Must be getting warmer as my windscreen washers have started working again.   Over the last few days I've had to squirt water from a bottle onto the screen while the wipers were running.   Why have they frozen when the washer fluid I use says that it wont freeze in a 50/50 solution down to -20?

Or is it that the nozzles where frozen? Have had to stop a few times on trips out to either warm them up with a lighter or give them a squirt of deicer. This Focus does has heated nozzles.

25 minutes ago, eddie eastwood said:

Or is it that the nozzles where frozen? Have had to stop a few times on trips out to either warm them up with a lighter or give them a squirt of deicer. This Focus does has heated nozzles.

Probably was the nozzles frozen but the only liquid in them was the 50/50 mixture that wasn't supposed to freeze down to -20.   Can you get heated nozzles for the 2013 fiesta?

My rear one don't spray anymore just like a run of water that don't do a lot but cant see them anywhere to buy.

13 hours ago, Bobr said:

Probably was the nozzles frozen but the only liquid in them was the 50/50 mixture that wasn't supposed to freeze down to -20.   Can you get heated nozzles for the 2013 fiesta?

I had the same issue after the last few days. 

I always carry a cheap £2 Halfords aerosol of instant de-ice and just spray the nozzles, even though my mix is -16 it still freezes. If you de-ice the nozzle then you’re good to go and spray.

Apparently you can retrofit heated nozzles, however the post on this forum has had the images de-activated. After this winter I’m certainly looking  to get heated nozzles on mine. 

 But yeah, just clear the nozzles, and as long as your fluid is designed for minus temperatures then it will flow without an issue, it’s just the very end of the nozzles that freeze for some reason

Thanks Lewis, I'll get myself some of that de-icer.

Had a incident on Tuesday I got back to my car at 7 in the evening and when I tried squirting washer fluid on the windscreen a small amount came out and smeared the whole screen making it hard to see. Luckily I was on a side road so found space and used a cloth to clean the screen. 

Thought mine had frozen only to find the wife had emptied it.

22 minutes ago, Mordey said:

Thought mine had frozen only to find the wife had emptied it.

i can better that, my washers were trying to freeze so i got the concentrated screenwash 5 litre container and topped up until full, only to realise after a conversation that screen wash container had been emptied and refilled with water to top her cars washer bottle. 

needless to say next time i used washers they were froze solid. 

Sorry to hi-jack this thread but I have my MOT test tomorrow, and cos they test the washers, it DOES WORK if you pull the stick thing towards you when you press the lever. 

Now, if the tester doesn't know this he might fail the test, but the bottom line is it DOES work? Either the nozzles have become clogged or there's a problem with the dispenser, screen wash fluid does spray out if you wiggle the lever.

So is it a case of telling the tester?

3 hours ago, iantt said:

i can better that, my washers were trying to freeze so i got the concentrated screenwash 5 litre container and topped up until full, only to realise after a conversation that screen wash container had been emptied and refilled with water to top her cars washer bottle. 

needless to say next time i used washers they were froze solid. 

Thought screenwash was blue? Waters clear

i was putting it in at night in the dark so couldnt see colour. 

37 minutes ago, iantt said:

i was putting it in at night in the dark so couldnt see colour. 

LOL

2 hours ago, Dan_C said:

Sorry to hi-jack this thread but I have my MOT test tomorrow, and cos they test the washers, it DOES WORK if you pull the stick thing towards you when you press the lever. 

Now, if the tester doesn't know this he might fail the test, but the bottom line is it DOES work? Either the nozzles have become clogged or there's a problem with the dispenser, screen wash fluid does spray out if you wiggle the lever.

So is it a case of telling the tester?

Umm, pulling the stalk towards you is what operates the washers.  Pushing it down will just give you a single wipe.

27 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Umm, pulling the stalk towards you is what operates the washers.  Pushing it down will just give you a single wipe.

For the rear washers yes, but for the front ones there's a button on there you push inwards. You have to wiggle it about for it to work but it does dispense.

Just don't want them to not be wary of that and fail the MOT.

11 hours ago, Dan_C said:

For the rear washers yes, but for the front ones there's a button on there you push inwards. You have to wiggle it about for it to work but it does dispense.

Just don't want them to not be wary of that and fail the MOT.

Sorry, I thought this my thread so assumed it was a mk3 Focus.  There are a few threads on washers atm lol.

It sounds like you need a new wiper stalk tbh.  Definitely tell the tester about the issue but it should pass as long as he can get sufficient fluid onto the screen.

Lol no worries. When I bought it in August I was given 1 months warranty. I took it back to have new brake pads fitted as they were squeaking. I did mention the stalk but they said that’s how it was and to wiggle it. 

It’s going in for the test in around an hour so let’s hope it can pass, either that or the washer system will need seeing to.

It passed! So relieved, the washers weren't even mentioned and this was before I had to tell them to wiggle the button!

Apart from a couple of new bulbs that had to be fitted all good.

Does that mean I get my thread back?

 

Yes sorry I didn't mean to derail it, just saw it was talking about the same topic I was going to post in relation to an MOT!

I was only kidding mate.