Do-it-yourself heating of washer nozzles: choosing a simple method

How to choose heated windshield washer nozzles

Installing heated nozzles instead of conventional ones does not cause any particular difficulties, as does making a heated washer reservoir with your own hands. Most nozzles, regardless of the method of spraying liquid, are universal and suitable for any car with a round seat. If the car has a rectangular seat, then you will have to look for injectors of this type. When choosing heated windshield washer nozzles, you must carefully check their condition. Often, various fakes are sold under the brand names of popular brands, in which a low-power resistor is used instead of a wire heating element. Therefore, buy them only in trusted stores.

The cost of such nozzles from an unknown manufacturer is from 700 rubles per set. Injectors from well-known manufacturers with a reliable reputation will cost 1-2 thousand rubles. Original injectors cost 2-3 thousand rubles apiece.

Some car owners buy heated injectors at auto repair yards, citing the fact that they are cheaper there. But the quality of such nozzles is unknown, so no one knows how they will work in winter. Don't skimp on the safety of your car. By spending the extra thousand on quality injectors, you will avoid serious problems in winter. The most reliable and efficient injectors are those from partner companies of well-known automakers.

At the same time, a heated injector from GAZ or AvtoVAZ and their partners is 2-3 times better and more reliable than a foreign one, the manufacturer of which is unknown. Therefore, Russian heated windshield washer nozzles often turn out to be much better than products for “modern foreign cars”, the manufacturer of which is unknown.

If you buy a heated windshield washer nozzle from a reputable manufacturer, keep in mind that these products must be supplied in individual packaging. The nozzle must have the manufacturer's name corresponding to what is written on the packaging.

Inspect the packaging carefully. Uneven edges and unclear patterns are signs of a fake. Ask the seller to show you the box in which he received the injectors. The manufacturer's name on the box and individual packaging must be the same. Carefully inspect the injector body. The presence of burrs or irregularities indicates that this is a fake. Use a needle to move the jets in different directions. They should turn with little resistance. If you have to press so hard to turn them that the needle bends even a little, you have a fake. If the jets turn without effort, it's a fake.

https://youtu.be/https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=jrFidAz2SjE#t=182s

New injectors

If old sprayers do not want to work properly in winter, then it’s time to send them to the landfill. Or sell it as used spare parts.

In any case, when the washer keeps causing you problems, it needs to be replaced.

An excellent solution would be universal heated nozzles. These items fit a variety of vehicle makes and models. The assortment is impressive, that is, there should definitely not be any problems with selecting one specifically for your vehicle. The only problem is that the old system has to be dismantled and a new one installed in its place. Most kits provide detailed installation instructions. If you follow the rules and observe safety precautions, you won’t have to wait long for results.

The issue may be cost. Still, it is more expensive than buying a thermistor.

But the operating efficiency of nozzles equipped with heating is much higher. It is safer and more aesthetically pleasing. Moreover, new jets may have an attractive design that compares favorably with previous products.

It's up to you to decide anyway.

Principle of operation

Injectors require a constant source of heat to operate properly at low temperatures. Some vehicles are equipped with a heated windshield washer system, but most vehicles still use conventional jets.

Machines without additional equipment have an excellent source of heat - the engine. With its help, you can provide the nozzles with hot air and prevent the liquid from freezing. All you need to do is bring it to the injectors. It is worth noting that this method is only suitable for those cars whose jets are installed directly on the hood.

Operation of the check valve in the washer system

Not all hydraulic designs of glass cleaners have a check valve in their design. The presence of such a part allows the liquid to remain in the hoses without flowing back into the tank. The convenience is that when the pump is turned on, the water supply is carried out without delay and the wipers do not scrape the dry glass.

Check valve

This valve has a spring-loaded ball inside. It is this that blocks the passage of the “anti-freeze” back when there is no pressure from the pump in the system. If this element is not installed, then an electronic delay for the start of the wipers will need to be built into the circuit.

You can install the valve on any foreign car. Both European and Asian parts are suitable. Some daredevils even came up with the idea of installing valves from aquarium compressors into this circuit.

