a warm and wet one.

tom · Post by **tom** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:44 pm

Washer, that is. With the weather about to enfold us in lovely slippery snow (There'll be congestion charging for ditches full of X5s,) you might like to take a couple of metres of washer pipe to replace the normal one, wrapping the excess half a dozen times around the top hose and securing it with a good bit of Gaffer tape for a hot washing washer.

Mr B · Post by **Mr B** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:46 pm

Thought about this one too when mine froze solid last night

Post by **docchevron** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:18 pm

I'd never thought of that.....

Good idea, although knowing my luck, the warm water would crack the windscreen!!!

Cheers
Chris G

Mr B · Post by **Mr B** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:43 pm

Been thinking about this one, a coil of brake pipe around a hot hose may be a good idea?

Post by **docchevron** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:28 am

I tried that with the ex-missus.......thats why she's the ex......

Cheers
Chris G

Stewart (oily!) · Post by **Stewart (oily!)** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 4:25 pm

I buy screenwash by the gallon and use it neat, so far no problems, better to wrap the extra hose around a heater pipe though, the thermostat will not open often in this weather, better still copper pipe around the exhaust, watchout though, my screenwash says flammable on the bottle

Stewart

Doz · Post by **Doz** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:49 pm

Saab 900's and (i think) some Volvo's had a pipe build into the exhaust for exactly this purpose... won't help if your bottle is frozen solid though!

Did a similar trick with a mini in the 80's ... quite interesting to see steam coming from the washer jet!!!

Happy snowbx'ing

tom · Post by **tom** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 8:16 pm

Saab 900s had a water jacket that fitted into a cut top hose for this. Copper pipe is good but wrapping it around an exhaust is not because it will boil the water. Steam will not to the same job!

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 8:32 pm

I think some Range Rovers have electric washer heaters - specially designed for the rigors of the Hampshire climate.

tom · Post by **tom** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 8:35 pm

There's an element of truth in that!

Stewart (oily!) · Post by **Stewart (oily!)** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 8:44 pm

I seem to have a distant emory of seeing a wraparound pipe setup in seventies car mags, heated washer jets are I believe an option on many top end motors, the weak point of the BX is the exposed spraybar, only clever screenwash can avoid this, though warm water might clear the clag more effectively.
Stewart

tom · Post by **tom** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 8:50 pm

As will being a Brita person and filtering the water before putting it into the tank. If your spraybar is clogged up, it can only be due to rubbish in the tank or rust in the spindle of the wiper arm (which is why seasoned BXers run a small drill bit through it annually to clear out the rust and then boil the water before adding it (cooled) to the bottle to help to stop it from rusting in the first place).

Stewart (oily!) · Post by **Stewart (oily!)** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:22 pm

I live in North East Wales where the water quality is so good it is safe to put into lead acid batteries,(according to my old motor vehicle C&G lecturer) Water filters are unneccesary here, washing machines, kettles and showers last indefinitely, In fact its so good we sell our urine to folks like Billy and Vanny to drink (after suitable treatment

) the discussion was on not freezing up, as far as the wiper arm pass through I have always just by-passed it, currently I am using a spraybar from a pug 405, it makes my (neat) screenwash from being wasted, in springtime I merely begin to add water.
Stewart