MOGolf
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2001
- Location
- underneath something
- TDI
- 2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
Note: I am not associated with any company mentioned here. This is not a solicited, nor paid for, endorsement.
Since I didn't get the cold weather package on mine, I don't have heated windscreen washer nozzles. From what I understand, the heating only keeps them from freezing up in the cold weather. I've not had that problem anyway. However, I have had the fluid freeze on the windscreen once dispensed.
As I was wandering through the net one day, some time ago, I came across the product Safe-Vue from Rostra Precision Controls, Inc. This device is claimed to heat the washer fluid to a maximum of 170*F in 2.5 to 3 minutes. It is supposed to heat the fluid to 50*F in the first 90 seconds.
So I said, let's give a try. They do not list the '01 VW Golf as an application but by selecting various other models it looks like "one size fits all". I called and ordered kit #250-6652.
The kit arrived just a couple of days later. The contents are:
A warranty tag
The heater with lugged earth wire, power wire with integral weathertight 15A fuse, and integrated mounting bracket
A bag with a short piece of tubing, 4 tubing connectors (2 with small diameter on both ends and 2 with large and small ends), and 4 mounting screws
A bag with a spare fuse, medium length piece of tubing and 2 longer mounting screws
A long piece of tubing
Instructions
Next was to decide the mounting location. Well, ok, I already knew where to mount it. Several months ago I called and got general dimensions of the heater. With that knowledge I determined that the only real place to mount it on my A4 was in the wheel well area behind the right front wing. So I lifted the car and supported it, removed the right front wheel, removed the 12 T-25 Torx screws that hold the liner in place, then the liner. There is a space just large enough for the heater back towards the door and below the side turn signal lamp.
Conveniently located here is a stud that will serve as the mounting point for the heater. This is also where the washer fluid tubing passes through from the engine compartment/plenum to loop up to the nozzles on the bonnet as seen at the top of the picture. The wiring to the signal lamp is located here, too.
I disconnected the signal lamp to avoid cutting it while using a sharp utility knife to cut the existing washer tubing. Then I inserted a tubing connector from the kit (small diameter on both halves) into the short piece of tubing that came with the kit and then pushed it into one half of the sliced tubing (seen mostly installed). Note: this takes firm, slow insertion so you don't break the tubing connector. The car's tubing is more rigid than the kit's tubing. Then I repeated that for the other half of the spliced tubing with a suitable length of tubing cut from the other tubing in the kit.
I mounted the heater to the stud, pushing the earth lug on first, and using a M6x1.0 nut. The weathertight fuse was pushed through the opening into the plenum. The tubing from the washer pump was pushed onto the inlet tube to the heater (closest to the bracket) and the tubing to the nozzles was pushed onto the outlet. I have also added a couple of wireties pulled tight around these tubing connections to increase friction (not pictured). The tubing is not flared, and the inlet side blew off once since installation. Hopefully that won't happen again.
Having completed that part of the installation it was time to move on to the wiring. Since the heater needs a source of electrical supply that is hot only when the ignition is on, I decided to run the wiring to the 75X connection at the base of the relay panel. If you are not familiar with this panel, see this thread.
To run the wire to that location requires removing the plenum cover and that means removing the wipers and wiper linkage. Start by removing the little round caps (they just pry off) over the wiper securing nuts. Then remove the wiper securing nuts with a 13mm socket. Then remove the wiper arms from the wiper linkage. They just pull off (may be difficult). DO NOT do anything to pry against the windscreen glass nor allow the wiper arms to spring back against it. Remove the long rubber strip along the engine compartment edge of the cover (it just pulls off) and remove the pollen filter cover (4 screws that may be Phillips or Torx head). At the base of the A-pillar on each side, on the inside of the wing panel are plastic trim pieces. They pull off to remove. Next grasp the plenum cover along the windscreen edge at one side of the car and pull it away from the windscreen. DO NOT do anything to pry against the glass. Just pull it straight away and then work your way across the car. Lift off the cover and place aside. Next remove the wiper linkage by removing the (3) 13mm head mounting bolts, disconnect the motor wiring, and lifting out.
Once you've got this far, you'll see the cover for where the wiring passes into the passenger compartment above the relay panel. Unsnap the lid and lift out. On one side is a seal with wires running through and the other seal has no wires (assuming North American stock configuration). I poked a hole in the no-wire seal and pushed a wire through it and down to the relay panel as seen in this picture.
I ran the wire across the plenum and secured it in several places with wire ties. A simple butt connector was used to join the wire to the heater wire. The connector was then encased in sealant from Radio Shack (the roll can be seen at the lower right of this picture.
Before completing the wiring, I operated the washer pump until the fluid squirted onto the windscreen. This fills the heater. The instructions clearly state to do this and there is a big caution to NEVER allow the system to run out of fluid. If you do, it will damage the unit.
I completed the wiring by using a splice connector to attach the wire to another wire I already had attached to the 75X terminal. If you don't have one, just use a ring connector and secure the wire to the 75X terminal. Once connected, turn the ignition on and wait a couple of minutes. You should be able to feel warmth when touching the heater.
If it does not get warm, trouble shoot the wiring connections. If it gets warm, then reassemble everything in reverse sequence of disassembly. Be sure to tighten the wiper nuts to 15 ft-lbs. and the lug bolts to 87-89 ft-lbs and lower the car back to ground level.
Thus completes the Rostra Safe-Vue Heater installation.