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Comments 4

Hmmm... Let me start with the fact that the heating on the injectors is not constantly on. It all depends on the configuration, options and settings. For example, on my car it turns on along with the heated glass. Further, initially the nozzle contains not a “heating element”, but a banal thermistor. This has been discussed several times both here and at ffclub. They even found analogues, in every store there are tons of radio parts and they cost pennies. Thermistor resistance directly depends on temperature: the higher the temperature, the higher the resistance. Thus, when a certain temperature is reached, the thermistor simply stops passing current, unlike conventional resistance. So a circuit with resistance is inherently dangerous (short circuit, melted wiring, fire), while a circuit with a thermistor is safe. You can choose any suitable 12V thermistor with a temperature of 50 degrees.

The injector heating ALWAYS works, at least in Rusfocus. There is even a clipping from Murzilka... you can find it on the same ffclub. If it works with a button, then something has already been done with it. Regarding the thermistor, I agree that it is safer, but only from the point of view that it does not always fry to the fullest, nothing should happen to the resistor that I installed, in the worst case, it will simply fail. everything is insulated there well, after all, there is a fuse for heating, I think if the resistor blows, then it will die the death of the brave))) And it doesn’t heat up that much, without the case I just tested it for 10-15 minutes, all this time I could easily put my hand on it, it was warm. As a temporary solution, it is quite an effective method, although not temporary, too, many people have done it based on reviews from the forum...

To be honest, I was surprised, I didn’t know that the heating works all the time, but regarding the replacement, not so long ago someone had a blog entry about the fact that they had remodeled and installed heating from the Volga.

Exactly all the time, that’s what the engineers were thinking, it’s not clear.

Source: www.drive2.com

How does heated washer nozzles work?

It's no secret that the heating ALWAYS works as soon as you start the car. It doesn’t matter to him whether it’s -50 on the street or + 40 in the shade... due to this, the injectors can’t handle it and die, I found a thread on heating repair on the ffclub. I decided to do the same for myself. But first I had to make a wire that goes to the heating; in the area of the left hinge of the hood it was broken. I removed the injectors and went home to clean them.

I don’t know what kind of resistance the staff have; on the same forum, opinions differ. So I decided to trust a person who had already done it. I took 270 Ohm resistors with a power of 0.25 W.

Next you need to pick out the standard heating. It's filled with some kind of silicone.

There is a plastic plate inside the heating, I decided to leave it and carefully cleaned off the old silicone around it. But first, I went to the car to see if my resistors were heating up at all.

When tested, everything works... the resistor is hot, I tested it for 10 minutes, nothing criminal happened. Let's go home, take our design, solder the wires to the resistor for a more reliable connection, then insert it into a standard plastic thing, bend it, before that I also wrapped it with electrical tape just in case, and as it turned out, it was not in vain, everything fits very tightly into the case nozzles and I didn’t even have to fill it with anything.

Before packing it into the case, I stuffed it with plenty of thermal paste.

The case, which had cracked due to time and constant heating, was sealed with superglue. It’s been 2 days now, nothing has burned, the injectors seem to be working, since the body becomes a little warm after a long drive. Let's see what happens when frost sets in and there is snow on the hood. Before repairing the injectors, I also ordered heated injectors from Aliexpress. If they don’t suit these, then I’ll install those if they come, of course))) At the same time, I can measure the resistance on the new ones, and generally test them. In the meantime, let's be happy with what we have. in fact, we need to come up with something, there is a good idea - to power the injectors from the snowflake light bulb on the on-board computer, it lights up at +4... but these are all plans for now, but for now we need to remember to disconnect the plug for the summer)))

Mileage: 261000 km

Why do windshield washer nozzles freeze?

Quite often, at low temperatures, the windshield washer system does not work due to freezing of the nozzles. First of all, this is relevant for fan nozzles, since the cross-sections of their holes are very small. Theoretically, if you use a special antifreeze liquid, then there should be no problems with crystallization at temperatures down to -30 °C. However, in practice, things are somewhat different; already at -10 °C the injectors stop working. Therefore, in cars that are equipped with fan-type jets, heated windshield washer nozzles are provided.

