wiper fluid frozen?
 

Hit about -10 to 10 degrees the last couple of days in NYC. I tried turning on my wiper fluids to clean the windshield but nothing came out. The wipers still wiped. I thought maybe I used some generic brand that didn't have anti-freeze.

I go home and the bucket I left outside still has fluid in it... not frozen. This wiper fluid pump worked perfectly fine a couple of days prior to it going below freezing.

Has anybody else has this issue?

Not really, not in this car.

However, back in the day, I have had the nozzels clog up and I cleared them by sticking a needle in the tips.

You might consider draining the wiper fluid tank and filling it with fresh stuff ..... maybe it got too much water in it along the way ..... :iono:

humfrz

Its happened to me as of late. Its fairly normal actually.

same thing happened to me... im pretty sure the nozzles were clogged with ice rather than the washer fluid freezing... unless you have really cheap washer fluid

This can happen with any strength of fluid. What happens is the methanol evaporates out of the tiny hole in the jet and the remaining water freezes, blocking the jet. The remaining fluid in the lines and tank doesn't freeze because the methanol only evaporates out of the very end of the system where it is exposed to the air.

Some cars heat their washer jets to deal with this problem. Most rely on the pressure popping the tiny ice plug out. Sometimes the ice plug sticks until the washer jet warms up a little.

Same problem washing a very cold windshield. The washer fluid cleans fine and doesn't freeze while doing so. However, shortly afterwards the methanol evaporates out of the thin fluid film remaining on the windshield and then the water freezes obscuring your view.

Washer fluid is pretty much useless below minus 5C (23F approx) until the car interior warms the windshield. Doesn't matter how strong it is because the more methanol the faster the methanol evaporates leaving some water behind.

Pure methanol would work but it isn't economical. Actually, ethanol also works as does isopropyl alcohol. Each alcohol has a different freeze point and a different antifreeze effect when mixed with water.

Put a little vodka in with the washer fluid. I shit you not.

Polar Vortex. You really need to wash your windows when its -10 outside?

Mines been really good, sometimes it takes a few seconds to penetrate the 5" of ice and snow I was to lazy to wipe off after clearing the windshield, but all good.

So, that's what ya'll do, down in NC, with a bad batch of shine .... :D

humfrz

Oh me and the jet fuel do not get along! Last time I touched the 'shine was shortly after I moved here at some bonfire party. I wound up on a four wheeler with an ex stripper from charlotte who was baffled that I didn't know what the hell a pair of "carhartt's" were, confused on why I didn't own anything in "mossy oak" and who tried to educate me on why some guy named brad paisley was an amazing singer. Then I passed out at a waffle house @ 615 in the morning. Not my proudest moment.

Yep, those Southern bonfire parties can get rough ..... http://www.runemasterstudios.com/gra...umbledance.gif

Reminds me of the time, outside of Beckley, West Virginia, .... ahhhhh ...... that's about all I remember ..... http://www.runemasterstudios.com/gra...ges/twitch.gif

humfrz

when there's salt residue and white streaks all over your windshield, impairing visibility especially at night when there's oncoming traffic with their headlights hitting you.... yes washing the windows would be nice.

just noticed your from TX... never mind my whole argument haha

Interesting point... but any reason the same fluid works in my 2003 corolla?

lol, yeah, I don't know what its like. :( I was curious though. That makes sense. We'd be lucky to have roads ice over. That's about it. Even then, everything gets shut down at that point because people can't already drive here when it rains.

I actually use more wiper fluid in winter than in spring/summer/fall. The crap that gets kicked up on our windshields in cold weather states during the winter is hell and we have to constantly clear them. As soon as you run out of fluid, the gunk just smears across the windshield rendering them useless. That's when you refill immediately, but in the meantime you tailgate the guy in front of you hoping that his tires kick up enough liquid from the road that you can use to clear your windshield!

It's because inevitably in the winter, in a place that salts heavily, your car eventually looks like this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...r_P1020038.jpg

I used to wash my cars weekly. They still looked like that at times, during the winter.

Every car is a bit different.

On my SAAB for example the windshield jets never freeze. The hatch jet routinely freezes. Same fluid in the same reservoir and in the same car.

My Audi never froze because the jets were heated together with the side mirrors and rear defroster.

By eventually he actually means as soon as you drive it.

Before you even get into the road. It looks that way the second you leave the garage.

hahhaha i know that feeling, but too bad the liquid he kicks up usually comes with rocks and salt as well.

I live in NYC also and this happened to me a couple weeks ago.... Literally drain out your washer fluid by just holding the sticks nod letting it hit the window until it's all gone... Get some wiper fluid from the gas station that stays good past -25 or whatever they claim. You will be golden. The way to get it to come out is to just drive so the engine bay will heat up and then it will warm the fluid making it able to be dispersed on the window. Hope this helps
- mike

I totally get what youre saying, I used to live in Massachusetts. That's why I said throw a little vodka in there. Our neighbors growing up were transplants from Maine. He saw me messing with my jeep one day, trying to get it unfrozen and told they used to put cheap vodka in their company trucks reservoir tanks to keep the windshield fluid from freezing. It worked but I thought he was nuts or just some drunk lol. 12 years later and living in North Carolina I'm watching top gear one night and james may is talking about their arctic truck and how they added vodka to the windshield wiper fluid to keep it from freezing lol.

Tax on even cheap vodka is expensive. You want denatured alcohol. Or find a friendly doctor, preferably forensic pathologist. They got good alcohols available and cheap.

Mine have been frozen all week. :(

I opened this thread and noticed the name at the top and was worried for a second!

What are you guys using for fluid if it's getting frozen? Most of the de-icer stuff is good to 25 below. Rain-X/Prestone, doesn't matter. Stuff works and it's worthwhile. Plus you can get lazy and just spray your frosted-over windshield (if that's all there was on it) without doing any scraping.

It was -14 when I got in the car this morning, with a windchill warning in effect, which means at least 30 below. Only time washer fluid froze on me was with my last car upon delivery from the dealer. Their fill was water.

I just had the fluid freeze on me for the first time in my entire time as a licensed driver.
Just wanted to give thanks for the cheap vodka idea.

(I'm left wondering what in the world the dealer may have used for washer fluid when I took delivery of the car earlier this year)

Reminded me of this....wiper whiskey dispenser.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xv3Bpz5U_o"]The whiskey wiper - YouTube[/ame]

Vodka may work well as a deicer, but I'm wondering what it does to your paint. I think I'll stick with the stuff that's designed for the windshield washer. Oh, and drink the vodka!

Vodka? Jeez, in 2 years no one considered just going to the parts store and getting a bottle of Heet? Pretty sure it's just alcohol of one shape or another.

As far as worrying about vodka on paint, windshield washer fluid already has alcohol in it.

Ah, good thread... Reminds me of living in Alaska..

Ever see what happens to washer fluid at -40?

...Or vodka for that matter...

-40 degrees F or C .....?? (just kidding....;))

Yes vodka on the rocks, at that temperature, the vodka IS the rocks ..... :D


humfrz

Had to look it up. Spartarus keeps me humble. I dig that.

Make sure its what this guy drinks.
http://images-cdn.9gag.com/photo/6145901_700b.jpg

Some vinegar will work too if you don't mind the odor, but you can also just buy fluid that won't freeze in the winter unless you live deep in Siberia. I just picked some up last night after my stock fluid froze in the morning.