Self filling washer bottle!

jej_knowles · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:09

I have an idea! Just wanted to see what other motorist think about it?
Imagine that you never had to fill your washer bottle with water again because the rain water that falls on your bonnet and windscreen was channeled into your washer bottle and and passes through a slowly soluble tablet of screen wash additive that would only need changing once a year ! I think it would be good for few reasons! Safety and environmentally !

NathWraith · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:12

filling up your washer bottle isn't hard or expensive though.

Then again a guy from sales managed to pour washer fluid in his brake fluid reservoir once. Lols ensued.

Howard · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:13

I'm intrigued. Tell me more about the financials.

Scania · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:14

NathWraith said:
filling up your washer bottle isn't hard or expensive though.

Then again a guy from sales managed to pour washer fluid in his brake fluid reservoir once. Lols ensued.

I know of "professional" drivers who have done many similar things.....

MikeHiow · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:17

I thought of this when I was about 7. My Dad and I implemented it on his Saab that very evening, by putting a little collector in the bottom of the scuttle panel.

The trouble is, you need to filter it well to stop you getting **** in there, which is probably a case of having an initial catch tank that overflows to the main unit as well as a gauze filter somewhere, that's probably always going to get blocked up.

Beyond that, you'd need some kind of vacuum drawn system to add some solution to the water as well.

That's probably why it hasn't been implemented - it doesn't solve that much of a problem compared with just topping it up every so often. Especially seeing as a lot of cars now seem to have washer tanks of 5L or more!

ubersonic · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:23

I dunno cleaning the windows with rain water sounds a bit silly to me, its hardly clean is it, plus you would have to put antifreeze in anyway.

Sin_Chase · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:24

Risk Versus Benefit

Risk:
Poor filtration putting particles/**** in system and destroying pump
Some vandal pouring something nasty in it

Benefit:
Not pouring water into it manually ever 2-3 months (depending on how much you lay on the spray)

Conclusion - Not worth it.

As mentioned also, you still need to dump anti-freeze/cleaning agent into the mix and that will eventually require top-ups.

jej_knowles · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:26

The time I think it would be most usefull is in winter when you are constantly washing the salt off the screen ! That's when its most dangerous to run out and visibility becomes an issue!
I also think the manufacturers would jump at it seeing as its another clever green bow to there string seeing as everyone is so green ! Lol

MikeHiow · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:32

No one will jump at it, as we've already stated, it's so complicated to do properly, it's easier just to fill up as normal.

TheVoice · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:34

I'd rather know that I'm pouring in clean water than have to worry about water filters or tablets or anything like that.

What next, windscreen washers with Brita Maxtra technology?

Scania · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:38

MikeHiow said:
I thought of this when I was about 7

You should have filed a patent.

jej_knowles · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:40

Look out for me on dragons den! That's if JML don't snap it up first ! !!!

Skeeter · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:41

A highly complicated solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Haggisman · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:42

Skeeter said:
A highly complicated solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

As with most "essential" products these days (hands free soap dispenser anyone? :rolleyes:

)

jej_knowles · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:52

MikeHiow said:
I thought of this when I was about 7. My Dad and I implemented it on his Saab that very evening, by putting a little collector in the bottom of the scuttle panel.

The trouble is, you need to filter it well to stop you getting **** in there, which is probably a case of having an initial catch tank that overflows to the main unit as well as a gauze filter somewhere, that's probably always going to get blocked up.

Beyond that, you'd need some kind of vacuum drawn system to add some solution to the water as well.

That's probably why it hasn't been implemented - it doesn't solve that much of a problem compared with just topping it up every so often. Especially seeing as a lot of cars now seem to have washer tanks of 5L or more!

I actually designed my system 15years ago as an apprentice project whilst working for BMW UK B-)

MikeHiow · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:53

Yet it was so awesome, it has been implemented on every BMW since....

Oh wait..

bledd · 18 Apr 2012 at 11:56

If there's a hole to let water in, it will evaporate out through this hole too. Plus, it's dirty rain water

MikeHiow · 18 Apr 2012 at 12:02

Rain water is actually quite clean - in fact usually cleaner than tap water once you've done some overflow filtering.

jej_knowles · 18 Apr 2012 at 12:04

Thanks for all the negative responses guys! You have obviously never run out of screen wash on the motorway in the middle of winter and had difficulty seeing where you were going!
Oh and there are millions of intentions in the world we could do without but we all seem to buy them! Or am I wrong?

MikeHiow · 18 Apr 2012 at 12:05

You're missing the point though, the easiest way not to run out is to simply fill it up before it runs out.

You'll have to add some screenwash solution anyway.

Add that to the additional complexity of the system and it just isn't worth it.