Windsheild Washer Fluid Problems

It seems the washer fluid in my 2002 Grand Caravan has frozen. I can hear the pump humming, so it's not the pump. The vehicle is kept outside in NE Iowa where the temperature got to below zero the last few days, 20-30 below with the wind chill. Any suggestions on how to thaw it out?

Scott T. Indresano

Reply to
Scott T. Indresano
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Not sure where the nozzles are on this year. If they are on the hood, you might try pouring warm water on them. Two to three times should probably do it. You may also be able to disconnect the tubes under the hood to determine where it is frozen. If a tube is frozen, disconnect it, and place it in a cup of warm water.

Next time you fill the resevoir, be sure to use a good quality windshield washer/anti-freeze. It is tempting to top off the resevoir with water during the summer, but this of course, dilutes the anti- freeze. I would think that washer fluid/anti-freeze should be good down to the temp that you have in IA.

-KM

Reply to
kmath50

Find a movie theatre close to an underground parking lot?

Clint

Reply to
Clint

You probably already realize this, but windchill does not affect the settle out temperature of the bottle and the washer water/solution. IOW

- if actual temp. is 1°F, and the windchill is -15°F, the final temperature after it sits for "infinite" time will be 1°F. Like I said

- you probably realize that.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

HEAT and don't try to use it until you're sure it is thawed out. The fluid in the hoses will be frozen as well as in the fluid container. If you could get it inside and use a heat source you could thaw it more quickly.

After thawed remove the water from the tank, use 100% windshield washer anti freeze fluid and run it a bit to replace the water still in the hoses.

Reply to
who

Pull the reservoir (pick a day when its not absolutely frigid so the plastic and lines not so brittle) and bring it inside to thaw overnight (and empty it out!). Then put it back in and fill up with good low temp washer fluid. Then like the poster above suggested park it in a heated parking (shopping mall etc) for a few (4 or 5?) h to let the lines thaw out (they will thaw much faster than the reservoir!) and then pump it lots (while still inside) to flush out the lines and nozzles

Good luck!

Reply to
bill.crerar

Commercial windshield washer fluid is a ripoff. Buy straight methanol and add about 40% water and a dash of Kodak Photo Flo. Methanol (M100) sold at racing shops is under $4 a gallon now. The blue stuff is 10 to 20 percent methanol.

The yellow or orange is usually ethylene glycol. If you can get straight ethylene or propylene glycol do as above.

Reply to
Bret Ludwig

Actually, I think that the wind DOES affect it. Wind chill is just a subjective assessment of how cold it 'feels', and doesn't apply as such. 1 degree is still

1 degree. But I've found that one windy cold nights my washers would freeze up right at the spray nozzles. Same thing on the highway on really cold days. Sometimes I could get them unfrozen by just pressing my thumb right on the nozzle. Other times the ice would be back up to an inch in the hose.

The only thing I can figure is that the wind hastens the evaporation of the alcohol in the fluid near the tip, and the freezing point depression from the alcohol in the solution is lost. Granted, this is not a major problem, and seems to be dependant on the brand and type of washer fluid.

Not that it would help in this case, but back in high school I saw a washer warmer setup. It was just an extra piece of hose you spliced into the washer line. You took the hose to the heater core line and wrapped it around it. If you were drawing heat into the passenger compartment, then the heater line would get warm, and the washer fluid would get warm as well. I never used it though, so I don't know how well it worked.

Reply to
Mike Y

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