There are several reasons for freezing:

A low-quality liquid begins to crystallize at a temperature higher than that established by technological standards.
While driving, the temperature of the injectors is greatly reduced by the oncoming air flow.
Anti-crystallization ingredients are highly volatile and evaporate quickly. Therefore, the liquid begins to freeze at temperatures above the established norm.
When the engine is turned off, the fluid supply to the system stops and it flows back into the tank. However, some of the liquid in the form of drops remains in the nozzles. Alcohol or another analogue quickly evaporates, turning the “anti-freeze” into ordinary water, which begins to freeze at zero temperature.

Why do my washer nozzles freeze?

Injectors freeze for several reasons:

If the liquid is of poor quality. In this case, crystals begin to form at higher temperatures than those specified in the instructions;
When moving, there is always a counter air flow, which can quite significantly lower the temperature;
Due to the volatility of the components included in the liquid to prevent the crystallization process. They evaporate very quickly, allowing the liquid to freeze at a higher temperature;
When the motor is turned off, that part of the liquid composition that did not have time to drain back into the barrel remains in droplet form in each nozzle. The evaporation of light elements, such as alcohol, turns the “anti-freeze” into simple water, and it, as you know, turns into ice already at zero.

Heated washer nozzles

In winter, many car owners think about the benefits of heated windshield washer nozzles. This issue arises especially acutely in the autumn-winter period, when the weather is unstable, warm weather can easily give way to frost, and sudden frosts are possible. During this period, many car owners, even if they use antifreeze windshield washer fluid, dilute it in order to save money.

It is the savings on “anti-freeze” and sudden cold weather that most often cause the injectors to freeze.

Using a thermistor

One of the most common homemade methods is to organize heating with a thermistor.

I can’t say what specific device characteristics are needed for a particular car.

But the point of using the device is as follows:

you need to take a thermistor;
cut off everything unnecessary from there;
put heat shrink tubes on the wires;
solder the wires to the thermistor;
warm up the heat shrink;
pour sealant onto the area where the thermoelement will be;
carefully insert the thermistor there;
add sealant as needed;
wait until the sealant hardens completely.

Motorists note that with such re-equipment, good results can be achieved.

But the method is also recognized as an outright collective farm. A budget option, potentially effective. But it can hardly be called simple. Some people are simply afraid to make such modifications to the glass washer system. And I will understand them in many ways.

Why is injector heating necessary?

The main purpose of the device in question is to eliminate the possibility of liquid crystallization in the nozzles. High-quality heating not only preserves the functionality of the spray parts, but also prevents damage to the washer system mechanisms, including connecting hoses, booster pump, electric motor, etc. As a result of installing heated nozzles, the driver of the vehicle will be provided with excellent visibility in all weather conditions.

Heated washer nozzles

Another advantage of the presented device will be the constant heating of the washer fluid, which will allow you to quickly and better remove ice, dirt or snow. In addition, an increase in the temperature of the rubber blades directly affects their elasticity, thanks to which they cope with their functions more effectively without damaging or scratching the surface of the windshield.

How to choose washer nozzles

It is best to choose jets specifically for your car. If you compare the fan nozzles of the windshield washer of the VAZ 2114 and similar parts for a foreign car, they will be different. Of course, these differences are not critical and you can always customize the part for your car brand, but in this case the installation will be much more difficult.

Or you can purchase universal products that are suitable for different machines. These elements are considered to be injectors with numbers 30655605 and 7845009010. They are presented in the Volvo and Sang Yong catalogs. Both jets are absolutely identical with one difference - the Korean part will cost almost half as much as the Swedish counterpart. Otherwise, both products can be used as windshield washer nozzles for Ford, Mazda, Subaru, Daewoo and other models.

Another alternative option is offered by the Toyota concern, but when purchasing jets under catalog number 85381-AA042 from this manufacturer, it is worth considering that they are sold in 1 piece. Therefore, when placing an order online, you must add two items to your cart. After purchasing the products, you can install them yourself.

Operating principle of injector heating

In modern cars, trouble-free operation of injector heating is based on the use of special resistors programmed to activate electric heating elements at a certain sub-zero outside temperature. Such microscopic devices are placed inside the nozzle, and their size and shape directly depend on the model of the windshield cleaning system. Power to the heating element can also be supplied autonomously, after the driver presses a certain button in the cabin, but most often it is automated and turns on together with the heated rear-view mirrors or windows.

