Frozen Front Winscreen And Headlight Washers

[Molnboman]

Hej Hej

Noticed that my front windcreen washer skooshers for the windscreen and headlights froze up quite easily the other day. Is this a common problem? I would normally use at least a 75% or higher quantity of antifreeze solution ( the proper stuff the not the gear for the radiator! ) in my cars during the really cold months up here. Is this a common problem with the RAv4.2? Funny enough, the back ones appear to be working fine.....and when I pull the washer headstock I hear the pump activating or something anyway. It's not going to be a fuse is it? Do the front and back wipers share the same fuse?

Yours unwashed and frozen,

All!

[bothwell_buyer]

I put in the stuff that Lidl sell and its great. Then again its not been that cold yet.

Can't remember -0 is it a diesel you have as they take 4 years to warm up? :shutit:

The reservoir is up in the front wheel well eh? How cold is it where you are ?

Or have you got into someone elses RAV by mistake ?

[Molnboman]

No it's definitel ymine! hahaha There's nothing wrong with the skoosher fluid am using.... it's the concentrated Swedish stuff which is very good!...Yeagh the filler is on the offisde front....I wonder if it is a fuse....but I used them with no issues the day before it got really cold and I can hear a pump going when I try them. I wonder if the back and front share the same fuse?.....They probably don't. BYW it was about -7 to -10c last night and my wee rave is under cover in a wee tent garage.

Cheers

A

[Big Kev]

No it's definitel ymine! hahaha There's nothing wrong with the skoosher fluid am using.... it's the concentrated Swedish stuff which is very good!...Yeagh the filler is on the offisde front....I wonder if it is a fuse....but I used them with no issues the day before it got really cold and I can hear a pump going when I try them. I wonder if the back and front share the same fuse?.....They probably don't. BYW it was about -7 to -10c last night and my wee rave is under cover in a wee tent garage.

Cheers

A

If the washer pump IS working (trying to pump watter) DO NOT LET IT RUN FOR TOO LONG...they burn oot, Allan, and having not long ago had to buy one for a Yaris of a friend (£60.00++), I shudder to think what price would be in That Sweden.

They can apparently burn out very quickly in over-use, with no pattern / copy part available....jist a wee nod.

Kawshiss Kev

[Molnboman]

Thanks for the nod.....Is it seperate pumps for the headlamp washers and the windscreen or are they shared... Anybody know?

A

[IanXT4]

I put in the stuff that Lidl sell and its great. Then again its not been that cold yet.

Can't remember -0 is it a diesel you have as they take 4 years to warm up? :!Removed!:

The reservoir is up in the front wheel well eh? How cold is it where you are ?

Or have you got into someone elses RAV by mistake ?

I also use the Lidl screen fluid, if you get the undiluted version (£6 for 5 litres) its spec'd to -60C

Some of the other makes (Halfords expensive advanced double concentrated) are only good to -23C undiluted.

I think Lidl fluid is so good because its made in Germany for the Cold German Winters.

[Molnboman]

I use the concentrated gear up here which goes down to -25c....straight into the washer reservoir....so little dissapointed that the Rav has frozen up at such reasonably high temps for Swedenshire!.....was wondering wether it was a common issue with the car or not.

Cheers

A

[bothwell_buyer]

Maybe a high wind or gale blowing thru the wee tent ???

[anchorman]

All seperate pumps with the one for the windscreen being the lowest.

[bothwell_buyer]

heres comes the bit where I remember my schooling regarding chemistry and physics..... etc

Naw - ah cannae remember. Does alcohol float on water or vica versa?

I suppose what I'm trying to express an opinion on is whether yer skooshy juice has separated?? I generally don't have that problem as its drunk before its got time to evaporate !!

[IanXT4]

I have never had a problem with freezing pumps,or tubes etc (no personal comments please :) ) even in last years very low temperatures -16C.

I think it simply comes down to the concentration of antifreeze and the various volumes involved.

Ie The small volume of liquid in a pump or tube will always freeze faster than the volume in a washer bottle.

Knowing how marketing departments work, I wonder what "protects down to -25C" really means, my guess is they are way over optimistic, so any dilution combined with a small volume will cause freezing/slushing at higher temperatures.

Even if Lidls -60C solution is optimistic, liberal use will still give you a massive safety margin.

[Molnboman]

Interestingly the RAV washers freeze up under cover while my Zafira exposed doesn't, using the same fluid on a nearly neat mixture of washer fluid only!

I wonder what the Taliban use in their washer reservoir in their Toyota's?