Interesting auto devices!

[deathegg]

I was browsing and was looking for a device called a "hot shot", which was a heated windshield washer system that used to be on some GM cars. I was thinking how cool that would be, especially for us folks who live where it snows, etc. I guess the company went out of business after a massive recall of the product years ago.

However, I found this company:

http://www.sigmaautomotive.com

..that not only has a similar system, but also backup cameras, rain-sensing wiper systems, auto headlight systems, fog lamps that "steer" around corners, etc etc. Some interesting products, but I wonder how the quality is.

[bravekozak]

one pound

It weighs one pound, and is perfect for winter. I won't be installing it on my Festiva though. I won't be driving it in the winter + I disconnected the heater core. Water flow only goes from the engine to the rad.
I will be giving this baby serious consideration for all of my other vehicles. This would also make a great present too!
My next post will be my thousandth.

[Safety Guy]

My idea was to wrap the washer hose around one of the heater hoses behind the engine. Mount the washer bottle on the right side firewall to help keep distances shorter. Wrap the heater hose with washer hose with some thermal wrap to further insulate it. When the car warms up, your washer fluid should be heated!

Downside is you won't have warm washer fluid until your car heats up.

Upside is simplicity.

Karl

[Aaronbrook37]

My idea was to wrap the washer hose around one of the heater hoses behind the engine. Mount the washer bottle on the right side firewall to help keep distances shorter. Wrap the heater hose with washer hose with some thermal wrap to further insulate it. When the car warms up, your washer fluid should be heated!

Downside is you won't have warm washer fluid until your car heats up.

Upside is simplicity.

Karl

This is quite a good idea!

[deathegg]

My idea was to wrap the washer hose around one of the heater hoses behind the engine. Mount the washer bottle on the right side firewall to help keep distances shorter. Wrap the heater hose with washer hose with some thermal wrap to further insulate it. When the car warms up, your washer fluid should be heated!

Downside is you won't have warm washer fluid until your car heats up.

Upside is simplicity.

Karl

I had pretty much the same idea, but never got around to trying it. Would be a low cost method, that's for sure. I would want a way to keep the reservoir heated too, so maybe run some of the washer line right through the thing, to keep it warm? Also thought about using this method, but instead of wrapping the line around a heater hose, use part of the exhaust manifold, but using metal lines of course. Would heat up quicker that's for sure.

I'm seriously thinking about getting some of these things when I get a newer car soon.

[Aaronbrook37]

I had pretty much the same idea, but never got around to trying it. Would be a low cost method, that's for sure. I would want a way to keep the reservoir heated too, so maybe run some of the washer line right through the thing, to keep it warm? Also thought about using this method, but instead of wrapping the line around a heater hose, use part of the exhaust manifold, but using metal lines of course. Would heat up quicker that's for sure.

I'm seriously thinking about getting some of these things when I get a newer car soon.

This is a popular trick for cars running on WVO (waste vegetable oil). They typically have a heater coil in their WVO tanks to heat the gas to prevent gelling in the lines. Not a bad idea if the plastic tank can handle some of the heat. If not, just upgrade to a small metal tank similar to a fuel cell. People running meth would want to upgrade the size of the tank anyway... not sure how much they'd want it to be heated up though haha.

[resuwrecked]

Mercedes have a coolant heated washer bottle. There is a stainless tubing loop going into the plastic bottle to heat it.
they come if different shapes depending on model and year.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lmvhkBcrmsY/SuBug6fmjKI/AAAAAAAABsE/GZ106MvzINU/s400/0photo2.jpg

[JoDan]

My idea was to wrap the washer hose around one of the heater hoses behind the engine. Mount the washer bottle on the right side firewall to help keep distances shorter. Wrap the heater hose with washer hose with some thermal wrap to further insulate it. When the car warms up, your washer fluid should be heated!

Downside is you won't have warm washer fluid until your car heats up.

Upside is simplicity.

Karl

The only problem I can see with that is the fluid might get hot enough that blasting it on a freezing cold windshield that it would crack the glass... but idk if it would or not

[Festiva Time]

Question: Won't the Heated water crack or even shatter the windshield in cold weather?

Here in Arizona, I saw A guy get out of his car with an Ice Cold Drink on a hot day [110 Degrees]. The drink touched the driver's window and shattered.

[Safety Guy]

I know Michael from WVa has told me about cold thunderstorm drops cracking hot windshields in the summer, but I don't know if hot on cold would do the same in the winter.

I'm skipping the mod for now since I'm just trying to get my '91L running.

Karl

[JPT]

Where I work (a resale lot for a rental car company) we never put the defrost on when warming up cars in the winter. Especially if the windshield was covered in snow. We run the heat out of the vents or to the floor. Never on a cold windshield. I've seen plenty of cracked windshields from defrosters.

[bravekozak]

Ipa

Does anyone know what airlines use for keeping their windshields clean?

No?

Well, I'll tell you.

99% Isopropyl alcohol.
Melting point: -89C (-128F)

It does a great job, but don't use it on your car windshields or you will be gassed out of your cockpits (never mind the job it will do to your rubber and paint). The vapours are incredibly strong. Thats why they only use about 7% in automotive windshield fluids. I think 10% with water will not freeze until -40C.

A lot of cheap formulations use methanol instead of isopropanol (another name for isopropyl alcohol). The other ingredients are orvus soap solution, a few drops of dye and lots and lots of water.