Running ww fluid dry

[mjoekingz28]

Does anyone see the potential harm in running the windshield washer reservoir out before refilling?


I know they are supposed to be compatible, but I want to run this batch completely out before I add new. I have run it dry in the past with seemingly no harm- just purge the air until it flows again.


Does it even matter?

Or can we split this hair?

 

[901Memphis]

Some fluid pumps don't like running dry but I'm not sure about this type

 

[Bgallagher]

I would run it till it's low and fill it with the new stuff you have. Splitting hairs

 

[JHZR2]

I ant imagine there is any chemistry in there that harmful or reactive that a mix should be avoided.

That said, my greatest concern would be the pump being dry and overheating.

 

[901Memphis]

My Buick has a low washer fluid light on the dash to warn you before you run it dry, unfortunately it recently stopped working and I don't plan on searching for a fix but I miss it

 

[mmab]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
My Buick has a low washer fluid light on the dash to warn you before you run it dry, unfortunately it recently stopped working and I don't plan on searching for a fix but I miss it


You should check the windshield fluid that you are using. RainX has a bad reputation for creating a film on the sensors, making them go bad - check the product reviews on amazon.

 

[RedOakRanch]

Won't hurt anything unless you hold the switch on for several minutes after dry. But if you do that you shouldn't be driving!

 

[Nick1994]

Some cars you can reach down and pop out the pump, so that you can just drain all the old fluid out. That would be much faster than pumping it through.

 

[Leo99]

Years ago cars had very small ww fluid tanks to my recollection. Nowadays, the tanks seem very large. I keep my full but I'd imagine it would take a year or two to run it empty. I use the blue stuff from the grocery store.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Yes Leo99,

They seem to hold near a gallon AND have such a nice 'injector' atomization that it appears they are quite stingy and can do alot with a few drops.

i think I bought my first +32 Fahrenheit formula the other day. I just want to try it out. I have mostly hated the stuff because WWF seems to be the forgotten fluid and it is so easy to forget to change over to winter blend when the time comes.....it has almost seemed pointless (and even dangerous) to even offer a summer (no freeze protection) fluid.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Never thought to just add distilled.


I hope it does not have a higher viscosity (or something) than wwf and jam up the jets or do any damage.

 

[Delta]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
i think I bought my first +32 Fahrenheit formula the other day. I just want to try it out. I have mostly hated the stuff because WWF seems to be the forgotten fluid and it is so easy to forget to change over to winter blend when the time comes.....it has almost seemed pointless (and even dangerous) to even offer a summer (no freeze protection) fluid.


Even when I lived in Newton Co Mississippi I never changed my washer fluid to a summer blend. It got quite a few people a couple years ago when lows were 10* for a couple nights. Even the 0* stuff froze on me that week. Been using -25* since, although the parts counter guy at Napa thought I was nuts ordering that when I lived in MS...

 

[ryanschillinger]

When I was testing for the culprit of my Civic's streaking on the windshield, I disconnected the hose from the squirters and pumped the reservoir dry into an empty container. Refilled with plain water, and flushed it clean. Then refilled with a different brand washer fluid and no more streaks! Weird, because that same fluid that streaked on the Civic worked perfectly fine on the Corolla. Couldn't figure that one out...

 

[Silverado12]

FWIW I use water in the summer.