low temp protection screen wash

[Northern Bongolow]

just doing some asking round the local motor factors and garages today about low temp protection windscreen wash adative.
shell petrol station on m6, selling carplan low temp protection s/wash, so i asked what temps it protects too, no idea said the assistant, and it was not written on the container. .
local factors had 4 diff ones and only one had it on the container, down to -15 deg c (not good enough if last winter is anything to go by).
bluecol do one down to -25 deg c if im correct, but cannot find it sold.

anyone else found a good one, last year i blew/froze the bottom out of a screenwasher motor and dont wish to repeat.

[mikeWalsall]

I use this ...(I think I paid £5.99 though..!!)

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg//SID ... IDNOTFOUND

[jaylee]

Double the damage to paint work/rust promotion then..?


..... Meant in general.!

[mikeWalsall]

Original poster just asked about a low temperature screen wash ..nowt else ..!!

I use the Lidl one in a hand squirty bottle for frosted windscreens and it seem OK ..

[helen&tony]

Hi Ady...
we get a lot of stuff here proof to minus 60 C, and I only look for stuff written in English, knowing that local stuff could contain absolutely anything....and I like my paint.
Next time I go to the city, I'll look for the make, and I think you can source it in the UK from what I remember of the label
Cheers
Helen

[downward dog]

I use the Lidl liquid stuff every year, as per the link above...... now on the Bongo as well as our other car, I vary the dilution in the summer, and then strengthen it as the dark days approach. What's all this about paintwork damage?

[briwy]

I use the Halfords concentrate one and mix it up according to projected temperature.
They have deals on it occasionally (mainly in the summer) so I pop in when passing and get a stock in.
Never had a problem with it freezing in the container, the big bugbear is the jets freezing up but I've got some heated ones off a Mondeo that I must get round to fitting.
The premixed stuff is a rip off I reckon.

[Velocette]

I used to use the little powder sachets and some meths in the water but I have to say that the alcohol evaporates out quickly once on the screen and it can still freeze a bit on the screen but never in the jets or the bottle. I guess it would dewax the paintwork but I only ever did it with old bangers and never noticed any deterioration. I have also always deiced in the morning with a kettle of hot water but wouldn't risk it on the Bongo as screens aren't likely to be in stock locally if it went wrong.

[scanner]

Asda had 5 litres of the concentrate (not the ready mixed) on sale for £1.99 (I think) in the summer so I bought 3 lots - I think the usual price is £4.99 so could be worth checking at Asda.

[jaylee]

I use the Lidl liquid stuff every year, as per the link above...... now on the Bongo as well as our other car, I vary the dilution in the summer, and then strengthen it as the dark days approach. What's all this about paintwork damage?

I owned an L reg Vauxhall Combo van from new for about 13 years prior to the Bongo, i saw rust appear above the windscreen on the black aerodynamic bit over the cab...? Coincidentally, the rust mark following the track end of the jet on my screen washer...

..I've seen it where screen wash rests before drying on some tailgate wash wipes too.

[dave_aber]

I've got some heated ones off a Mondeo that I must get round to fitting.

I fitted some mondeo ones about 18 months ago, only got round to wiring them up the other day - connected to the feed to the rear window demister.

I've fitted them under the bonnet edge so they are out of the airflow too.

Time will tell if they work!

[bigdaddycain]

That's a good idea Dave

I've only ever seen jets frozen, not the actual contents of the washer reservoir. (providing there's screenwash in of course)

My car has the heated jets/windscreen/rear screen/mirrors etc... It's pleasing to see the huge defrosted orbs on the frozen bonnet surrounding the washer jets moments after the screen heaters have been activated

So your Mondeo jets haven't replaced the actual bongo jets then?

[Diplomat]

I've always used an appropriate* amount of meths in the screenwash. It has never frozen or damaged the paint. It mixes well with water.

*Enough to stop it freezing!

Frank

[dave_aber]

Initially, I was going to do that, but I was struggling to get the original ones out!

Then I thought about having to file out the bonnet holes to suit the new ones, and somehow stop the bonnet rusting - and I got all scared.

So, I have mounted a couple of wee steel brackets onto the trim piece below the wipers and mount them there - with the added bonus of them being out of the airflow which must be a factor in them freezing. No photos of this mod yet - and I'm offshore at the mo so I can't nip out!

I've wired them to the black/yellow cable going out of the middle relay on the driver's side inner wing, which is feeding the heated rear window. I'm planning on running a couple of heated mirrors from this as well (eventually!)

So I have 4 pairs of jets on the screen, and in the winter the bonnet ones freeze, leaving the extras to do the work.

I've got a couple of valves which Ady sent me which I am planning on using with the feed to the heated jets to act as 'zone select' valves. Work in progress at the moment though.

[Northern Bongolow]

what year mondeo are they off dave,