Ford windshield washer fluid freezes up

GT-Vert-03 · 2004-01-15T04:59:45+00:00

Ok, it was 15 degrees F tonight, but while flying down a dark unlit highway,I felt a need to clear my windshield which was covered in salty roadspatter, could not see well. I hit the windshield washer button, and thewipers wiped, but no fluid came out. The fluid in the jug is the fluid thatcame with the car when brand new from Ford. You think Ford would have putin some decent fluid! I guess the dealer puts in the fluid... cheapbastards, they must have put in some cheap stuff mixed with a lot of water.So, my wipers then smeared the dirt across the windshield resulting in acondition that was quite dangerous... could hardly see at all. I knowbetter than to attempt to use the windshield squirters when on the highway(I usually do it only when at a red light), but I figured, heck, the car isjust about brand new, everything should work, and I had another half-hour onthe highway with really no where to pull off, so I put my faith in my newFord and hit the squirter button. I finally had to pull off the highway andwash the windshield with some snow. I could see that ice had formed overthe squirter nozzles. Tomorrow I need to siphon out whatever crap is in thewasher jug and put in some good Prestone winter washer fluid and flush itthrough the system. On a related note, my sister took her Subaru into thedealer for some service recently. I normally do all the work on her car,and the last time I had it, I had filled her windshield washer jug with 100%good winter Prestone stuff. She never had a problem. Anyhow, the dealergives her the car back and says "as a favor, we topped off all your fluids".An hour later, she is on the road at night in the salt and slush, and thesquirters freeze up and are useless... the damn dealer must have dumpedWATER in the reservoir! Gee whiz, man. Well, my tip of the day... go fillup your windshield washer jug with 100% good Prestone winter de-icer washerfluid, and keep it topped off at all times so that your dealer or anyoneelse cannot...