Rubbish windscreen washers.

[Kithmo]

Am I the only one having trouble getting the windscreen washers to actually put fluid on the screen ?
No matter where I position the nozzles they just blast a fine spray off the wiper arms or if I aim them above the wiper arm they spray the roof. Either way it's a fine mist and not a jet as I'm used to with every other car I've had.
It looks to me like the jets are too low or the wiper arms are too high.

 

[Alb]

The MG5 is a spray so I'd assume that is the intention.

 

[Rip Van]

Am I the only one having trouble getting the windscreen washers to actually put fluid on the screen ?
No matter where I position the nozzles they just blast a fine spray off the wiper arms or if I aim them above the wiper arm they spray the roof. Either way it a fine mist and not a jet as I'm used to with every other car I've had.
It looks to me like the jets are too low or the wiper arms are too high.

I think they'll be inadequate once the conditions worsen, although I'm not quite finished mucking about with mine.

 

[tsedge]

Am I the only one having trouble getting the windscreen washers to actually put fluid on the screen ?
No matter where I position the nozzles they just blast a fine spray off the wiper arms or if I aim them above the wiper arm they spray the roof. Either way it a fine mist and not a jet as I'm used to with every other car I've had.
It looks to me like the jets are too low or the wiper arms are too high.

Mine blasts a spray but it works well enough. They aren't the strongest in the business but they work ok on mine.

Early cars had misaligned jets and weak pumps in some cases. Not heard much about it lately.

 

[Kithmo]

The MG5 is a spray so I'd assume that is the intention.

That would be fine if it sprayed on to the screen instead of either the wiper arms or the roof.

Mine blasts a spray but it works well enough. They aren't the strongest in the business but they work ok on mine.

Early cars had misaligned jets and weak pumps in some cases. Not heard much about it lately.

Do yours hit the screen though ?

 

[Rolfe]

Mine hits the lower part of the screen. It looks a bit wimpish, but I can't say I've actually had a problem with the windscreen not cleaning. How it will be in winter with road salt splattering it the entire time, I don't know.

 

[siteguru]

Mine was fine last winter.

 

[tsedge]

Do yours hit the screen though ?

Yes.

 

[Rolfe]

Mine was fine last winter.

Thanks, good to know.

I'll just have to remember to refill the reservoir without being prompted, and often enough!

When I got my Golf, one of the optional extras was what they called a "winter pack", which included heated seats, and a larger (5 litre, allegedly) washer fluid reservoir, and a dashboard warning when the reservoir was down to about a litre. You bet your bottom dollar I was going to pay for that! So I've been spoiled rotten for the past 14 years.

I'm still going back to the VW centre for the washer fluid they sell, rated down to -70 degrees. Costs an arm and a leg, but by golly it's worth it. Before I went there I had hell's own trouble with frozen jets. Not only did they freeze, they stayed frozen for the entire journey without thawing out at all. Not so much as a drip. I was told that the reason was that the Golf's washer fluid reservoir was in the front bumper, constantly exposed to the freezing air, and not able to be thawed by the engine heat. Stunningly clever design, guys!

Wherever the reservoir is in the MG4, I don't imagine an EV is going to generate enough internal heat to keep it warm.

 

[siteguru]

The filler tube is front-left as you look with the bonnet open, so I guess the reservoir is inboard of the front-right wheel, close to the front of the car. As such it'll be prone to windchill, so a good quality fluid is needed in winter.

 

[Rolfe]

I thought something like that was likely to be the case. I do find the price of the VW fluid a bit eye-watering, but it's worth it never to be stuck with frozen jets. The stuff is so strong you can smell the antifreeze in the car when you spray the windscreen.

 

[Kithmo]

I bought some Prestone concentrated Winter mix, a 1 litre bottle does 5 litres of fluid that protects down to -10C, £2.50 at Tescos. That works out cheaper than the 5 ltr ready mixed supermarket branded ones that only protect down to -5C. I've only just put it in the car so not inter tested it yet.

