Freezing window washer

Hello
I have a 2007 Vue AWD. It seems that whenever the temperature drops around
20 degrees, my washer fluid does not spray on either front or back windows.
I know the fluid is not frozen. (at least in the tank) My mom has a 2007
Ion and it did the same thing. They replaced the fluid pump in the Ion. My
mom really hasn't been driving in the cold for us to know if it fixed the
problem.

Has anyone else had this issue?

Thanks

 

Really basic question - are you using winter mix washer fluid? Summer mix
**will** freeze up while winter mix is good to -20F (iirc).

I haven't seen this problem on my -01 lw300 but had a really annoying
problem on an old Dodge Caravan where the wiper mounted windshield sprayers
were in a high pressure zone that would often force (rain or ice melt) water
back down through the tubing where it would freeze. Regularly, would have to
remove the sprayer and a length of hose, take it inside the cabin and thaw
it out...
The lw300 has the sprayers mounted on the hood in a low pressure zone and
does not have this problem.

 

Yep. Here's how I solved it:
1. Put about 3/4 pint of denatured alcohol (shellac thinner from the hardware
store) in the windshield-washer tank. Mix well.
2. Park the car in a warm garage until the lines thaw, and the fluid begins to
flow again.
3. Run the washer pump until you can smell the alcohol coming out.
4. Top off the washer tank with winter mix washer fluid.
5. Use winter mix all year round.

That last part is especially important -- the previous owner of our Saturn
didn't do that, as we learned to our dismay the first winter we owned it. I've
been using winter mix in the Saturn ever since -- just like in all our other
vehicles -- and haven't had any further problems.

 

Just a comment: Although the recommendation seems like it would likely work
to unclog the sprayer nozzle, having shellac thinner hitting the car's clear
coat finish doesn't sound too wise to me....

Bob

 

Ah! Cring... I was thinking the same thing. I've gotten 'denatured
alcohol' on a painted surface before but that was on a washing machine.
Didn't seem to harm it but its not something that sits outside in the
elements. It may cause the paint to prematurely fade & it will certainly
remove any car wax.

 

Maybe try the better quality washer fluids. Like Prestone De-Icer.
Fred
94 SC2

 

It won't hurt it a bit. Perhaps you're thinking of acetone...?

 

It will do nothing of the kind. Wax is not soluble in alcohol. Neither is
automotive lacquer. What do you suppose they put in winter mix windshield
washer fluid, anyway, to keep it from freezing?

 

And you think that doesn't have alcohol in it? Think again. The MSDS for
Prestone De-Icer is available here:
http://www2.itap.purdue.edu/MSDS/docs/9920.pdf

The stuff's 70 to 80% methyl alcohol. Alcohol will *not* harm the finish on a
car.

 

Doug, did you need 3 post to get your point across?

You best look up the MSDS's for Denatured Alcohol and Paint Strippers.
Its not Methyl, its Ethanol...

Sorry do you mean actual wax or the stuff people put on their cars
today. Either way its coming off.

Now...I'm off to bed...knowing my original concern still stands.

 

Bull. What paint stripper contains ethanol?

Either way, wax is not soluble in ethyl or methyl alcohol.

Nonsense.

 

Last I knew, denatured alcohol is Ethanol with a poison added to render it
undrinkable (otherwise it is taxed as liquor). Methanol is poisonous as-is.
Methanol: C-H3- OH, Ethanol: C2-H5-OH

 

That's correct; the most common denaturant for ethanol is methanol. Either one
will work just fine to keep your windshield washer fluid from freezing, and
neither one will harm the finish on your car.

 

I have better fluid in the tank now and it seems to be better. The fluid
originally in there was what the dealer kept topping it off with every 3
months.

My mom's car had the same issue and it is a 2007. First winter. They
replaced the fluid pump. We both thought that kind of odd since when it was
warm it worked fine.

 

I lived in Alaska for 18 years @ -30 -40 and -50 degrees .. -62 at one
point -- anyway .. when I refilled my windshield wiper tank with " 30
below" fluid <like that would work> - I always added table salt to the
reservoir to keep the lines / squirters clear .. 2-3 teaspoons per
refill -- never had a problem with freeze-up.

 

You must have good windshield wipers. I would think that the salt would
leave behind a film on the windshield.
I made the mistake of adding brackish hudson river water to my windshield
resevoir. First time I attempted to use the sprayers to clean the windshield
rendered it almost opaque.

 

The salt I added to the wiper fluid reservoir wasn't enough to "make a
difference" between the ice, snow, and other elements my wipers / car
experienced in Alaska; it did, however, keep the lines from the
reservoir to the hole in the squirter below the wiper operational.

I'd like to be able to buy "Alaska" wiper blades in the "lower 48" ...so
far, haven't seen them.

off topic: -- headlights in Alaska never turned on from April til
...Sep..??///// ..... so not a problem Apr, May, June, July, August ...
then September - walalawa ------ one discovered they have a burnt out
headlight when turning them on for the first time in " 6 Months" ...

I did learn how one heats up the oil pan in a car in -40...-50.. -60
degree weather -- we tawkin when not close to a heater core - or engine
heater. If the car won't start and ya think it's because the oil in
your oil pan has frozen, ya take a tin cake pan, place charcoal
bricklets in it, light them, allow the flame to die out - much like you
would at a Summer BBQ - then place the pan on the ground below the oil
pan of your engine - usually after an hour or so, the frozen oil retrns
to liquid <or gel> form and your car MIGHT start.

Sum Bitchin Weather !!!!!