I think my washer fluid has frozen

[dparm]

Since my car has spent its whole life in California, it probably doesn't have the cold weather washer fluid. This morning, I went to spray the window and got about 1 second of fluid before it just stopped completely. No warning light about fluid being low, and I noticed that the stuff I did spray turned to ice/slush very quickly on the window. So now I'm left with the dilemma of how to thaw the existing fluid. It won't be above freezing for at least a week.

One idea I had was to buy a bottle of fluid, get it as hot as possible, then pour it into the fill hole and hope that it starts to melt and "dilute" the stuff that's already there. I'd then run the washer fluid until the tank was dry, and refill it with the correct cold weather fluid.

The tank itself is in the fender and you can't get it out without removing the entire fender and wheel. Perhaps I can just get a hair dryer/heat gun and try to soften it that way?

Thoughts?

 

[michaelluscher]

Hot water.
Then, Look for one of the hoses along the bulkhead, fender's, or at the cowl edge of the hood, And try and find one that goes to the sprayers, Disconnect it, and flush out whats in there that way.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Can you tell how full the reservoir is? I like the idea of thoroughly warming an amount plain water and pouring what you can down into the reservoir. Let it thaw what's there, and then evacuate it out with a hand pump and pour in cold weather washer fluid.

 

[Charlie1935]

Rubbing alcohol helps to prevent freezing. I've used it for years with no paint damage to the vehicle.

 

[AandPDan]

If it was the blue stuff it's pretty much useless in winter.

The problem you may have is that the lines are clogged, especially the nozzle. It's not just the tank you have to heat. How about a leaving a light burning under the hood or fender, or both. It might give off just enough heat. A heated garage would be the best option, if you can find one.

Once you do get it defrosted, empty all the old stuff and put in fresh fluid. Rainx and Prestone, amongst others, make a good cold weather fluid.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Can you tell how full the reservoir is? I like the idea of thoroughly warming an amount plain water and pouring what you can down into the reservoir. Let it thaw what's there, and then evacuate it out with a hand pump and pour in cold weather washer fluid.



Nope. The reservoir is buried in the fender and even the fill tube is opaque so you can't see down there.

 

[cutter]

I had this issue before. I kept dumping in 91% isopropyl till it was full. After a drive from Philly to NYC, it was sufficient enough to turn it back into a liquid state. However, using the washer fluid made it smell like I was inebriated.

 

[OVERKILL]

The reason you got the initial spray is likely because you have heated nozzles so the fluid in that part of the lines was already warmed up. Once it hit the windshield, it cooled and slushed on you.

I'd buy the correct fluid, warm it, and then dump it in. Get a fair deal of it out and then top it off. The good winter stuff has a really low freezing point, so even if slightly diluted by the summer stuff, it still won't freeze on you.

 

[qdeezie]

If you have a garage, just stick it in the garage with a space heater for a few hours or overnight.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: qdeezie
If you have a garage, just stick it in the garage with a space heater for a few hours or overnight.



Garage is unheated and exposed to the outside (it's a parking garage/structure).

I think I'll try the heated fluid or heated isopropyl alcohol idea, then flush it out and replace. I already bought two bottles of new fluid with -20 F protection so that should be sufficient.

Thanks to all who validated my original idea.

 

[SOHCman]

Used some rubbing alchol and it thawed it out after awhile.

 

[Klutch9]

Dparm, I just had this same problem with my Sedona. It too was from a warm-weather state, and the first time it dropped below freezing this year, the nozzles did not work. Since the tank was half empty, I just topped off with the -20 fluid and I haven't had a problem since.

I'm guessing that if you take a longer trip, the frozen fluid in the lines should melt from the engine heat. If/when it does, purge it out completely (long spray cycle), then refill with the winter stuff. I thought I was going to have to do this, but the weather got back above freezing the day this happened to me.

 

[djb]

Any damage is already done.

Just pour the correct winter washer fluid into the reservoir. It will melt the frozen fluid in a few hours.

In most of populated California (Sierra region excepted) it's illegal to sell freeze-resistant washer fluid. Absurdly large fines have been levied against stores that sold traditional fluid.

This ban was entirely driven by paper calculations, not by real-life results. Winter washer fluid has alcohol added. Alcohol is a volatile compound. One that's very common, naturally occurring, mostly harmless and released in vastly larger quantities by rotting biomass. But it still counts as a volatile emission. In order to meet the paper goals of reduced emissions, especially 'automotive emissions', they decided washer fluid counted (!) and banned it.

It's absurd.

Few consumers understand why their windshield washer system doesn't work as well and cracks in cold weather. It's fine in L.A., and usually fine in typically mild parts around San Francisco. But recently it's been well below freezing at night. A few nights ago it was 22F in Scotts Valley, and not much above freezing during the day.

 

[OVERKILL]

Just checked and yes, your car has heated nozzles as standard equipment. I have them and they are wonderful in the winter. IIRC they are controlled by an external temp sensor on the vehicle (like the mirror heaters).

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Isn't most of the blue stuff mostly rubbing alcohol?

I need to buy a few more gallons of the de-icing fluid. Not that I use it to deice the windshield, but the stuff always freezes when trying to wash salt spray off the window.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Just checked and yes, your car has heated nozzles as standard equipment. I have them and they are wonderful in the winter. IIRC they are controlled by an external temp sensor on the vehicle (like the mirror heaters).



Yes, I figured as much when I saw that the nozzles themselves are not clogged.



Originally Posted By: Miller88
Isn't most of the blue stuff mostly rubbing alcohol?

I need to buy a few more gallons of the de-icing fluid. Not that I use it to deice the windshield, but the stuff always freezes when trying to wash salt spray off the window.


The color has nothing to do with it, really. Some are orange, some green, purple, etc.

 

[Rand]

-20 isnt even that low.. thats the cheapest winter fluid.

they have -25 -30 and -35 here.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Rand
-20 isnt even that low.. thats the cheapest winter fluid.

they have -25 -30 and -35 here.


The Petro-Canada stuff is -45C (roughly -50F)

 

[Rand]

had to get out the shakeweight

and empty my reservoir .. was still mostly summer stuff. green+pink = nasty color?

refilled with fresh -30 pink stuff.

the big difference is that since its wet.. its susceptible to "wind chill effect"

so on that 5F day.. driving 45.. the -20f stuff freezes easily.

heated nozzles help abit though.

 

[dparm]

Meh, the -20 F stuff is fine. I don't even remember the last time it was that cold in Chicago, and I've lived here for nearly 3 decades.