In what climates does one really need the washer tank heater? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

shertex · #1 07-21-2012, 08:29 PM

My 91 300D has the washer tank heater intact; my 92 300D has it bypassed since the thermostat wouldn't cut off and it was boiling off the washer fluid. That modification was done while we were in TX, where it certainly didn't seem to matter. Now in RI, I'm still not sure it matters. How cold does it have to get before you're really glad you have a washer tank heater??

What got me thinking about this was Kent Bergsma's recent tech video where he noted that he's seeing an increasing number of these heaters starting to leak....so you get either coolant in the washer fluid or, worse, washer fluid in the coolant.

97 SL320 · #2 07-21-2012, 09:18 PM

Since my SL won't see winters, I bypassed the washer heater and water heated base of windshield, unplugged the heater assist pump and added a ball valve to the inlet side of the heater core. ( The factory valve remains on the outlet side )

There is still a heated wire embedded in the washer hose and the nozzles have heaters but these remain untouched as I just have not gotten that far yet. If your car has these and you plan on winter driving, they will likely be enough. If your car does not, it will be like any other car that does not have any washer heat.

torsionbar · #3 07-22-2012, 12:22 AM

i don't think there's any climate where its "needed". maybe the south pole? or siberia? it's more of a nice-to-have, so that it clears your windshield more quickly in below freezing weather.

pawoSD · #4 07-22-2012, 09:24 AM

Its pretty handy in a Michigan blizzard....we use it on the 300E. My 420 has all that stuff but never sees winter....I'll probably bypass the washer tank heater at some point.

michaelwoodcock · #5 07-22-2012, 12:18 PM

Many cars, in many places don't need it, as you can commonly get windshield washer fluids that don't freeze to -20, -32, etc. but I think it may help in de-icing a windshield

Graplr · #6 07-22-2012, 01:23 PM

A few years ago my brother's washer tank froze in his Honda Civic. It is useful for me. I can buy the cheap stuff and not worry about it freezing versus spending a few dollars more to get the stuff that is good to -30 to -35f.

vstech · #7 07-22-2012, 05:39 PM

I've seen some winter mix here in NC where it would have been nice.

1" ice on the windshield, and more falling... My hot water on the windshield cleared it off, but the drive got plenty more building up as it fell.
this happened quickly, but EXTREMELY rarely in my area.
my point is, it's not needed often, but even in NC it comes in handy for a bad storm in the winter...

Hit Man X · #8 07-23-2012, 03:43 AM

I see it as an unnecessary item, I had the one in the 560 and the 300SEL fail on me... it was a serious PITA to get home without overheating. I bypassed them and never looked back.

shertex · #9 07-23-2012, 05:18 PM

So how does this thing work, anyway? Does the thermostat control a valve that opens or closes depending on the temp of the washer fluid?

eatont9999 · #10 07-23-2012, 05:37 PM

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Since you are in RI, you should be using the washer fluid that is rated for very low temps anyway. When I lived in MA, we would run the regular blue spit in the summer and the yellow/orange spit in the winter. It is a driving hazard to use anything else because it will freeze when it hits the windshield and block your view. The blue spit is good for just below freezing but not much more. You'll be good until November-ish before you need to change it out.

For anyone not familiar with New England driving during the winter, washer fluid is important to clean the salt spray off the windshield during and after a storm. As far as ice, frost or snow, stick to a brush, ice chipper and the defroster.

shertex · #11 07-23-2012, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eatont9999

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Since you are in RI, you should be using the washer fluid that is rated for very low temps anyway. When I lived in MA, we would run the regular blue spit in the summer and the yellow/orange spit in the winter. It is a driving hazard to use anything else because it will freeze when it hits the windshield and block your view. The blue spit is good for just below freezing but not much more. You'll be good until November-ish before you need to change it out.

For anyone not familiar with New England driving during the winter, washer fluid is important to clean the salt spray off the windshield during and after a storm. As far as ice, frost or snow, stick to a brush, ice chipper and the defroster.

That's interesting. I use the blue stuff from Walmart that's rated to -20F. Is the yellow/orange stuff better?

eatont9999 · #12 07-24-2012, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shertex

That's interesting. I use the blue stuff from Walmart that's rated to -20F. Is the yellow/orange stuff better?

The stuff I used to use was rated to something like -35F. I always had frost issues with the blue stuff even when it was only 20F out. I lived in the upper NE corner of MA for a while and it was not uncommon to have -10F mornings in the dead of winter.

Of course frosting is not as bad if your defroster is on and the car is up to temp but sometimes that can take 10-15 minutes if it is really cold out.

JB3 · #13 07-24-2012, 11:29 AM

as a fellow rhode islander, id say its just another one of those perks in a luxury car that eventually breaks, and you didn't really need it anyway.

as long as the washerfluid is a proper mix for cold weather, and its unlikely to break -20 where we live, this seems like something unnecessary.