[s-cars] Heated Washer Nozzles

Matt twentyV matt_20v at yahoo.com
Wed Jan 24 10:49:39 EST 2007 

Replacing the reservoir sure looks easier than it was
on my cq!  Of course, everything is easier on the S6
with it's cavernous engine bay. 
The problem I had in this area on the S6 was a blown
up headlight washer.  After replacing it I disabled
the pump by unplugging it's wiring- a separate pump
from the WW.  After similar failures on the '00S4-
first a HL washer cracked, then the HL washer pump
cracked- I've disabled the HL washers on both cars. 
The S4 was also a pain to access the tank, needed to
come in from the wheel well.  While I had to replace
the washer on the S6 as the whole front of the
assembly had disappeared (probably in missle-like
fashion), the S4 failed more gracefully in that I
didn't lose the colored hat.  It is now secured to the
bumper with a little spring clip I fabricated.  In
hindsight I could have just bought a new cap and done
the same thing on the S6.
-Matt
'91cq//20vt; RS2 bumper with no HL washers installed
'95.5S6//avant; HL washers disabled
'00S4//30vtt; HL washers disabled
--- Theodore Chen <tedebearp at yahoo.com> wrote:

> 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
> 
=== message truncated ===



 
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