Has anyone else experienced their heated washer jets not working?

Whenever it is 20 degrees or less my washer jets don't work....

 

took 5 days until it hit 32 degrees to work

 

Had difficulty with mine today. Outside temp was 19F and no joy all the way home. After I parked, I pushed and poked on the jets and they finally kicked in.

In the meantime, I noticed that the headlight washer arm on the passenger side light was still extended. Anyone know how to get it to retract back where it belongs?

Steve

My Mini is self healing. Didn't see that anywhere in the manual! After a night in the garage, and a drive into the office the next morning, I noticed the washer arm had returned to where it belonged.Go figure!

 

Mine have been fine, so far, with more subzero days than I'd like. Need the washers most often between 20-40 degrees, but they work below that, too. So far.

 

My daughter had this problem on an '07 MCS. We took it to the dealer and they said the fluid did not have enough antifreeze in it and proceeded to charge her $4.14 for the proper fluid.

When I mentioned that the jets are heated and should not freeze at 12-15 degrees F, they proceeded to check that all wires were connected. I was then told that they were connected properly and that there should be no problem now. She has not had a problem since then, but it hasn't been in the teens yet around here(NNJ).

IMHO this explanation is BS and there is some other problem because in 42 years of driving I have NEVER had a problem with washer jets freezing - even before they started heating them.

 

Mine stoped abotu 2 weeks ago as well when i got bitter cold in NJ. Stupid technology.

 

Only the nozzles are heated.....the lines running to the nozzles can and will freeze up if you are not using a winter mix washer fluid.

 

The problem is many times not the actual jet but the hose leading to the jet is not heated and thus freezes when the incorrect fluid is used.

Many places like Speedie Lube, Jiffy Lube water down the washer fluid for the summer. Then when it is not used up before cold weather sets in it freezes in the lines and then you have no way to get the fluid to the heated washer jet.

 

Nope, never had a problem, and it's been pretty damn cold around here for quite some time. It's 3 F right now. I use the orange deicer/windshield fluid, and have not had problems even in -10F. Though I also didn't have any problems with the cheap blue stuff, but it didn't de-ice my frozen windshield in the morning, just made it wet. So I switched.

 

Schatzy62 - The service writer told me some water may have gotten in the fluid or the fluid was not "Winter Mix" and I thought he might be right(I don't go near quick lube places). After thinking about it though, I feel it's still BS because all the washer fluid and hoses are under the hood and if it gets hot enough to melt some scoops it must surely be hot enough to keep water from freezing!

 

Well i do not know others experience, but at the average temperature of about 12 degrees lately here in Mass. I have had NO snow melt off of the hood even after a 100 mile drive. So i would say that the engine compartment is not getting over 32 degrees and thus the tubing which is run thru the hood will never get to above 32 degrees. Thus it will not melt.

Now as for the washer fluid being poured from a bottle. Even the stuff bought at Walmart, Napa Auto Parts, Auto Zone etc. Even those places sell a different mix durring the summer and it will not take the lower temps of the winter mix.

I have had many cars that have had the issue of the lines freezing if they have sommer mix fluid in them that has not been used up before cold weather sets in.

Althought many people here have complained of melting hood scoops i also have not had that problem and have run the car very hard during the summer months.

So from my experience the underhood temps durring the winter are really not high enough to melt the washer hoses on many cars.

 

After having the dealer charge $4.14 for the "correct" winter washer fluid the washers again would not work at 15 degrees F. As far as winter/summer mixes - if the bottle says windshield washer anti-freeze I'm going to assume it's good for winter use.