GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk6 => Topic started by: Toon on 17 December 2009, 09:19
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I have a question about the heated washer jets on the Winter Pack.........How do they work?
Are they......
1. Heated water from the radiator running through the windscreen washer line?
2. A heating element in the washer jet that attempts to heat frozen water in the line from a cold night?
In either case, I assume the heating will never be quick enough or instanataneous as it will take time for the element or the water to heat up therefore renedering them useless if you wish to use them to clear an icy screen in a morning (presumably the main advantage of such an option?). So I might as well resort the the normal deicer spraying and scraping without heated washer jets.
Also - do they include the washer jets for the headlights? Are they heated too?
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Must say, I'm surprised that you could think hot water from the radiator would go to the washers - you would reduce the level of engine coolant, and eventually run out of engine coolant if you used them much.
The water going to the jets from the bottle is heated to prevent it freezing, don't know if it's electric on the VW's, my last Saab had a heater coil around the pipes which was fed from a bleed off the engine cooling system [Not engine coolant going directly to the washers but to a heater coil] - They are not intended to be used as a defroster for the screen from a cold start, but to prevent the water freezing during driving conditions. [The heated water also helps to clean the screen better]
I think it's well worth having.
:smiley:
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They've always been electrically heated on previous Golfs, so I'm 99.9% sure they are on the Mk6 too.
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I think it's well worth having.
:smiley:
Worth £225 for JUST that?
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It's not £225 just for the washers, they come as part of the winter pack which includes heated seats, and I think a low washer fluid warning.
I'm not 100% sure how the Mk6 washers work, but on every other car that I have with, they have been electricly heated nozzles that are on constantly with the ignition regardless of the temperature. They will not stop the water in the bottle and the pipes freezing (the screen wash contains and anti freeze agent) but do stop the water in the nozzels from freezing due to the 60mph wind chill that reduces the water temperature far lower than the screen wash can cope with.
Nor will they help with de-icing. You'll still have to do that the old way, or like me, use one car to bloke our drive entrance, while the other car is left running doing all the hard work for me.
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It's not £225 just for the washers, they come as part of the winter pack which includes heated seats, and I think a low washer fluid warning.
Its about £350 for all that.
I've ordered a car with xenons (which come with the light washers) and leather (which come with heated seats) and its still £225 for the Winter Pack - which is ONLY heated washer jets!
Hence why I'm asking if heated washer jets are worth £225. I've removed the Winter Pack from my spec as it seems a tad excessive to me!
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I've removed the Winter Pack from my spec as it seems a tad excessive to me!
:shocked:
I've been driving ten years, mostly really 5hit cars with just water in the jets. I've had totally frozen jets once.
I'd keep my £225, thanks......... or to link it to another spec-related thread here, put it towards cruise! :laugh:
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Your all cheap bar stewards. :grin:
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You can get a tatty mk2 gti for £225 if you look hard enough, and they come with heated washer jets as standard :nerd:
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Get the Bi-Xenon lights then you get free washer jets and nice lights ! you don't need heated seats you only ever use them twice a year. :smiley:
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you don't need heated seats you only ever use them twice a year. :smiley:
You are joking right?
I use mine most times I get in the car through the winter.
Dave
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! you don't need heated seats you only ever use them twice a year.
When you have a Passat V6 TDI that takes for ever to warm up you do.
Also, heated seats set on a low setting at anytime of year do a really good job of preventing back ache on long trips.
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you don't need heated seats you only ever use them twice a year. :smiley:
My heated seats are on about 60% of the year. They warm you up quickly before the climate control comes to life!
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Heated washer jets
(http://www.carpcrazyangling.com/zencart/images/Kettle.jpg)
Heated seats
(http://www.sailusfood.com/wp-content/uploads/kaccha_kofta_curry.JPG)
On a serious note though...........
dont fart too hard with a curry you could follow through
Oh and dont pour boiling water on your windscreen!!
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Its funny in over 20 years of driving i have not needed heater washer jets and im at one of the highest points in the north of England. If it freezes its normally down to mixture in the bottle not been the right strength and its the pipe that freezes. Oh look its snowing hard now!
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I've ordered a car with xenons (which come with the light washers) and leather (which come with heated seats) and its still £225 for the Winter Pack - which is ONLY heated washer jets!
Are you sure the leather seats are heated without the winter pack?
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Are you sure the leather seats are heated without the winter pack?
Yep!
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Me and my boss were talking about this today because his were frozen solid, even after an hours drive into work. He said said if you put a high concentration of washer fluid it doesn't freeze. Personally, I've only had this problem once because I had used only water to top up for a while.
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Talking of washers, mine seems terribly thirsty for washer fluid.
I don't remember ever having to top up washer fluid in the Peugeot, except once last winter when my helpful neighbour washed it for me on Boxing Day - and helpfully topped up the washer fluid, with water. In spite of there being a bottle of washer fluid in the boot. (It promptly froze somewhere around Cumnock on the way to a funeral.) I don't honestly remember having to top up the Fiestas' washer fluid either. I don't remember doing this since back when I borrowed my Dad's old Datsun 100A, which had a wee plastic reservoir about the size of a hot water bottle.
I'd done 1500 miles in the Golf when I got the low washer fluid warning. I thought my dealer had been cheapskate with the washer fluid. I think I put in about 3 litres, which is what I had, but it wasn't quite full.
3,000 miles and the warning comes back on again.
I filled it again this evening, about 4 litres I think. I don't think I'm washing the windscreen more often than I did with previous cars. Where's it all going?
Rolfe.
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Well Morag, the best explanation I can find is that modern cars have more water nozzles than older ones and also the pumps may be higher pressure. Some cars have a sort of fan effect on the screen so the whole screen gets a soaking not just two or four points. Can't say I've taken much notice in the MK6 and I've not used it for a few weeks.
I always run an old car (commuting, shopping etc) and a newer one (Sunday best if you like) and the newer VWs and SEATs I've owned use far more washer fluid than the older ones despite the older ones getting more use.
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That must be it I suppose. There's certainly a "fan" effect on the Golf's windscreen. I didn't realise it was using quite so much water compared to the (12-year-old) Peugeot, but I suppose it must be.
It's easy enough to fill it up, and the low washer fluid warning means I'm not going to run out unexpectedly.
Rolfe.
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I don't think I'm washing the windscreen more often than I did with previous cars. Where's it all going?
Are you using the washers often when your headlights are on? If so, they get a high pressure blast at the same time. This might help explain the high consumption.
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Im up in Scotland and on Saturday night 8pm it was -8 form the temperature reading in the car. The washer jets were frozen and the windscreen was getting into some mess with the salt on the road. Makes for dangerous driving so I will be ordering the winter pack. Safety first.
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Those with frozen washers are being shy with the windsceen fluid. I've never had them freeze but I put about half a litre of fluid in the reservoir in the winter.
Windchill is not really going to affect the jets as they benefit from the almost red hot turbo just below them and the aerodynamics of the car mean its a 'sheltered' spot anyway. If they do start off frozen they will soon defrost from the engine heat. Far more likely is that the fluid in the reservoir will freeze as its just behind one of the fog lights and can see really low temperatures (unless you use a strong mixture :wink:)