Grrrrrrrr...

[BigAl]

About 35 years ago I did a modification to our Austin 1300. It had a plunger on the dashboard to operate the screen washers, and the bonnet jets always froze up in winter. So I got a few feet of plastic tubing, wound it round the top radiator hose, wrapped it in insulation and connected it into the washer feed. Bingo, heated washers that didn’t freeze up.

So why is it that a £35k car today has washers that freeze up at -3 degrees as they did today. Even with plenty of additive in the water? And with then recessed below the bonnet? I know some cars have heated jets to overcome this, but why not utilise the waste heat from the engine in some way. Am I missing something obvious here (and should I patent it...)?

Alan

[rmvf]

i guess its car makers taking the eye off day to day living with vehicles, i think heated jets & heated front screen should be fitted to all uk cars. Think this could improve safety and help the environment how many millions run their vehicles on the drive whilst de-icing even if it was just one week out of 52.

i tend to go 50/50 on screen wash when we hit minus temps, like your idea Al, try dragons den, lol   

[HighlanderUK]

yes i had heated jets and windscreen on my last 4 Focus's, pity Mazda still wasn't part owned by Ford (or license their tech) and still get their heated windscreens, my new CX-5 is very fogged in the cold mornings......not what i'm used to.