Ok so im toying with the idea of a DIY heated washer jet theory...... If i was to get some copper pipe and either wrap it around the exhaust or make a radiator type contraption with the pipe sat on the exhaust, then connect that into the washer jet water line this would heat the water and supply heated jets. My main concern is do you think the water would get too hot for the rubber sections of the pipe? I understand that this may not stop the jets freezing up first thing on a cols morning but I used to have "ahem" a BMW with heated jets and the heated water cleared the screen much better than cold.
I have tried getting some extra rubber pipe and wrapped around the radiator hose but this doesnt seem to get enough heat into it really.
UPDATE
Well I got some copper brake pipe, wrapped it round the exhaust a few times and plumbed it into the washer jet line and works a treat.
Im quite please with it.
I like this idea
Well done for making use of wasted heat!
I think just a single, neat coil around just the cylinder 1 manifold branch would do the job. With the heatshield refitted to the exhaust, there wouldn't be much to see.
i thought reason washers dont work in cold conditions is jets freeze up,so next winter youll still have same problem
ps, have you ever thought of increasing your washer bottle anti-freeze strength
I didnt really do it to cure frozen jets as such. I had a BMW with heated jets and the warmer solution seemed to clear the dirt off better. I just like fiddling with things too lol and thought I would give it a go
I remember reading in Car Mechanics a 'Star Letter' where someone had a Hotstart device fitted (block heater) and they made a rather clever heat exchanger that plumbed into the heater hoses and had the washer fluid running through a large pipe around a central smaller pipe. All quite tricky to make, with plumbing fittings, brazing, etc.
Anyway, the comment from the inventor was that heat from the warmed washer fluid was conducted easily to the jets and always prevented them getting cold enough to freeze. You have basically a column of water - you heat one part of it, the rest heats up too. The water in the jets only needs to be kept above 0... I'm sure even many hours after switching off, that copper coil is still providing, say, 20 degree heat...
I like the exhaust-heat idea because it's a simpler setup (no water-water heat exchanger needed) and it's probably a lot hotter, so more effective. I guess that one problem might be a vapour lock caused by steam in one section of the pipe (on a long trip, the manifold must be well over a hundred degrees), but with the jets being permanently 'open', I'm sure the cold-primed pump pushes the superheated steam through. Probably gets rid of traffic film brilliantly
Looking forward to doing this myself before I take my 156 to the skifield in August...
idea is good but still wont sort frozen nozzles until heat warms up to nozzles
nozzles freeze because water is in contact with air be easier to put hot water over nozzles before starting off and as soon as you use windscreen washers, front screen would freeze up,unless you got heat on the screen,and from my experience by time heater is up and working my nozzles have defrosted anyway(if my anti-freeze is that week in bottle)from heat of engine :thumbs:
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