Silverado 2004 Windshield Washer Reservoir.

I also have a 2004 Silverado (2500hd Duramax reg cab) bought in July. Monday and Tuesday the temp got down to the lower single digits 0-5. The washer fluid did not freeze nor did it slush up. in other words it not change at all. only worry about what you add to top it off.......

Thanks. I am assuming that all brands of commercial windshield washer solution are compatible with each other.

Just for comment: I supplement my washer waser fluid with "Rain-X"

I found Prestone De-Icer worked about the best when I drove truck for a living.

Whitelightning

At the Gas Station/Parts shop... Cheap Blue Water goes to -10 Deg F

Expensive Blue Water goes down to -30 Deg F...

Read the Blue Water Jug information...

I run a 2000 4x4 Chevy LT Silverado 5.3 Ext Cab....

Using some Rain-X in the fill bottle in Summer is a Nice water shed feature!!!!

Is Rain -X just Potato juice??

Inline...............

WHO GIVES A SHIT!? Just fill the goddamn thing till it's full!

Bwahahahahaha! All washer solutions have some amount of alcohol in them, even the "summer bug juice" has a small amount to get it to evaporate faster and give you a nice dry windsheild. You think way too hard and spend way to much time on stupid, stupid, stupid shit!

Uhhhhh, DUH. Whatever they sell at the gas station, supermarket, wherever.

At $0.96 a gallon pretty much anywhere you're still gunna take the time make your own! Bwahahahahahaha!

I can't wait for the thread when the time finally comes for you to change your oil and you have to decide which oil and filter to use! That will be downright hilarious!

Thanks for the laugh (at your expense)

Doc

No kidding, next he'll be asking how many cubic ft of air his tires hold. I can't believe how anal some people can be. Bob

Uh, how many cubic feet of air do his tires hold?

The representative was unable to tell me if the factory-installed

You mean like this one that I have here from Vision Manufacturing?:

Instant Brand Windshield Washer Fluid/De-Icer "Freeze Protection to 20=BA F."

Last year, this De-Icer froze up when the temperature dropped down to

10=BA F. I don't want this stupid shit to happen again.

Unfortunately, the stores around here either have gallon bottles of windshield washer solutions that have no antifreeze protection or only enough to protect down to 20=BA F. When the temperature drops below =

20=BA F, these "whatever" solutions freeze. I also find it annoying when the windshield washer fluid freezes up as soon as it hits the windshield, because there is too little antifreeze in the solution.

Maybe you don't mind having your windshield washer fluid freeze up, but I do.

I made my oil change posts back in May of this year. I really wish you had seen them. You might have died laughing.

You're welcome. I'm glad that you are so easily amused.

On the other hand, the 4 people who made meaningful replies to my original post didn't seem to find any humor in what I wrote.

If you think that my original post was hilarious, you are going to be in stitches when you read this:

As I earlier noted, a Chevrolet representative told me that my windshield washer reservoir held "about 1 gallon." Last night I siphoned out all of the fluid and, after refilling the reservoir, I found that it contains 170 ounces. So, Chevrolet's estimate of "about 1 gallon" is 33% short of the actual capacity of 1.33 gallons.

Thanks.

I have found that Chevrolet is very secretive when it comes to its factory-installed fluids and oils.

If you don't believe me, call Chevrolet and ask them these questions:

• What is the brand and what is the viscosity of the oil that came with my new truck?

• What is the brand and what is the temperature protection of the windshield washer fluid that came with my new truck?

Thanks.

Does the Blue Water allow you to mix the windshield washer antifreeze to match the climate?

If not, you may be interested in these links:

Thanks.

Does the Prestone De-Icer allow you to mix the windshield washer antifreeze to match the climate?

If not, you may be interested in these links:

The statement "About a gallon" would be accurate from .6 to 1.4 gallons. Everything from .6 to 1.4 gallons rounds to "about a gallon". Also, the brimming capacity is not the same as the capacity at the fill line. I would imagine the extra .33 gallon capacity is there to give you the convenience of refilling the entire gallon jug without needing to run the fluid unnecessarily low.

You do seem excessive in your need to exactly measure the antifreeze portion of your fluid. I would recomend premixing your fluid and marking the containers with the temperature mix, instead of agonizing over the proper mix in the reservior. For getting an accurate mix with solution that is already in the reservior, you would need to know the precise mix and quantity of the old solution. Unless you keep an accurate log of mixtures and graduate or siphon the reservior to measure the begining volume, you will never get the accuracy you are talking about.

BTW it's much easier to drian the fluid out of the disconnected tap hose than it is to siphon the thing.

My humble opinion, Justin

Chevrolet customer service is unable to provide the capacity of the windshield washer reservoir and the amount (if any) of antifreeze that it originally contained. There is also the un-measurable variable of summer evaporation of any methanol that the original solution may have contained. Because of these unknown factors, I have treated the existing solution as though it were plain water and mixed in the antifreeze additive accordingly.

The difference of the previously unknown 1/3 gallon would have skewed the antifreeze mixture table on the Mac/Valvoline antifreeze additive upward by 20%:

Freezing Point ºF Solvent Water VOC Limit

+28 1 12 8% +23 1 9 10% +12 1 4 20% +5 1 3 25%

-12 1 2 35%

-45 1 1 50%

From now on, I will premix the solution so that there will be no guessing as to its antifreeze concentration.

Speaking of excessive needs, Mercedes Benz cars have Windshield Washer Level Sensors:

So, has my Windshield Washer Reservoir tread been a complete waste of time? I don't think so, because it has provided the following information:

1. Owners of 1999-2005 Silverado/Sierra trucks now know that their windshield washer reservoirs hold 1.3 gallons.

1. The owner of a 2004 Silverado reported that his factory-installed windshield washer fluid did not freeze or slush up when the temperature dropped to 0-5º F.

2. I have supplied links to websites which describe NAPA and Mac/Valvoline windshield washer antifreeze additives which can be custom-mixed down to whatever temperature protection is required.

1. We have heard from other posters who have had success with the commercial products Rain-X, Prestone De-Icer and Blue Water.

2. I supplied a link to a homemade alcohol/detergent windshield washer antifreeze formula.

1. And least, but not last, we heard from another extremely-knowledgeable poster who's non-freezing windshield fluid recommendations include "summer bug juice", "Whatever they sell at the gas station, supermarket, wherever" and any solution selling for "6. And least, but not last, we heard from another extremely-knowledgeable poster who's non-freezing windshield fluid recommendations include "summer bug juice", "Whatever they sell at the gas station, supermarket, wherever" and any solution selling for "$0.96 a gallon." "Bwahahahahaha!"
   .96 a gallon." "Bwahahahahaha!"

Those who can benefit from this information (particularly item #6) will be better off for having read the posts in this tread. Apparently, those who think that I am a complete idiot still read my posts for comic relief. Therefore, everyone wins.