 

[Rolfe]

Good luck with that, unless it never gets very cold in Rotherham. It seems to me that the figures about what the stuff is supposed to protect down to are fantasy, and one has to go a lot lower to get actual protection. Mine was always freezing solid with that stuff, and even the stuff that's supposed to protect to -25 froze quite often. (The lowest I've ever seen on my car dashboard is -18.5.)

When someone said to me, get the -70 stuff that VW sells, I thought it was ridiculous overkill. But I've never had washer fluid freeze on me since I started using it.

 

[dsimpkins]

I used to buy the VW washer fluid as it's very good, but swapped to Prestone 5L concentrate fluid from Costco. You have to water it down, and in winter you increase amount of washer fluid to water. Works just as well as the VW stuff if mixed to right ratio for the weather conditions

I adjusted my washers as one was hitting the screen very low, and yes they do hit the wipers part way through the sweep of the wipers, so timing is key. I have the same issue in my Land Rover which as tiny wipers the same size as a classic Mini.

 

[siteguru]

I used to buy the VW washer fluid as it's very good, but swapped to Prestone 5L concentrate fluid from Costco. You have to water it down, and in winter you increase amount of washer fluid to water. Works just as well as the VW stuff if mixed to right ratio for the weather conditions

Somehow I imagine the temperature conditions in winter in Scotland can be far worse than those in Bristol.

 

[PeteC]

Mine was fine last winter.

And mine.

 

[Rolfe]

I suppose one advantage of the smaller reservoir in the MG4 is that it will make it easier to put ordinary stuff in during the summer, and switch to the expensive stuff in November.

Mind you, to quote a friend, someone asked, when are the last frosts and the first frosts in West Linton? July.

 

[Kithmo]

Good luck with that, unless it never gets very cold in Rotherham. It seems to me that the figures about what the stuff is supposed to protect down to are fantasy, and one has to go a lot lower to get actual protection. Mine was always freezing solid with that stuff, and even the stuff that's supposed to protect to -25 froze quite often. (The lowest I've ever seen on my car dashboard is -18.5.)

When someone said to me, get the -70 stuff that VW sells, I thought it was ridiculous overkill. But I've never had washer fluid freeze on me since I started using it.

In all the cars I've owned in the last 50 years of driving I've never had the washer fluid itself freeze only the jets.
Many years ago, when I drove old bangers and wasn't concerned over paintwork, I used to use Methylated spirits mixed 50% with water. That worked at least down to -10C.
I could actually spray the washers on to a frosted screen to clear it.
I turned all the Washer pipes purple and god knows what it did to the paint but it worked a treat.

 

[Rolfe]

I've been plagued by frozen washer fluid all my driving life. My dad's Datsun 100A which I used to borrow in the 1970s had a plastic/rubber bag that hung inside the engine compartment and didn't hold much. It would gradually thaw from the heat of the engine. I moved to the south of England in 1982 though, and was less frequently affected. I came back in 2006 in a Peugeot and have some awful memories.

Once a kind neighbour washed my car for me, and said, "I filled up your windscreen washer too." I had this horrible sinking feeling. I don't know what he used, but it was soon solid. I remember a trip to Kilmarnock through Cumnock on a bright winter day to attend a funeral. I had a small basin in the boot with an old towel soaked in windscreen deicer, and stopped to clear the windscreen every so often with that. Jets frozen, driving into low morning sun, recently-gritted roads kicking salt on to my windscreen constantly.

I must still have been having problems after I got the Golf, because I had that car when someone at work told me to go to the VW supplier and get the -70 stuff. Never looked back.

 

[dsimpkins]

Somehow I imagine the temperature conditions in winter in Scotland can be far worse than those in Bristol.

True, I will have to check what the Prestone concentrate is rated to. I would be surprised if it can't be mixed to use in Scotland too.