Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

So my old Jetta had this cool feature... Part of the all weather package included "heated windshield sprayers". The fluid was heated up a bit between each spray to clear your windshield faster. I haven't had a chance to miss that given the exceptionally mild winter we've been experiencing in NoVA, but watching the frozen fools in Denver got me thinking about winterization.

I remember reading about these "hotshot kits" from my VW days, and am now considering one. It's basically a small heater that sits inline with your sprayers/tank which heats the fluid up before spraying it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Webas...spagenameZWD1V

Don't gimme the "it'll crack your windshield" nonsense either. This is standard equipment on most european, and high end GM products (Cadillac/Buick) now. A gallon and a half pot of boiling water may crack your windshield, but a few 3 ounce jets of warm water surely won't.

Anyone ever try one of these?

pohljm

I am all for function over form! lol Not sure if I am the best person to respond to this since I have only lived in a frigid climate for a few years long ago, but I would think that the water in the line closest to the sprayer would be frozen and none of the heated water would get through.................course if the water had anti-freeze additive it wouldnt, but would the hot water in small quantities just turn into nearly frozen water as soon as it hit the large frozen glass surface?

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

If you read the tech manula, it sends a shot of steam up the line to melt down the frozen stuff in the line...

And it would have to be awful cold to refreeze a jet of hot liquid in the .5 seconds it takes to travel from the sprayer to the windshield. This is a tool to remove light snow and frost. If you're in the arctic, ain't a lot that can help you...
but these are very popular sellers in Canada FWIW.
Considerign most Euro's come with them, I'm really thinking about grabbing a pair for the TL and the Odyssey.

pohljm

I dont think steam will sucessfully push through a frozen water line, it would be better if the water was just treated not to freeze, or the line itself have a resistance wire heating element wrapped around it. Also its not the .5 sec while traveling from sprayer to windshield that I would worry about, its when the water contacts the large frozen pane of glass. In my experience that is when the water freezes into a mess on the windshield

Topher707

on a sort of related story.

I didnt know boiling water could crack your windshield... I live in nor cal, and it never snows here(or in my part anyway)... but a few days ago it was like 25-30 deg. fer., and my windshield had ice all over it... I was trying to drive home from work at like 2 am, so i ran back into my work and grabbed a 14 oz cup of boiling hot water and poured it on my windshield... luck me it didnt crack.

When i got home and told my mom what i had done, she told me i could have cracked my window... i was like... oooopps.

Frazman

Both my mom's BMW and my Dad's new suburban have this option and let me tell you it is a savior in the winter. Opposed to what people have said, this does work very well and the solution does NOT re-freeze on the window....

mu1980

A function over form mod? No way! I didn't know those existed!

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Aren't you the skeptic...
In -20 weather maybe... but you should be using an ammonia based cleaner that resist freezing.

I'm not the inventor, so I'm unsure of it's performance..., but again, this is standard equipment on Euro's and many American made cars. It worked well on my VW, and I'm glad to have this feature back on both my vehicles... Now if those systems would just show up in the mail.

pohljm

King of skeptics! lol actually I hope that they work as designed, cuz that would be very handy. I am most happy that I have absolutely no use for it! Ski on condos rule!

triggle

I'm all for it. In moderate climates like Vancouver it makes allot of sense, especially if you park outside it would help clear the thin layer of frost off.

If you live in a cold climate like Winnipeg you don't use wipers or sprayers until your car has had a chance to warm up a bit. A defroster blowing on a frigid windscreen can crack it. You will see many cars there with cracked windshields. I would not risk using them on a glass surface that is -30C but once the windscreen has warmed a bit it'd be a good thing to compliment the defog/defroster.