Toyota Auris frozen screen washers ?

[AisinW]

On 1/22/2023 at 4:09 PM, TonyHSD said:

First cold weather I had Preston mixed 125ml into 5l of water for summer and autumn use, and it was frozen and made the washer stopped working. Then I mixed 250ml into 5l of water and no problems this cold week. Last night down to -5C° and frozen washers anymore. 👌

Prestone PSCW0039A Screen Wash for Cars, Concentrate makes up to 50 Litres of Screenwash, protects to -18C, 2.5 Litre, Yellow https://amzn.eu/d/2ernKvP

Very interesting product and cheap. It saves space too. It is 90% ethandiol (ethanol with two OH tails) and very effective lowering freezing temp. More effective than ethanol. 

[Justin Smith]

As I guessed earlier in this thread I don't think this is just about freezing screenwash in the jets, though whatever the fault is it does seem worse in the cold.

Driving over Woodhead the other day the screenwash jets stopped working but it was about 8 degrees !

My wife's Yaris, aniother Toyota, also had a problem with the screenwashers but I cannot remember having tghis type of fault any other car I have owned.

What is it about Toyota screenwasher that they appear to be unreliable ?
I bought the car with  Toyota Apprived 12 month warranty and am assuming they will sort it for no charge but it is so intermittent, particularly now its warmed up I am worried I'll be wating my time taking it in and they'll just say "NFF" (no fault found). Is there any chance the Toyota technicians will know what the fault is ?

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Justin Smith said:

As I guessed earlier in this thread I don't think this is just about freezing screenwash in the jets, though whatever the fault is it does seem worse in the cold.

Driving over Woodhead the other day the screenwash jets stopped working but it was about 8 degrees !

My wife's Yaris, aniother Toyota, also had a problem with the screenwashers but I cannot remember having tghis type of fault any other car I have owned.

What is it about Toyota screenwasher that they appear to be unreliable ?
I bought the car with  Toyota Apprived 12 month warranty and am assuming they will sort it for no charge but it is so intermittent, particularly now its warmed up I am worried I'll be wating my time taking it in and they'll just say "NFF" (no fault found). Is there any chance the Toyota technicians will know what the fault is ?

I had a couple of Toyota cars and also worked in the largest Prius fleet in London, we never experienced any issues with wiper washers. I believe it’s something to do with the screen wash mixture you use more than a faulty system. In current season if you use often the washer you need to top up more frequently and use extra strong mixture. I do that every week minimum once or sometimes even twice a week as I do drive a bit more. When washer  fluid gets low the system starts to spray something like a foam and not very well indeed, perhaps you might had be running low on fluid in the reservoir. 
You can change the fluid brand and mixture stringer and see how it goes. I personally use Preston one and it’s superior to any other supermarkets or Halfords ones. Another good brand is a holts. 👍

[Cyker]

I wonder what the dealers use when they top it up for service? It definitely seems more prone to freezing than the stuff I replace it with!

[TonyHSD]

2 hours ago, Cyker said:

I wonder what the dealers use when they top it up for service? It definitely seems more prone to freezing than the stuff I replace it with!

Water 💦 

[Justin Smith]

20 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

I had a couple of Toyota cars and also worked in the largest Prius fleet in London, we never experienced any issues with wiper washers. I believe it’s something to do with the screen wash mixture you use more than a faulty system. In current season if you use often the washer you need to top up more frequently and use extra strong mixture. I do that every week minimum once or sometimes even twice a week as I do drive a bit more. When washer  fluid gets low the system starts to spray something like a foam and not very well indeed, perhaps you might had be running low on fluid in the reservoir. 
You can change the fluid brand and mixture stringer and see how it goes. I personally use Preston one and it’s superior to any other supermarkets or Halfords ones. Another good brand is a holts. 👍

I keep my washer tank pretty full as I know how important it is to have screenwash coming out of those jets !

Your implied point about different makes of screenwash possibly affecting the jets, or the one way valve in the supply pipe, may well be have some substance, but I can only repeat that, from memory, I have never had this issue with any of my previous cars (all Fords) but my wife has had it with her car, a Toyota Yaris ! Fluke ? Maybe, but it's a bit co-incidental isn't it !

[TonyHSD]

9 minutes ago, Justin Smith said:

I keep my washer tank pretty full as I know how important it is to have screenwash coming out of those jets !

Your implied point about different makes of screenwash possibly affecting the jets, or the one way valve in the supply pipe, may well be have some substance, but I can only repeat that, from memory, I have never had this issue with any of my previous cars (all Fords) but my wife has had it with her car, a Toyota Yaris ! Fluke ? Maybe, but it's a bit co-incidental isn't it !

Sometimes it’s just a luck 👍

[Justin Smith]

It's nowonder so many peopel have **** screenwash in their tanks and it freezes in the winter.
I was in B&M bargains and they had soem "RAC" winter screenwash for sale, I looked an it was only minus 5 !
Which, I think, goes to show how the RAC are prepared to sell their brand to the highest bidder.......

[Justin Smith]

 

Curiouser and curiouser

A few weeks ago I emptied my washer bottle and refilled it with neat minus 10 screenwash.
Imagine my surprise tonight when the soddin' washers stopped working "
And it was about 8 degrees !

When I refilled the bottle it topped up with well under half a litre, i.e. it was NOT empty by a long way.
Yet the washers started working again !
I have no idea what the hell is happening.
My only guess is that crud (possibly algae ? ) had blocked the outlet and pouring in more fluid displaced it ?
Has anyone else got any ideas ?

Part two....

I have been trying to buy minus 10 degree screenwash but none of the supermarkets or garages I have been in have it. Minus 5 is the best I have seen. Two of the garages I went in tonight had screenwash which did not even quote what temperature their screenwash worked down to ! ! !

 

 

[Justin Smith]

I am still having problems buying minus 10 screenwash, but am lacking faith in it anyway...

Just the other eve I went to my car to drive it home and sprayed the window when it was just under zero (according to my Auris thermometer, which more or less agreed with the forecast). The "minus 10" screenwash all froze on the windscreen !

[TonyHSD]

13 hours ago, Justin Smith said:

I am still having problems buying minus 10 screenwash, but am lacking faith in it anyway...

Just the other eve I went to my car to drive it home and sprayed the window when it was just under zero (according to my Auris thermometer, which more or less agreed with the forecast). The "minus 10" screenwash all froze on the windscreen !

You can try this one PRESTONE PSCW0039A Screen Wash for Cars, Concentrate makes up to 50 Litres of Screenwash, protects to -18C, 2.5 Litre, Yellow https://amzn.eu/d/2RSqGLI

i use this now over a year and never had any issues. I generally dilute 60ml concentrate onto 1000 ml of water. Works fine for up to -5C°

[Wooster]

Or try this:  eurocarparts.com/triple-qx-35c-concentrated-screenwash

[AisinW]

I always get the -60C from Aldi or Lidl. They are really good for winter and cheap. I diluted them with filtered water (German water is very hard) for about 1:3 ratios. Never have a problem even when we have 10cm snow.