The only thing you will have to tinker with is installing a strong mount for new spray products, which may be slightly larger than standard products.

How does injector heating work?

In modern cars, heating of windshield washer nozzles is usually implemented by electrical heating based on chip resistors. Miniature heating elements are mounted inside the nozzles, the shape and size of which depend on the specific model. Power can be supplied to this mini-heating element automatically at a certain temperature when the glass and mirror heating system is turned on or when the washer system is turned on.

In some models, the injectors are heated using the engine cooling system (ECS). Heating of the windshield washer system can be realized in three ways: heating the reservoir, insulating the hoses and heating the nozzles themselves.

If your car does not have heated windshield washer nozzles, you can replace the conventional nozzles with new nozzles with standard heating. Connecting this system is quite simple and will not cause any problems. The only thing you might encounter is some additions to the mounting of the new injectors. Each specific car model has its own specific nuances. Let's consider, as an example, the device for heating the windshield washer nozzles of the VAZ-2110.

Independent injector heating device

You can create heating functions for the washer nozzles with your own hands:

Current heating. Two elements are prepared for heating. Each of them must contain four chip resistor elements, amounting to one thousand two hundred six by two hundred ohms. The connection is parallel. Injectors make a hole in the surface of the plastic. Its width should be five millimeters and its depth one millimeter. The heater is inserted into it. It is then fixed using epoxy resin. basis. In a similar way, a heating element is installed in the second nozzle, after which all that remains is to connect them in series. The power that such heating will consume will be seventy-five hundredths of a watt. Resistors of one hundred and fifty ohms of zero twenty-five watts can easily replace chip resistors. The second resistor must be mounted only above the nozzles. The power is usually connected to the heated rear window or equipped with a separate button;
Application of SOD for heating. Taking into account the location of the nozzles, their heating can be arranged using antifreeze. You will need a fifteen-centimeter copper tube. The pipe for removing steam from the stove will need to be removed at the place where it is connected to the expansion tank. Cutouts are made at the bottom of the tank. The SOD hose is inserted here. The location of the copper tube should be immediately below the injectors.

We insulate the windshield washer tubes

To insulate washer pipelines, you can use K-Flex or Flex tubes, which are usually used in air conditioning systems. You can also ensure heating of the windshield washer pipelines by running a tube, which is located behind the sound insulation under the frill, next to the steam exhaust hose of the stove. For example, by winding them together.

It should be noted right away that heating the windshield washer reservoir and tubes ensures normal operation of the washer nozzles at a temperature not lower than – 10 °C. At lower temperatures, freezing of the injectors cannot be avoided. Therefore, these heating options are recommended to be used in combination with heating the injectors.

Insulation of tubes

The washing conductive channels are perfectly insulated with K-Flex tubes. Their area of application is usually related to the air conditioning system.

In addition to such insulation, you can heat the glass washer pipeline using another tube located under the “jabot” behind the sound-insulating material. For example, in practice it is often wound together with the stove hose to remove steam.
It’s worth making a reservation right away. Heating the windshield washer, in particular its tubes and reservoir, can ensure normal operation of the washer nozzles only if the temperature does not drop below minus ten degrees.

A lower temperature level, one way or another, leads to the formation of ice crystals. That is why such “heating” options must be used in conjunction with heating the injectors themselves.

Engine heating

What are the advantages

See also
Yes, when compared with the installation of new washers equipped with heating, even the option with natural heating from the engine loses in terms of aesthetics.

But the considered method has its obvious advantages. Namely:

low cost, since you don’t have to pay anything to make a couple of holes, and the insulation can be found in the garage;
reliability of heating, since nothing will depend on the electrics, unlike heated washers;
there is no need to make any changes to the car's electrical system;
absence of any external changes, since traces of modification remain on the back of the hood.

By using natural heating, you save time and money and have an effective way to combat frozen windshield washer nozzles.

Whether to use this method or not is up to each individual. How do you solve the problem of freezing injectors? Share your experience.

