Salt/screenwash/wipers

[Sam]

Well indeed, but it all depends on how much that would cost. Everything relates back to cost for a manufacturer.

Of course their arguement would be that the screenwash mixture should be one that encompasses these extremes of temperature. Either that or as suggested, drop some alcohol in there. (just keep an eye on your wiper rubbers)

Don't tell chuff about that, he will be replacing his screen wash with vodka and driving down the motorway with his head out of the window

[Rolfe]

Well indeed, but it all depends on how much that would cost. Everything relates back to cost for a manufacturer.

Of course their arguement would be that the screenwash mixture should be one that encompasses these extremes of temperature. Either that or as suggested, drop some alcohol in there. (just keep an eye on your wiper rubbers)

Who was expecting -15^oC and below, in November?  Even if I'd done it myself, I'd probably have aimed for -10 at the worst.  God alone knows what the garage put in.  And I do find the bog-standard stuff you get on garage forecourts doesn't deliver the performance it claims, either.

I've heard good things about the VW stuff.  There is a VW commercial vehicles dealer close to where I work - if I can ever get the frozen stuff out of the reservoir (a bit hard when it stays frozen), I might call in there and see if they've got some.

Rolfe.

[matchboy]

i'm glad this is not just me.  i get it all the time, windscreen gets filthy and i go through screenwash like nobody's business.  except when its cold like the last few days and then in a 40 min journey it still hasn't thawed out so i literally have to carry a bottle of water to through onto the windscreen so that i can see at certain points of my journey.  all the golfs i've had have suffered from the same problem of frozen screenwash!  

[Agreeable Slick]

Well indeed, but it all depends on how much that would cost. Everything relates back to cost for a manufacturer.

Of course their arguement would be that the screenwash mixture should be one that encompasses these extremes of temperature. Either that or as suggested, drop some alcohol in there. (just keep an eye on your wiper rubbers)

Who was expecting -15^oC and below, in November?  Even if I'd done it myself, I'd probably have aimed for -10 at the worst.  God alone knows what the garage put in.  And I do find the bog-standard stuff you get on garage forecourts doesn't deliver the performance it claims, either.

I've heard good things about the VW stuff.  There is a VW commercial vehicles dealer close to where I work - if I can ever get the frozen stuff out of the reservoir (a bit hard when it stays frozen), I might call in there and see if they've got some.

Rolfe.

Well exactly, it's the same with the mk2 lads who have had pipes bursting, and water pumps stripping impellors off, as the mix they have in the car was not blended to deal with the sudden drops we have experienced. Fortunately, as you chaps have newer cars the coolant in yours should be good to -40 ish and for at least 5 years.

Like I said, they would argue their point being that mixtures are avaliable for such temperatures. You could always take a shot at getting a free drain/replacement out of good will from the garage?

[GolfTi]

You'll need at least 1 part VW screenwash to 2 parts water (-16 C), more if it's colder up to a max of -70 C.

That's nearly 2 bottles if you have headlamp washers with the 5 litre reservoir. (I disabled my headlamp washers last year as they weren't much use and guzzled screenwash).

It's very good stuff, around £3.50 a litre but it works a treat.


Just replaced my wiper blades. Salt problem now gone.

[mike.]

I have the winter pack, heated nozzles are still a waste of time at this temperature -14 C
I am also running about 75% screen wash but still frozen..

Strangely the headlight washers freeze after the screen washers so at least I get some of the water from the overspray from them.. 

[GolfTi]

I have the winter pack, heated nozzles are still a waste of time at this temperature -14 C
I am also running about 75% screen wash but still frozen..

Strangely the headlight washers freeze after the screen washers so at least I get some of the water from the overspray from them.. 

If you are using VW stuff then it's good to -45 C at that concentration (Max is -70 C - neat).
If you are using halfords or similar then -6 C or so.

[DDg]

I have the winter pack, heated nozzles are still a waste of time at this temperature -14 C
I am also running about 75% screen wash but still frozen.

Same here, but even at relatively benign temps of -4 degrees or so. I'm wondering if VW simply tell us they're heated...

[dubber36]

Is is possible to minimize the amount of salt spray on your windscreen by just keeping a greater than normal distance from the vehicle in front.

My Mrs came home the other day with the front of her car covered in salt. You couldn't even read the front number plate. I have done the same journey 3 times since, and got hardly any spray on the front of mine, and I'm convinced this is down to the way we drive. I will keep a good distance behind the vehicle in front to keep out of their spray, and if there is a car overtaking me, I will ease back a bit further so that they are further away from me when they pull back into my lane. Also when overtaking lorrys, I hang back until the road is clear enough for me to accelerate past quickly so as not to be boxed in beside them for too long.

There are times when getting sprayed is unavoidable, but if you treat the spray as another vehicle on the road and give it some space, you should keep your screen cleaner for longer.

[p3asa]

The weird part is, it never thaws!  Every other car I've had, if you started a journey with frozen screenwash, you could rely on getting at least some, intermittently, as the reservoir partly thawed from the heat of the engine.  Not so on the Golf.  I drove over 100 miles yesterday evening, and didn't get so much as a drop from the screenwash the entire trip.


Rolfe.

What I like about the Golf though is that if you pull the lever to skoosh the window and no water comes out, the next time you go to skoosh the window and again no water comes out, the windscreen wipers do not swipe until water next comes out.