I'll have to report back when it gets cold and let you know how well it really works.
Since I didn't get the cold weather package on mine, I don't have heated windscreen washer nozzles. From what I understand, the heating only keeps them from freezing up in the cold weather. I've not had that problem anyway. However, I have had the fluid freeze on the windscreen once dispensed.
As I was wandering through the net one day, some time ago, I came across the product Safe-Vue from Rostra Precision Controls, Inc. This device is claimed to heat the washer fluid to a maximum of 170*F in 2.5 to 3 minutes. It is supposed to heat the fluid to 50*F in the first 90 seconds.
So I said, let's give a try. They do not list the '01 VW Golf as an application but by selecting various other models it looks like "one size fits all". I called and ordered kit #250-6652.
The kit arrived just a couple of days later. The contents are:
A warranty tag
The heater with lugged earth wire, power wire with integral weathertight 15A fuse, and integrated mounting bracket
A bag with a short piece of tubing, 4 tubing connectors (2 with small diameter on both ends and 2 with large and small ends), and 4 mounting screws
A bag with a spare fuse, medium length piece of tubing and 2 longer mounting screws
A long piece of tubing
Instructions
Next was to decide the mounting location. Well, ok, I already knew where to mount it. Several months ago I called and got general dimensions of the heater. With that knowledge I determined that the only real place to mount it on my A4 was in the wheel well area behind the right front wing. So I lifted the car and supported it, removed the right front wheel, removed the 12 T-25 Torx screws that hold the liner in place, then the liner. There is a space just large enough for the heater back towards the door and below the side turn signal lamp.
Conveniently located here is a stud that will serve as the mounting point for the heater. This is also where the washer fluid tubing passes through from the engine compartment/plenum to loop up to the nozzles on the bonnet as seen at the top of the picture. The wiring to the signal lamp is located here, too.
I disconnected the signal lamp to avoid cutting it while using a sharp utility knife to cut the existing washer tubing. Then I inserted a tubing connector from the kit (small diameter on both halves) into the short piece of tubing that came with the kit and then pushed it into one half of the sliced tubing (seen mostly installed). Note: this takes firm, slow insertion so you don't break the tubing connector. The car's tubing is more rigid than the kit's tubing. Then I repeated that for the other half of the spliced tubing with a suitable length of tubing cut from the other tubing in the kit.
I mounted the heater to the stud, pushing the earth lug on first, and using a M6x1.0 nut. The weathertight fuse was pushed through the opening into the plenum. The tubing from the washer pump was pushed onto the inlet tube to the heater (closest to the bracket) and the tubing to the nozzles was pushed onto the outlet. I have also added a couple of wireties pulled tight around these tubing connections to increase friction (not pictured). The tubing is not flared, and the inlet side blew off once since installation. Hopefully that won't happen again.
Having completed that part of the installation it was time to move on to the wiring. Since the heater needs a source of electrical supply that is hot only when the ignition is on, I decided to run the wiring to the 75X connection at the base of the relay panel. If you are not familiar with this panel, see this thread.
To run the wire to that location requires removing the plenum cover and that means removing the wipers and wiper linkage. Start by removing the little round caps (they just pry off) over the wiper securing nuts. Then remove the wiper securing nuts with a 13mm socket. Then remove the wiper arms from the wiper linkage. They just pull off (may be difficult). DO NOT do anything to pry against the windscreen glass nor allow the wiper arms to spring back against it. Remove the long rubber strip along the engine compartment edge of the cover (it just pulls off) and remove the pollen filter cover (4 screws that may be Phillips or Torx head). At the base of the A-pillar on each side, on the inside of the wing panel are plastic trim pieces. They pull off to remove. Next grasp the plenum cover along the windscreen edge at one side of the car and pull it away from the windscreen. DO NOT do anything to pry against the glass. Just pull it straight away and then work your way across the car. Lift off the cover and place aside. Next remove the wiper linkage by removing the (3) 13mm head mounting bolts, disconnect the motor wiring, and lifting out.
Once you've got this far, you'll see the cover for where the wiring passes into the passenger compartment above the relay panel. Unsnap the lid and lift out. On one side is a seal with wires running through and the other seal has no wires (assuming North American stock configuration). I poked a hole in the no-wire seal and pushed a wire through it and down to the relay panel as seen in this picture.
I ran the wire across the plenum and secured it in several places with wire ties. A simple butt connector was used to join the wire to the heater wire. The connector was then encased in sealant from Radio Shack (the roll can be seen at the lower right of this picture.
Before completing the wiring, I operated the washer pump until the fluid squirted onto the windscreen. This fills the heater. The instructions clearly state to do this and there is a big caution to NEVER allow the system to run out of fluid. If you do, it will damage the unit.
I completed the wiring by using a splice connector to attach the wire to another wire I already had attached to the 75X terminal. If you don't have one, just use a ring connector and secure the wire to the 75X terminal. Once connected, turn the ignition on and wait a couple of minutes. You should be able to feel warmth when touching the heater.
If it does not get warm, trouble shoot the wiring connections. If it gets warm, then reassemble everything in reverse sequence of disassembly. Be sure to tighten the wiper nuts to 15 ft-lbs. and the lug bolts to 87-89 ft-lbs and lower the car back to ground level.
Thus completes the Rostra Safe-Vue Heater installation.
I'll have to report back when it gets cold and let you know how well it really works.
