windshield washer fluid sold in the south

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beware - some of it sold in the major grocery chains is only good to 25 degrees F. Almost useless. Blue like other brands- just does give much freeze protection-
when I complained the gro store manager said "Gee 25 degrees is not even below freezing (!!!!)
 
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
...the gro store manager said "Gee 25 degrees is not even below freezing (!!!!)

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488 ml (16.5 oz) isopropyl alcohol
+ 162 ml (5.5 oz) methanol
+ 350 (12 oz) ml water
__________________________________
= 1 liter generic (VW/Audi formula) washer fluid
 
WM somtimes has Peak 0° fluid in my area, but I have never seen the -15° blue that was the cheapest stuff you could get when I lived in IA.

I dealt w/ that a few months ago driving to MN where the highs were still below 0° during the day when I got there. A bottle of 90% isopropyl alcohol and a day's worth of waiting later my ICEE-like washer fluid was thin enough to spray again.
 
That's nothing.

When I was in California a few months back, I saw stuff that was rated for 32 degrees.

Normal water with some dish soap will probably have a lower freezing point! Keep in mind that regular pure water freezes at 32 degrees.
 
I haven't bought a gallon of washer fluid in forever. I used to swear by the yellow and orange Prestone blends for ice and bugs. But now, I just mix a little concentrated Windex in with plain tap water. Works great for me, doesn't seem to reduce the life of wiper blades, and dries streak-free. Works pretty good on smaller bugs, not so much on junebugs and the like, but multiple sprays and swipes seem to take care of even those. I don't even go by a formula. If the bottle is empty I pour in a couple swallows of the Windex concentrate, fill to 90% full with the garden hose, then shake the car from side to side to simulate mixing for my neurological issues. Never a problem.
 
I bought a half gallon or so (think it's 64oz, have to go look and see...zzz...yep, 64) back in 2002. I'm still using it. About a pint left now, bottle is crazy hazy but it still works like a charm. The concentrate goes on forever. I'll definitely buy another bottle. Think I paid $8 for it back then, probably over $10 now or they made it smaller LOL. OR BOTH. Corporate greedy little sons of *string of expletives*.
 
Up here I use washer fluid good for -50 degrees F and sometimes even that freezes on the windshield in the winter. I beef it up a little with isopropyl alcohol which helps.

Believe me... it gets cold up here.
 
Nobody in So Cal is buying windshield washer fluid even at $0.49/gallon. We just use tap water because it is free, actually it costs about 0.01 cents a gallon.
 
"they" say the ammonia in windex not so good for the car.

Probably evaporates out anyway.

We even get "zero degree celcius" blue stuff during our month of summer.
 
I think more windshield fluid sold in California is being sprayed at the throttle body for water injection purposes than on windows. I don't see how cold areas not at sea level get 94 octane, and California only gets 91. Actually that's worded wrong. I DO see it, everyday
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The greater Atlanta metro area has restrictions on the chemical content of windshield washer fluid. One of the local autozone managers told me it had to do with EPA watershed restrictions and he could not stock the 0 degree fluid at his store but the autozone in the next county to the west of him could. I think it is the methanol and ethylene glycol found in some of the lower freeze point fluids.

If you want the good stuff around here you need to go to one of the counties just outside the Atlanta metro area who's watershed drains into Alabama
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instead of the Chattahoochee! Or make your own home brew.
 
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Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Nobody in So Cal is buying windshield washer fluid even at $0.49/gallon. We just use tap water because it is free, actually it costs about 0.01 cents a gallon.



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Maybe it's beacause I'm so used to using it here...
 
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I think most stuff in the chicagoland area is -20, but IIRC some walmarts and other places carry regular stuff only good to 32F... not sure why.
 
Originally Posted By: rshunter
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
...the gro store manager said "Gee 25 degrees is not even below freezing (!!!!)

LOL.gif



Maybe he's from the rest of the world.
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