4th winter with the focus, it’s been cold minus 7 day and night up here. But the screenwash nozzles never froze in the previous 3 years! Today, last few days I’ve wrecked my wiper blades ! Every time I try scoosh front or rear screenwash obviously the wipers automatically wipe. Now got noisy wipers front and back. I’ve realised today I need warm water on the nozzles before I leave the house. Is it just colder than it’s been last few years? My screenwash is half and half as usual. Would neat screenwash be the answer? 

‘Scoosh’ is probably a Scottish word ! Idk , you know what I mean !

Stick the heated windscreen on for a few seconds.  I think the heated nozzles are connected to that.

Just now, TomsFocus said:

Stick the heated windscreen on for a few seconds.  I think the heated nozzles are connected to that.

I thought that. I use the heated windscreen all the time in winter. The rear screenwash nozzle is also frozen 🤔 . I have the rear window heater on too. 🤔 

I thought they were heated nozzles. As they’ve never been frozen before now. 

If I go to the stealership about it I need to have an idea what I’m talking about…

Heated washer jets not working front or rear. Heated windscreens still working. 
 

Maybe a fuse? That’s a stab in the dark , I’ve no idea..
 

 

Do you have heated nozzles ?

I have a 2019 Focus Titanium X, and it doesn't have them.

21 minutes ago, unofix said:

Do you have heated nozzles ?

I have a 2019 Focus Titanium X, and it doesn't have them.

I thought so as they’ve never frozen in the past. Mines a 69 plate ST Line X so very similar trim as yours I’d think. EBay has loads and I know somebody that’d fit them no bother but it’s not allowed in the lease. I need to keep motability sweet but I’m sick of dealing with the dealership. With the rear frozen at same time as front I’m thinking it’s either just very very cold or the front and rear heated jets are connected somehow 🤔 *edit , eBay has lots of ford heated jets but I don’t see mk4 ones. 

 

6 minutes ago, unofix said:

Do you have heated nozzles ?

I have a 2019 Focus Titanium X, and it doesn't have them.

How u getting on in this weather ? With the jets? 

As far as I know the Heated Jets were removed in the May 2019 downgrading that Ford did to our cars. My Titanium was supposed to have them and did until the downgrading and definitely does not because I have had a look. They maybe are still on the Vignale, I don't know.

When the weather is this cold the only way that they will work is after the engine is fully warm and the car has not been moving for several minutes to allow the heat to defrost everything, even with neat Screenwash. Even if the water is not frozen, spraying it can make it freeze, just like a Snow Cannon on a Ski Slope.

I remember one year driving down south on the M74, which had been heavily gritted so there was a lot of melted salt spray and a low sun. It was so bad that a lot of drivers had to stop on the Hard Shoulder to do what I said earlier. I knew the road so I came off the Motorway to do the same in a safer place.

This has been a cold spell, it normally gets above freezing during the day but not this year, hence the problems.

1 hour ago, Alex.S said:

or the front and rear heated jets are connected somehow

As far as I know there never has been any heated rear jets (please correct me if I'm wrong).

I've been lucky so far that my front jets have not frozen up (they are not heated) but I'm using the screen wash undiluted. Halfords 'Cherry which is down to minus 30^oC if I remember correctly. - Funny thing with Halfords is that different smells have different temperature ratings.

5 minutes ago, unofix said:

As far as I know there never has been any heated rear jets

As far as I know that is correct. They are less likely to freeze anyway because most of the pipework is inside the car as opposed to under the Bonnet.

In this weather i use remote engine start, minute or 2 I’m in the car , max button and heated windscreen on and rear , scrape the side windows, windows clear , I’m off. Last couple of days had to pull over within half mile, splash screenwash on it , nozzles didn’t melt until I got home , used some warm water. Can’t understand why it’s freezing now when it’s not before. 
 

i don’t know about the rear jets. Also never frozen before though. 
 

I’ll need to try neat screenwash, it’s half and half already. But worth a try..

9 minutes ago, Alex.S said:

In this weather i use remote engine start, minute or 2 I’m in the car , max button and heated windscreen on and rear , scrape the side windows, windows clear , I’m off. Last couple of days had to pull over within half mile, splash screenwash on it , nozzles didn’t melt until I got home , used some warm water. Can’t understand why it’s freezing now when it’s not before. 
 

i don’t know about the rear jets. Also never frozen before though. 
 

