washer fluid makes no sense

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bowlofturtle

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I've had my infiniti for like 5 years now. Never had this issue in this or any other car.

Here in chicago, its near freezing. More towards 0 degrees F and wind chills of -10 some days.

This is my first time using cheap dollar store washer fluid but bottle claims good for -20. I park in a indoor garage at work, its not heated but it is about 50-60 degrees and i park at home inside a garage again should be above freezing.


I start my car and activate my wipers/ washer fluid. It works all fine, i start driving and on my way to work on the highway going about 60-75mph. I go and activate fluid for a wipe and no fluid comes out, pump is working. Nothing comes out. I dont force it fear it might burn out the pump. Got to work and checked around. Nothing no leaks nothing broken, pump works but no fluid is out. Go to work for 8 hours. Come back and it works! Pull out the garage and still working. Check the while on the highway SAME THING. Got home same still not working. Rinse and repeat for the 2nd day in a row now.

WTH, honestly if i someone told me this i would say they are BSing but i'm seeing this in real life! I bought better fluid marked for winter temps to -32 and only got about 1/2 gallon in there before it topped off.

No way could be driving at 70mph cause the fluid to freeze that quickly.
 
If you're buying dollar store stuff, it could easily be blue water. Just look at the motor oils they sell.

Get the yellow Prestone de-icer.
 
I've never had a problem with the Prestone Deicer.

Think "wind chill" on your freeze up.
 
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Ok i have no experience with intense winters.

But why dont you try putting few ml of glass cleaner fluid into the washer fluid, it might lower the freezing point.

I do this for normal conditions, but i think this might help for winter conditions.
 
Originally Posted By: AandPDan
I've never had a problem with the Prestone Deicer.

Think "wind chill" on your freeze up.


Actually "wind chill" only effects things that create heat like a human.

If it was 0F outside and you put a block of steel in your back yard it would get to and stay at 0F regardless of no wind or 50 MPH wind. For a human, the wind will pull heat from your body at a faster rate than no wind.
 
Washer fluid evaporates. That right there lowers the temperature. Coupled with the flow of air from a moving car, the fluid will freeze faster than it would with no wind.
 
I've always used cheap washer fluid from Walmart with no problems. I am wary of any dollar store chemicals.
 
Originally Posted By: Bandito440
If you're buying dollar store stuff, it could easily be blue water. Just look at the motor oils they sell.

Get the yellow Prestone de-icer.


I think they just give me Blue water. I figured they just bought closed out stuff because i never saw it there again. It was one of those "hey look, i'm low on fluid anyways". It has the normal windex smell.

I cant see my washer bottle only the neck. My belly pan is blocking my view from under. I've just never had this happen where it works and then its doesn't.

Yellow de-icer is next.

If i keep activating the pump and nothing comes out, do i burn up the motor? Kinda like how fuel lubes the fuel pump.
 
I only had a problem with blue washer fluid freeze up when I was in the Adirondacks. It froze in the lines, the tank itself was fine.
 
Originally Posted By: AandPDan
Washer fluid evaporates. That right there lowers the temperature. Coupled with the flow of air from a moving car, the fluid will freeze faster than it would with no wind.



Yup, this. Mine at least makes it through the nozzles to meet its untimely freezing moments after smearing all over my windscreen.

I've also seen blue water marketed as windshield fluid, "Down to zero degrees C!!!" during the carefully selected months of May and June, where they hope you'll run out before frost.
 
Originally Posted By: mclasser
I've always used cheap washer fluid from Walmart with no problems. I am wary of any dollar store chemicals.


And you have to be careful with that... here, WalMart sells a 'summer' version and a 'winter' version of the blue WW fluid.

I only buy the 'winter' version.
 
Sometimes, in cold wet weather when the car is sitting, the water wicks into the small nozzles (capillary action) and freezes up. Now you have a plug of ice blocking the good fluid from coming out. Many times, all I have to do is unfreeze the nozzles to get the washer fluid working again.

With unknown fluid, I'll take a sample and set it in my freezer (calibrated at 0°F) for 24 hours to see what type of blue fluid it truly is.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: AandPDan
I've never had a problem with the Prestone Deicer.

Think "wind chill" on your freeze up.


Actually "wind chill" only effects things that create heat like a human.

If it was 0F outside and you put a block of steel in your back yard it would get to and stay at 0F regardless of no wind or 50 MPH wind. For a human, the wind will pull heat from your body at a faster rate than no wind.


Not sure i understand your logic there.

It is common for your washer jets to freeze when driving along if your washer fluid is not up to the job or is filled with water as many do.

The reason the jets freeze after the first use is simply due to the air rushing over them at speed. Or wind chill.

Hence why heated washer jets came into being. To prevent the cold wind from freezing in the washer jets when driving along. Not to provide heated up washer fluid on the windscreen. Though it may be slightly warmer than it normally would be perhaps.
 
Wind chill only applies to exposed skin. It has no bearing on washer fluid.

I wonder if your pump is flaking out.
 
Originally Posted By: AandPDan
Washer fluid evaporates. That right there lowers the temperature. Coupled with the flow of air from a moving car, the fluid will freeze faster than it would with no wind.



I think you are confusing few things here. There are only two scenarios where wind could bring windshield washer fluid temp. lower than dry bulb.
1. If the fluid container is wet on the outside.
2. The container has large open area wher the wind could blow over the surface of the fluid, just the same as blowing on a hot cup of tea, you don't blow on the cup, but on the surface of the tea.

Since neither of these are a normal occurrence when it comes to washer fluid and the container openings n most cars are small and are capped off, the fluid temp. will stay the same as ambient, dry bulb temp.
 
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Nobody said it went to a lower temperature than dry bulb and we're not talking the fluid in the tank.

As you spray the washer fluid it begins to evaporate at the nozzle and in doing so it cools, fast. It was warmer sitting in the tank, under the hood.

Did you ever blow on a hot cup of coffee to cool it?
 
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