Electrics niggles, any clues?

[mister munkey]

Warming ourselves at Inverness Travel Inn at the mo after a bit of a gruelling trudge across from Fort William. Apart from a sporadic front heater, blowing but mostly cold, (engine running to temp ok though) the front & rear screen washers have now packed up.

Although they weren't squirting for the majority of yesterday due to freezing, the pump was still doing its best but has remained silent today. Bit of a pain on the heavily gritted roads up here. Impossible to see anything but a layer of salt on the screen especially in the dark after a mile.

At the same time, the A/C & recirc. functions on the climate control have become inop. I can cope without the AirCon for a few months but would like the ability to see again!!


Coincidence or easy fix maybe?

[MountainGoat]

Looks Bad Chris. If Woody is around I would ask him if he knows a mechanic who could have a look at it for you.

What kind of windscreen washer fluid are you using, are you using the ALL SEASON stuff that contains anti freeze?

Would not care for driving without a wash/wipe working in todays road conditions, a lot of muck flying about.

Tony

[munroman]

Hi Chris, sorry to hear of your woes. Its been Bl**dy cold here!

Re the washers, it sounds as if they have finally frozen up completely, I am not sure if you can somehow get really strong washer fluid with antifreeze in it, but before adding it get a kettle of hot water and pour it in the washer bottle, leave for a couple of minutes and then try the washers, if ok then add the washer fluid. The fact it is both front and rear which have separate pumps points to freezing for me.

Re the recirc, my Bongo has manual controls but the actuator arm once stuck in the recirc position and I had to help it back to the fresh air position.

It is amazing when the temperature drops all the things which start to go wrong, I trust you have some lubricant on your rubber bits before they stick too......
(When winters were winters, an ex-colleague had de iced his car with hot water from a kettle, driven to work, and realised that all the doors and windows were frozen solid, he had to wait 90 minutes till the next shift found him and they had to use kettles to get him out.)

Halfords Inverness are here : http://www.bing.com/maps/Default.aspx?e ... &FORM=LLDP

[missfixit70]

Checked your fuses? If the pumps did get frozen & you tried them it might have done the fuse?
Worth checking the fuse for the ac too

[mister munkey]

Looks Bad Chris. If Woody is around I would ask him if he knows a mechanic who could have a look at it for you.

Left this morning Tony. Was heading to chums on The Black Isle but couldn't really safely go any further. If it ain't sorted by the morning we'll be starting our way back down to the Tropical South so will pass by yours tomorrow. make sure you have the kettle on.

Hi Chris, sorry to hear of your woes. Its been Bl**dy cold here!

Re the washers, it sounds as if they have finally frozen up completely, I am not sure if you can somehow get really strong washer fluid with antifreeze in it, but before adding it get a kettle of hot water and pour it in the washer bottle, leave for a couple of minutes and then try the washers, if ok then add the washer fluid. The fact it is both front and rear which have separate pumps points to freezing for me.

Useful to know. That helps!!

Checked your fuses? If the pumps did get frozen & you tried them it might have done the fuse?
Worth checking the fuse for the ac too

Already did the Emergency Text to BDC this afternoon, as that was my first thought, just needed to know which fuse but as it happens, the fuses for the washers are the same as the wipers, so that theory's out.

[stilldesperate]

Chris, has salt from the road solidified and blocked the washer jets? A pin can clear it if it has.

Can you pull off the pipe on the bonnet, and check that water is getting that far?

Iain

[stilldesperate]

Found this guy, any use?

E W Reid
Auto Electricians
29 Henderson Drive Inverness IV1 1TR
01463232072

[mister munkey]

Cheers again, I'll bell him in the a.m.




Did the kettle through the jets & into the front pipes this morning but made no difference.

Although it was minus 10 first thing, that may not have penetrated far enough to thaw it.

Its only -7 tonight! That may help!!

[wormey]

Can't be much help, but think along the same lines regarding blockages through freezing.

[MountainGoat]

we'll be starting our way back down to the Tropical South

Snow and rain forcast for Huddersfield Area tomorrow.

Tony


http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/today.asp

[munroman]

Cheers again, I'll bell him in the a.m.




Did the kettle through the jets & into the front pipes this morning but made no difference.

Although it was minus 10 first thing, that may not have penetrated far enough to thaw it.

Its only -7 tonight! That may help!!

Fingers crossed, could you find a handy hot air vent you could park at? It is amazing how a few degrees makes a difference, or an oil filled radiator or fan heater on an extension cable- I am sure Donald would do you a very good deal!

[mister munkey]

Good thought but they're right out of hot air in Inverness this week.

It'll be another thorough going over with a kettle in the morning, failing that - strap the kid to the bonnet with a hot water bottle attatched to a water pistol for a run down the A9.

[lpgimports]

Sounds more than likley frozen somewhere or in multiple places!

Once had to do a Penrith back to Coventry with no washers due to frozen up, and used an old de icer squirty style container and pulled off every few junctions and gave the windscreen a blast with it out of the drivers window then hung back from cars in front to avoid the spray... Not ideal but parking up on M6 in early hours was less appealing... was veryyy cold.

pulling the tubes off under the bonnet at the t and blowing through to the jets rules them out and then squirting deicer down the one back to the washer bottle might free it up, other than that the hot water in the washer bottle will help but getting it warm somewhere will be the cure.

Paul

[dandywarhol]

I'd be more worried about the heater blowing cold - that's usually an airlock MM.............

[bigdaddycain]

I'd be more worried about the heater blowing cold - that's usually an airlock MM.............

I was just about to say exactly the same thing!

Chris? Did you get the opportunity to remove the expansion cap on the header while the engine was stone cold? Any sound of expelling air at all? (as suggested to you via one of my texts?)

Chances are (as suggested somewhere above) The actual nozzles could well be well and truly frozen solid, just because the water in the washer fluid reservoir isn't frozen doesn't mean the pipes, or more likely the jets aren't frozen.

Usually when this occurs they do eventually unfreeze themselves as ambient warm air from the engine wafts over them (this is certainly the case in a conventional car, where the engine is typically a few inches below the front washers).

Is there any sound of the motors even trying when you press for the washers Chris?