I’ll need to try neat screenwash, it’s half and half already. But worth a try..

Everything will be frozen, not just the nozzles. It hasn't been this cold day and night for several days in a row for quite a few years.

I fitted heated washer jets to my 2001 Puma, and to my 2007 Fiesta.  On starting the car on a frosty morning, by the time I have scraped the side windows, heated screens will have done their work, and the ice around the washer jets has melted.

In the good old days when I had Capris, I wrapped the washer hose around a heater hose, and that worked quite well when warmed up,  There was also an after market heat exchanger available you could fit which involved cutting a length out of the heater hose, and running the washer through that.

In the Sierra and a 2008 Focus, I think they are on permanently with the ignition.  On the Puma I used the HFS to fire a thyristor for the jets, and on the Fiesta I use a voltage sensitive relay to supply the jets.  I was going to fit a pair to the Fusion, but the under bonnet bracing gets in the way - is this the problem with the newish Fords that caused them to drop the Heated Washers ?

2 hours ago, Alex.S said:

Scoosh’ is probably a Scottish word ! Idk , you know what I mean

Did you read Susie Dent in the "i" today a lot of Scottish words for snow apparently.

30 minutes ago, unofix said:

I've been lucky so far that my front jets have not frozen up (they are not heated) but I'm using the screen wash undiluted. Halfords 'Cherry which is down to minus 30^oC if I remember correctly. - Funny thing with Halfords is that different smells have different temperature ratings.

That's what I use neat too. Also, I deice my glass using a garden watering can full of tepid water, melts the ice very quickly, and I also pour a good glug of it over the front nozzles. People shriek in horror when they hear of putting warm water on iced glass but in 40 years of the same technique every winter, it's all been fine. Of course, if you're scared, just continue to use those useless cans of deicer available at all good supermarket checkouts LOL 

3 minutes ago, Paulkp said:

Did you read Susie Dent in the "i" today a lot of Scottish words for snow apparently

Lol , I can’t think of any! 

6 minutes ago, Paulkp said:

is this the problem with the newish Fords that caused them to drop the Heated Washers ?

No. Just penny pinching !!

Heated jets do exist for the Mk4, it's just you have to be Royalty to get them 🤣 

1 minute ago, StephenFord said:

That's what I use neat too.

I know you do. I got the idea off you last year 🤣

3 minutes ago, Paulkp said:

In the good old days when I had Capris, I wrapped the washer hose around a heater hose, and that worked quite well when warmed up,  There was also an after market heat exchanger available you could fit which involved cutting a length out of the heater hose, and running the washer through that.

That was quite common. I did the same but I cut the Heater Hose and inserted a bit of copper pipe and wrapped the Windscreen tubing around that. Winters were colder a few years ago.

9 minutes ago, Paulkp said:

is this the problem with the newish Fords that caused them to drop the Heated Washers

The Mk4 did have then but it was dropped to save money when a lot of other things were dropped.

Alex

https://inews.co.uk/opinion/from-heller-to-snuzzling-the-language-of-winter-has-always-kept-pace-with-our-reaction-to-it-2023951

14 minutes ago, Tizer said:

Winters were colder a few years ago.

I'm old enough to remember 1963....

Mines a 2019 st line x but no idea if it has heated jets , thought never crossed my mind tbh. Like posted earlier above, get in car, start car, press switch for heated screens then get out and scrape side windows. Not had the need to use the screen jets though so I've no idea if they are heated or not.

Minus 6 here this morning 🥶 still in shorts/ T-shirt and Hoodie though. 

You need the correct screen wash for the climate, then the nozzles won't freeze.

Turn auto wipers off when you know there's frost and don't wash screens until they have defrosted.

As mentioned, heated nozzles work with front heated screen (unless TVM have removed them) and mirrors work with rear heated screen

9 hours ago, Paulkp said:

I'm old enough to remember 1963....

Me too, except it's via an old B&W photo of me wrapped up to my nose lying in my pram with the wheels covered in snow!  LOL

48 minutes ago, Wino said:

Minus 6 here this morning 🥶 still in shorts/ T-shirt and Hoodie though. 

You're what we class in these here parts in NI as an 'eejit'! LOL