washers nozzles and wing mirror frozen this morning

[Chief inspector]

Originally Posted by Clan

50-50 mix of volvo fluid protects to -28 C then you don't need heated jets ... The heated jets cant melt frozen fluid in the pipes and pump ..

They cant, but the alcohol boils off at the jets leaving the water (no screenwash is 100% alcohol) and then they freeze,

Its cold up here, I know from experience. You can cover them with a towel overnight if not heated though if its really cold they will freeze again.

If I can....I get heated jets, that and good concentrate and youre done. And like the post above, with headlamp washers you can easily get through 5 litres to a tank of gas, I carry 5 litres in the boot winter (well except earlier this week when i ran out!)

[molsal]

I use Comma winter screen wash 50/50 ( £10 for 5litres delivered from amazon) , I live in the Dales and it has never let me down, we were at - 8 this week , I don't have heated jets. The cleaning power of Holts is the best I've come across for winter use. Spring through autumn I use Sonax concentrate , which is on another level.

[Deadloak]

Originally Posted by molsal

I use Comma winter screen wash 50/50 ( £10 for 5litres delivered from amazon) , I live in the Dales and it has never let me down, we were at - 8 this week , I don't have heated jets. The cleaning power of Holts is the best I've come across for winter use. Spring through autumn I use Sonax concentrate , which is on another level.

I saw the Comma wash on my googling too. Good to get feedback on it.
Thanks.

[SuffolkBoy]

Originally Posted by molsal

I use Comma winter screen wash 50/50 ( £10 for 5litres delivered from amazon) , I live in the Dales and it has never let me down, we were at - 8 this week , I don't have heated jets. The cleaning power of Holts is the best I've come across for winter use. Spring through autumn I use Sonax concentrate , which is on another level.

Molsal, I thought the Winter Pack included heated washer jets on the XC60.

[Voltan]

Originally Posted by wimorrison

It might sound silly but pure antifreeze freezes at a higher temperature than diluted antifreeze



best mix is around 65/35 antifreeze/water

This is physical chemistry at work. This mixture is known a eutectic mixture and results from the interplay of intermolecular forces in solution and the way the formation of a solid crystalline structure is inhibited by the presence of impurities.
It's the same principle as adding salt to water to lower the freezing point.

[wimorrison]

Now there is a term that had escaped from my memory - I cannot recall the last time I used the word eutectic in conversation. I think it would last have been used when sitting exams in metallurgy and talking about alloys

Happy days - were they are now with the benefits of rose tinted glasses

[Mick787]

I noticed one comment in this thread, that a contributor had switched off the folding mirrors, surely the mechanisms involved can cope with the UK winters? Ours are nothing like those experienced in the Nordic regions.

[Chief inspector]

Originally Posted by Mick787

I noticed one comment in this thread, that a contributor had switched off the folding mirrors, surely the mechanisms involved can cope with the UK winters? Ours are nothing like those experienced in the Nordic regions.

Not if you’ve any mechanical sympathy as the noise is horrible, and they can stick 3/4 of the way out.

I think possibly the UK may have a wetter cold climate with more ice forming as a result than drier Nordic regions with drier air. - THis is likely BS, its only a guess!

[NigelDay]

Originally Posted by Chief inspector

I think possibly the UK may have a wetter cold climate with more ice forming as a result than drier Nordic regions with drier air. - THis is likely BS, its only a guess!

That indeed is probably the reason. It is the constant freeze-thaw cycle we get here which causes both damage and accidents (black ice). We have not had much snow up here but the untreated roads are lethal because some thawing (which then washes the salt off) has been followed by freezing.

[AndyJudge]

Originally Posted by NigelDay

That indeed is probably the reason. It is the constant freeze-thaw cycle we get here which causes both damage and accidents (black ice). We have not had much snow up here but the untreated roads are lethal because some thawing (which then washes the salt off) has been followed by freezing.

Tell me about it, black ice everywhere. Foobared leg as a result as well