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How it works

In winter, the windshield washer often fails. This is largely due to the fact that ordinary water or special liquids, but of low quality, are poured into the tank.

As a result, the system does not work because the water freezes, turns into ice, and clogs the nozzle tubes, as well as the nozzles themselves.

Some motorists, in order to avoid such troubles, use antifreeze for windshield washer in winter. The same antifreeze that is designed to operate the engine cooling system. Yes, the freezing threshold for this composition is higher. But globally this does not solve the problem. The liquid often freezes inside the nozzle (nozzle), which can negatively affect the operation of the washer motor and damage the entire system. We definitely don't need this.

In order for injectors to operate correctly at low temperatures, they require a heat source.

In favor of modern cars, we can say that the problem has been largely solved. This was done by installing a special heating system. That is, special sprayers are used, with a heating system already provided by the automaker.

But this heating of the liquid is not found on all cars.

I think it’s not difficult to figure out how to check whether the injectors have heating for your specific car. If they are frozen in winter and the nozzles need to be cleaned and adjusted, then there is probably no heating there.

A similar problem occurs for many cars:

Kia Rio;
Ford Focus;
Lada Vesta;
Lada Kalina;
VAZ 2114;
VAZ 2105;
Daewoo Nexia;
Renault Logan;
Lada Priora;
VAZ 2110, etc.

Just because there is a problem doesn't mean it can't be solved.

There are several ways. Let's consider them separately.

How to adjust washer jets

No specialized equipment or special skills are required to adjust the nozzles. All you need is a regular needle or pin. In order to figure out how to adjust the windshield washer nozzles, it is enough to understand that they have a spherical shape and rotate freely inside the plastic housing. So it's simple:

Feel free to insert the pin into the nozzle and begin to turn it in the direction you need.
If the liquid hits the glass too low, then twist the pin upward.
If the jet hits very hard, this can also be corrected with a needle.
On foreign cars, the injectors have 3 jets, which are best adjusted differently. The extreme ones should be at the lowest points, as they hit the sides of the car. It is better to direct the middle ones to the central part of the windshield, and the remaining central jets are better to direct to the upper part of the glass.

You can also clean the washer jets yourself.

How to clean washer nozzles

If the jets begin to work incorrectly, then most often the problem can be solved by cleaning these elements from contaminants. Before cleaning the windshield washer nozzles, prepare:

pin or sewing needle;
compressor;
large volume syringe;
soap and water.

Before work, it is recommended to check the level of cleaning fluid in the tank, since the jets may not work due to a missing washer. After this, you need to disconnect the washer nozzles from the hoses and slightly press on them until they rise.

Wash each nozzle in soapy water.
Connect the compressor, turn on the blower and process the nozzle under high pressure.
If you don’t have a compressor at hand, you can use a syringe into which you need to draw water.
Clean the holes using a regular needle or pin.
Insert the syringe into the nozzle and start flushing.

Of course, the compressor will be much more effective, but if the nozzles are severely clogged and do not allow liquid to flow, then with the help of improvised means you can at least temporarily solve the problem.

Another way is to leave the jets overnight in a soapy solution, and in the morning try to reuse the syringe or compressor. This will be useful in case of particularly severe old contamination.

How to replace washer nozzles

The process of replacing injectors is the same for all cars. Before starting work, it is necessary to prepare new hoses through which the “wash” will pass. A tube that is used for aquariums is well suited for these purposes.

After this, you need to complete the following steps:

Remove the upholstery and carefully pull out the plastic clips.
Remove the buffer foam pads. They are usually held in place by tape, so to reinstall them you will need to prepare some fresh duct tape.
Detach the covers on the plastic parts.
Remove the hoses through which the fluid is supplied.
Remove the old injectors.
Connect the pipe to the new jets.
Connect the check valve to the jet connections and pipes.
Check the system operation.

When replacing standard nozzles, it is also necessary to purchase a check valve, which will not allow the fluid to “roll back”, due to which the wipers often start working long before the cleaning composition appears on the glass.

Sometimes new washer nozzles do not work as expected (the fluid flows too high or low, offset to the side, etc.) and in this case additional adjustment of parts may be required.