Frozen Washers

Matt.K

Just a warning to anyone out there who is braving the snow and ice and still cycling.

My car windscreen washers haven't worked since Friday night due to being completely frozen! It's a more than 50% mix of anti-freeze and water and the whole system is frozen solid. :shock:

Drove from York to Sussex on Saturday and had to stop at every services to clean the windscreen by hand. And each time there were at least 5 other drivers stopped and doing the same thing!
Both my parents and my in-laws have the same problem.

With temperatures around here not set to really get above freezing for the next week I expect there'll be a lot of drivers around who can't really see where they're going.

So watch out, cos SMIDSY is a lot more likely as people try to peer through the dirt and slush on their windscreens.

suzyb

Plastic bottle with one of those drink through caps or an empty washing up liquid bottle filled with water. When stopped at lights or a junction you can just open the window and scoot some water onto the windscreen.

Handy for when you get caught out with no washer.

greg66_tri_v2.0

That's nothing!

Few years ago now we drove up to St Andrews for a party when it was proper freezing - snow by the side of the M1 yada yada.

So, there I am bowling along in the outside lane, and I decide the screen is a bit dirty and needs a quick wash wipe: hit the wipers, and the cleaner (which was mixed to winter proportions) freezes straight onto the screen. Then whole screen. So I can't see a fecking thing!

Now, I can tell you that of all the games that can be played whilst driving, "Suddenly blindfolding the driver whilst in the outside lane of the M1 in busy traffic" ain't one to to rushed into.

Hazards on, negotiate the lane changes to the hard shoulder peering out the windows and assiduously using the mirrors.

Cleared the windscreen on the hard shoulder, emptied my troos, and filled up with 80% screen wash at the next service station. One of those "Jaysus that could have been bad" moments. :shock:

always_tyred

Greg66 wrote:

That's nothing!

Few years ago now we drove up to St Andrews for a party when it was proper freezing - snow by the side of the M1 yada yada.

So, there I am bowling along in the outside lane, and I decide the screen is a bit dirty and needs a quick wash wipe: hit the wipers, and the cleaner (which was mixed to winter proportions) freezes straight onto the screen. Then whole screen. So I can't see a fecking thing!

Now, I can tell you that of all the games that can be played whilst driving, "Suddenly blindfolding the driver whilst in the outside lane of the M1 in busy traffic" ain't one to to rushed into.

Hazards on, negotiate the lane changes to the hard shoulder peering out the windows and assiduously using the mirrors.

Cleared the windscreen on the hard shoulder, emptied my troos, and filled up with 80% screen wash at the next service station. One of those "Jaysus that could have been bad" moments. :shock:

Should have d-locked the windscreen.

MadammeMarie

Always Tyred wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

That's nothing!

Few years ago now we drove up to St Andrews for a party when it was proper freezing - snow by the side of the M1 yada yada.

So, there I am bowling along in the outside lane, and I decide the screen is a bit dirty and needs a quick wash wipe: hit the wipers, and the cleaner (which was mixed to winter proportions) freezes straight onto the screen. Then whole screen. So I can't see a fecking thing!

Now, I can tell you that of all the games that can be played whilst driving, "Suddenly blindfolding the driver whilst in the outside lane of the M1 in busy traffic" ain't one to to rushed into.

Hazards on, negotiate the lane changes to the hard shoulder peering out the windows and assiduously using the mirrors.

Cleared the windscreen on the hard shoulder, emptied my troos, and filled up with 80% screen wash at the next service station. One of those "Jaysus that could have been bad" moments. :shock:

Should have d-locked the windscreen.

I'm still chickening out, and I live in central London. However, there are still icy patches here and there. Temp is up today, hope for tomorrow. I miss my bike!

Buckled_Rims

Some cars have windscreen heaters and some have washer heaters. I have neither

Matt.K

-null- wrote:

Plastic bottle with one of those drink through caps or an empty washing up liquid bottle filled with water. When stopped at lights or a junction you can just open the window and scoot some water onto the windscreen.

Handy for when you get caught out with no washer.

Tried that with a can of de-icer but it just smudged everything.

Also pulled over at one point, got a spray bottle of windscreen cleaner out of the boot, sprayed it on and cleaned the glass with a microfibre cloth. Then by the time I'd put the bottle back in the boot and got back in the car it had all frozen to the screen!

the_hundredth_idiot

I couldn't even get into my car at the weekend - the doors had frozen shut. I finally managed to get in through one door and pushed the others open from the inside. It happened again the next morning.

Cafewanda

MadammeMarie wrote:

I'm still chickening out, and I live in central London. However, there are still icy patches here and there. Temp is up today, hope for tomorrow. I miss my bike!

I'm with you there. My route seemed ok by bus, but I'll see what the temp is like in the morning. Less cars on the road too so that's very encouraging