant to be fine down to -15. The bottle never freezes but the solution left in the washer pipes still does. It doesn't freeze when it hits a very cold Windscreen though

Point taken. I'll try to find a [i]proper[/i] shop.

Lidl does really good cheap stuff good to -60

Could you use cheap alcohol such as Lidl vodka as screen wash and in what concentration?

vodca freezes (well, semi, turns into jelly) at about -18, IIRC anything above 40% wont freeze under any conditions you're likely to recreate.

halfords double concentrate, -23 protection, I syphoned off my old stuff to make sure there was nothing in there and then filled up, no sign of frozen jets yet and we have been down to minus 14

Someone told me you can use neat meths and it cleans your windscreen lovely and wont freeze till about minus eighty. Im using some to boost shite stuff I used last week, seems ok but id rather use that comma stuff, its the dogs.

I got 5 littres of holts screen wash from costco which is apparently good for -36 neat for about £4.50. mixed in about a littre of water as the bottle on my car takes 6 littres in total. Its been around -8 for the last few days, and -11 at worst, and its not frozen.....yet

I would be interested in your home brew recipes though! 🙂

I syphoned off my old stuff to make sure there was nothing in there and then filled up, no sign of frozen jets yet and we have been down to minus 14

You syphoned it all out, when you have a motorised pump that will do it for you?

STW reaches new depths of anal retentiveness shocker.

Strange - I went through the same dilema recently and went back to the ingredients. All screenwash seems to be ethanol / methanol / ipa based. In pure form it works to -113 celcius! At 50% diluted with water about -50. 30% about -20. 10% -6.

So being a tight ass I had a litre of ipa (cleaning disks etc) and even 200ml in a 2.5L tank of cheapo tesco concentrated stuff works down to at least -20 over the last weeks. You may notice that I started another thread about ice forming on the inside of cars but screenwash wont help **** all in those circumstancs.

As a stop gap methalyated spirits will do the same job but it's pink. So guys wont buy / use it. But my car's handbook says to use it in extreme cases.

In a pinch vodka, gin (40% proof wont freeze till about -30ish). All of the above will probably attract the "my seals will rot" brigade, but the ingredients of screenwash are pretty much the same thing - just diluted with some glycol added.

I stand ready to be shot down in stw flames and am about to die etc!

Edit - dont fill the tank up when the engine is hot / running. All alcohol is very flamable.

So being a tight ass I had a litre of ipa (cleaning disks etc)

Right IPA... I have a few pints of that in the fridge..
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but what can you do if yours is frozen now? do i have to wait till the thaw? is ther nowt i can put in to help melt it?

Graham - I dunno what I'm going to clean my brakes with come spring but I aint wasting proper beer!

btw - I'm putting my scientific / googletific hat on here :

100% alcohol ( ethanol / methanol)freezes at approx -113 celcius.
40% -23
30% -15
20% -10
10% -4.

I thawed mine with the gentle application of heat, using a blowtorch.

@drinkmoreport - 2 choices.

1- look like the local wino and pour neat alcohol on your car's bonnet
2- run the engine when stationary for a while (20 mins?). The heat travels upwards and defrosts the hoses and jets I guess. Then empty the tank of whatever halfords crap you have in there and put in proper diy flamability!!!!

are you for real mate? on the outside? 😯

just keep the torch moving 🙂

couldashouldawoulda - I've been driving for about 6hrs today and my hoses (with pre-mixed screenwash) defrosted for about an hour max.

mine was solid where the pipe went behind the bumper, dont ask why it goes there when theres a perfectly good, warm engine bay it could have gone through.
Blowtorch did it in no time flat, do keep it moving tho.
If you trace the pipe, you can feel where its frozen by squeezing.

i don,t have a blow torch, is ther nothing else? no hairdryer either.

I've defrosted my lines before by just reaching inside the bonnet lining and giving them both a good wiggle to break up the ice enough to let the fluid flow.

My Focus is "supposed" to heat the screenwash when you put on the heated windscreen, but I've not seen any evidence of it working.

are you for real mate? on the outside?

If youz talking to me then yeah! Unfortunate like - but I've gotta drive in all sorts -20 yesterday and another job tomorrow that makes Altnaharra look like the Sahara!

****ing advertising / news world goes mad for snow / ice, personal trauma etc.

Edit - it's really really crap. But some simple tips from locals / truckers / drivers help me and others. I thought I'd share 🙂