A place for general chat about the Jimny. Please make sure you post in the correct section on the site, this way it keeps the site tidy AND ensures you get a more relevant answer.
Suppliers/Dealers or anyone selling with a commercial view in mind CANNOT post here unless responding to a specific request of a member in a "wanted" post.
Suppliers include people "breaking for spares" on a regular basis, when purchasing spares members should ask a supplier what they contribute to the running of the forum particularly if contacted by a Private Message
Suppliers or Members who have contributed to the forum can be identifed by the
I made a washer fluid heater that is spliced into the heater hose. Works well.
Roger
You have spliced into a heater hose to warm your washer fluid? I really hope you haven't. Allowing coolant and washer fluid to mix is going to be detrimental to both systems never mind the opportunity for leakage and catastrophic failure of the cooling system.
Temeraire (2018 quasar grey automatic)
One of the last 200ish of the gen3s, probably.
ADOS Attention Deficit Ooooh Shiny!
The system is as follows.
A short length of 15mm domestic copper pipe surrounded by a piece of larger bore copper pipe. The ends of the larger bore sealed to the 15mm to produce a container. Water from the washer hose enters the tank via small bore copper brake pipe and exits via another brake pipe. Both ends of the 15mm pipe have copper/brass olives to prevent heater hose from sliding off. One brake pipe needs to be full length to enable washer fluid to get hot.
Points to note.
The coolant and washer fluid do not mix. This is purely heat transfer from one fluid to another via a copper pipe.
Adding the olives to the ends of the 15mm pipe prevents the hose being pulled of the pipe. They are in effect acting in the same manner as the ridges formed in normal heater pipe.
The system was installed approx. 30 months ago. It doesn't leak and hasn't failed.
I tested the temperature of the water at the washer jets and found that the drop between the device and the jets was enough to quell any thoughts of cracking the glass.
If anyone would like detailed measurements of the device, just ask.
The system is as follows.
A short length of 15mm domestic copper pipe surrounded by a piece of larger bore copper pipe. The ends of the larger bore sealed to the 15mm to produce a container. Water from the washer hose enters the tank via small bore copper brake pipe and exits via another brake pipe. Both ends of the 15mm pipe have copper/brass olives to prevent heater hose from sliding off. One brake pipe needs to be full length to enable washer fluid to get hot.
Points to note.
The coolant and washer fluid do not mix. This is purely heat transfer from one fluid to another via a copper pipe.
Adding the olives to the ends of the 15mm pipe prevents the hose being pulled of the pipe. They are in effect acting in the same manner as the ridges formed in normal heater pipe.
The system was installed approx. 30 months ago. It doesn't leak and hasn't failed.
I tested the temperature of the water at the washer jets and found that the drop between the device and the jets was enough to quell any thoughts of cracking the glass.
If anyone would like detailed measurements of the device, just ask.
Roger
That sounds fresh out of practical classics 1950s edition, certainly not something I would be doing to a car new enough to still be under warranty. Very hard pass from me I'm sure.
Temeraire (2018 quasar grey automatic)
One of the last 200ish of the gen3s, probably.
ADOS Attention Deficit Ooooh Shiny!
Roger, very ingenious rig, thanks for posting! Very clever.
I've considered installing a short length of foil hose under the hood to duct some of the engine's waste heat up to the region of the windscreen washer bottle, but your solution is definitely much more sophisticated.
A photo would be great, if you can get a good angle for a pic.
Why not just fit a 12v 50w fish tank heater into the washer reservoir with a thermostat to keep it at a gentle 10 degrees. Save the modification of the cooling system, then if it does fail the somewhat critical engine cooling system is unaffected?
Temeraire (2018 quasar grey automatic)
One of the last 200ish of the gen3s, probably.
ADOS Attention Deficit Ooooh Shiny!
Thanks for the interest Motacilla. I will try to get a photo when the wife comes home (she's got the camera) but in the meantime, go to your search engine and type in "Saab heater for windscreen washer fluid". Saab fitted heaters as a standard accessary and there is one for sale on Ebay. Current price is £15.
You could achieve a similar outcome by simply wrapping the washer hose around the heater pipe several times. While it would be less efficient at transferring heat it would be cheap, quick and easy and would avoid adding extra failure points to the vehicle's cooling system.
Better yet, use a strong screenwash mix so it is not needed.
Question for those of you with Gen 4 or other vehicles with LED headlights.
I'm in Australia and had just 4 days of snow ❄️ but the LEDs don't generate heat to the glass and so they quickly developed layers of snow which completely blocked the light.
Headlight washers were of no real use.
Heated washer fluid from the coolant is not so common around here.
More common where it gets really cold inland, and on trucks and work vehicles.
By heating with the coolant it gets warm when the hot airflow to defrost in the car gets hot and the hoses from the tank to the nozzle and the spray through air make it cold fast so no it is not so hot when it reaches the screen so there is no real risk of damage.
I think it is much milder/better for your car than strong alcohol and chemicals for your wipers and gaskets.
And for the thermal shock, I know people with way lesser knowledge in physics than myself that get a bucket of hot water from the kitchen and pour it over the windscreen when it is frozen to avoid scraping off the ice with their too lazy or lacking muscles. I have know idea why it does not crack, must be because they do not apply to science, or no one has told the windscreen about this.
I would most certainly put out a large warning on this, Do Not EVER Try This At Home.
logo.
