[s-cars] Heated Washer Nozzles

Theodore Chen tedebearp at yahoo.com
Tue Jan 23 21:55:10 EST 2007 

OK, i'm done fixing the car.  several things:

1.  the lack of antifreeze washer fluid in the bay area is due to CARB
regulations.  the VOC percentage is regulated, and only certain counties
are allowed to have a higher VOC.  it turns out you can get winter fluid 
at kragen.  for $3.99, you can buy a bottle of concentrate.  it appears
to be 75% methanol, and the maximum strength allowed is 1:1, which provides
protection to -20 deg. F.  i am cheap, so i will probably go to the hardware
store and buy some methanol to stir into my non-antifreeze washer fluid.
i'll need it for the water injection that i plan to install eventually.

2.  the problem turned out to be nothing more than the windshield washer
tube coming out of the rubber coupler in the windshield washer pump.
of course, in the process of finding this out, i broke the windshield
washer fluid tube where it attaches to the firewall.  the FAQ on audiworld
that addresses the WW reservoir R&R is here:
http://forums.audiworld.com/s4s6/msgs/151783.phtml
that FAQ warns about this brittle WW tube.  instead of replacing the tube,
i got a 2" piece of 7/32" ID rubber hose and connected the broken pieces
together.  this also gives the hose a lot of flexibility in that area, so
i don't think it'll break again.

for whoever maintains that FAQ (dave forgie?), i have a couple of comments.
you don't need to jack up the car and remove the belly pan as long as you
don't drop anything down there.  the FAQ warns that the lower nuts are the
most difficult part of the job because of limited access.  i used a magnetic
pickup tool to remove the loosened nuts, as recommended.  to reinstall the
nuts, i used masking tape to attach the nuts to the socket.  once you get
the nuts threaded, it's easy to just tear the tape and pull the socket off.

windshield washer works fine now, and i'm now pondering how to set up
water injection.  do the windshield washer or headlight washer pumps 
have enough power to inject fluid against 20+ psi of boost?

there also seems to be a little space below the washer reservoir.  i wonder
if i could put a small (but powerful) 300-400 CFM pancake fan over the
intercooler, and vent it to the wheel well.  i'm not sure if there's enough
space for that.

-teddy

--- Matt twentyV <matt_20v at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I stock up on fluid when I'm at Tahoe, as I've been
> unable to find true winter fluid in the bay area.  I
> cracked a reservoir on my '91cq before I figured that
> out!
> -Matt
> --- Theodore Chen <tedebearp at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> > speaking of washer fluid, mine froze during a trip
> > to lake tahoe this
> > past weekend (where the temperature hit -5 degrees),
> > and the windshield
> > washer didn't work at all.  when i got back to the
> > bay area and the car
> > warmed up, the low washer fluid went on.  i refilled
> > the washer reservoir,
> > only to see the fluid dripping out below the car. 
> > :(
> > 
> > haven't had a chance to look at it closely yet.  but
> > i did look at the
> > label on the bottle of blue washer fluid.  it says
> > "antifreeze" and then
> > "provides protection against freezing down to 32
> > deg. F".
> > 
> > -teddy
> > 
> > --- Vincent Frégeac <s.sikss at gmail.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > With a mix of summer fluid and water at -8C, I
> > don't think the open circuit
> > > heated washers are the problem. Remember, this
> > will only heat the washers,
> > > not the tubing, pump, tank, etc. where the mix
> > will keep freezing.
> > > 
> > > I found that the heated washers are only useful
> > when you leave the car for a
> > > week or more and the alcohol evaporates in the
> > washer nozzles. Except that
> > > particular case, the only solution is to use a
> > washer fluid that does not
> > > freeze in winter.
> > > 
> > > At least, change for a mix of winter fluid (any
> > -40C), preferably pure
> > > winter fluid. I've not seen yet a winter fluid
> > that will react with Rain-X
> > > or stain the paint. Some summer fluid does some
> > weird thing depending on the
> > > detergent but usually winter fluids don't. I've
> > also found that the cheaper
> > > the winter fluid the best. All the fluids with
> > fancy additives such as
> > > Rain-X and similar does not leave the windshield
> > as clean as the no brand
> > > name, .99¢ a gallon, blue stuff.
> > > 
> > > My .02¢ of washer fluid
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Vincent.
> > > 
> > > -----Message d'origine-----
> > > De : s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
> > > [mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com] De la
> > part de Mark Strangways
> > > Envoyé : 15 janvier 2007 11:00
> > > À : Sean Douglas; 'S Car List'
> > > Objet : Re: [s-cars] Heated Washer Nozzles
> > > 
> > > I have never found that windshield washer fluid
> > stains the paintwork, I find
> > > 
> > > it odd actually that it would.
> > > Sounds like it may result in a few lawsuits :-)
> > > 
> > > You can get a winter mixture of rain-x that will
> > not freeze, I believe you 
> > > mix that with some water (not sure, from memory of
> > years ago).
> > > 
> > > My choice is the blue fluid, for winter windshield
> > washer and summer water 
> > > injection, good stuff all round.
> > > Except I have to buy it by the boxes in the winter
> > because they don't seem 
> > > to sell it in the summer, just that detergent
> > crap.
> > > 
> > > Mark (side tracked on a snowy day) S
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "Sean Douglas" <quattro20v at telus.net>
> > > To: "'Mark Strangways'" <StrangConst at rogers.com>;
> > "'S Car List'" 
> > > <s-car-list at audifans.com>
> > > Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 10:47 AM
> > > Subject: RE: [s-cars] Heated Washer Nozzles
> > > 
> > > 
> > > >I would run 100% washer fluid but I find that the
> > alcohol reacts with the
> > > > windshield treatment (Rain-X) and smears, while
> > straight water or a 
> > > > mixture
> > > > of winter fluid does not.
> > > >
> > > > Also, the alcohol tends to stain the paintwork.
> > > >
> > > > Sean
> > > >
> > > >> -----Original Message-----
> > > >> From: Mark Strangways
> > [mailto:StrangConst at rogers.com]
> > > >> Sent: January 15, 2007 6:07 AM
> > > >> To: Sean Douglas; 'S Car List'
> > > >> Subject: Re: [s-cars] Heated Washer Nozzles
> > > >>
> > > >> 1st suggestion... run 100% washer fluid.
> > > >> 2nd replace washer jets, if they are at 500,000
> > ohms then they are open.
> > > >>
> > > >> Mark
> > > >> ----- Original Message -----
> > > >> From: "Sean Douglas" <quattro20v at telus.net>
> > > >> To: "'S Car List'" <s-car-list at audifans.com>
> > > >> Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 7:03 PM
> > > >> Subject: [s-cars] Heated Washer Nozzles
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> > I'm trying to diagnose my heated windshield
> > washer nozzles.
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> > I'm getting 12V at the connector and the
> > resistance across each nozzle
> > > >> is
> > > >> > about 500K ohms. Bentley does not seem to
> > have a spec for this.
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> > To be honest, not sure if they are working,
> > but in -8 Celsius, the
> > > >> washer
> > > >> > fluid is frozen. Perhaps, it's frozen in the
> > plastic tubes?
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> > I'm running about a 50/50 ration of washer
> > fluid to water.
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Any suggestions?
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Thanks,
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Sean Douglas
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> > 1997 S6
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > > >> > S-CAR-List mailing list
> > > >> > S-CAR-List at audifans.com
> > > >> >
> > http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list
> > > >> >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > S-CAR-List at audifans.com
> > >
> > http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list
> > > 
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >  
> >
>
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