On my 00 Civic EX, I've had problems every winter with the washer fluid freezing just in time for the roads to get all salty and slushy. It freezes not just in the hoses running to the squirters, but solid all the way through the reservoir. It won't thaw out until the weather warms up - no matter how long I drive, apparently it doesn't get warm enough under the hood to thaw.

This year, I'm trying to get proactive and fix the problem before it happens. Since I've had the car, I've tried several different brands of supposed 'antifreeze' washer fluid, but they all freeze. At this point, I'm ready to try anything, because it sucks having to stop at every gas station and clean my windshield.

Does anyone know something that will work without freezing? I know there's some people on here from Canada who have to have had this problem.

 

Regular blue washer fluid is good up to like -40*F, how cold does it get up there , they also sell washer fluid concentrate, might want to mix it up on the strong side

 

i use mr clean. its green i just stopped at a random gas station and it says fo winter use and bought it

 

regular blue doesnt really specify anything. i use blue washer fluid but it is only good to 40 degrees above zero F. many brands have a winter fluid that has a higher tolerance to cold. check the label to see what temp it is good for.

 

have you used rain-x brand?

i just put in a jug of that stuff in my tank. suppose to deice, get nasty bugs off, as well as reprel rain.

it was for $3 for a gallon, pepboys was the only place i found it locally.

 

Illinois gets down to maybe 10 below, but seems to average around 20-25. The blue stuff is what I started with, and it seems to freeze around 25-30 degrees. I tried some green winter mix stuff, and it froze around 15-20 degrees. Problem is, once it freezes once, it doesn't unfreeze until we get a day or two above freezing.

I haven't tried the rainx stuff because it was about twice as expensive as everything else, but I'll definately pay if it's worth it. I think I'll try it this year - if it's as good as their spray-on stuff, I'll get my money's worth.

 

I know it's not much of a help, but I buy this green stuff at advanced auto for like 7 bucks a gallon, removes sap, bugs, yadda yadda, but protected for like 20 below or something, try looking at something like that.

 

this is really weird. i live in canada so i've been through a few rough winters and this has never happened to me, even when i headed up north. i've used almost every washer fluid too, blue/green/yellow stuff, cheap/expensive stuff, etc.

maybe your tank is getting contaminated with salt or water, which would raise the freezing point of the fluid. try bleeding the existing fluid out, flush the tank, and refill is new stuff. if it does freeze again, you can always take off the bumper and put a heater beside the tank to thaw it out.

 

i live in illinois and i haven't had any problems with my washer fluid freezing. i had used the blue stuff and now i use rain x, and i haven't had any problems yet. also my washer tank and the little motors are expose to the elements too cause the previous owner had the lining cut out.
i say do what quest4boost said also try to check your tank too.

 

Interesting. I'm in Iowa and have NEVER had this problem. And it gets just as cold or colder.

 

if you can buy 99% pure isopropyl at your local drugstore throw a bottle of that into your tank. also, RV anti-freeze works. Its whats in the 'de-icer' premixed. The pink fluid, put like 1-2oz or something into the tank, get the propylene-glycol. It may smear a bit on the windhield upon first application but the propylene-glycol will prevent the water from refreezing once its on your windshield.

that ultraclear works well too mixed at higher concentraions, but heh, in California they're really strict on the VOC content of washer fluids. I have to make my own de-icer fluid where i live no stores around me (central valley) are allowed to sell high-VOC/methanol fluids.

edit: dont put 8oz in more like 1oz to 2oz should be plenty to mix with the tanks capacity.


Modified by chrisw85 at 11:33 PM 11/26/2006

 

hit the nail of the ol coffin with that one... By putting rubbing alkey in the washing fluid should take care of it...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by quest4boost &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
maybe your tank is getting contaminated with salt or water, which would raise the freezing point of the fluid. try bleeding the existing fluid out, flush the tank, and refill is new stuff.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Anyone know if there's actually a drain plug on the tank, or if I have to use the squirters?

All of my splashguards are intact, and the system doesn't leak at all - I hardly ever fill it, except during the winter when I actually use it. I'm not sure how anything could be getting into it, but I think that having the old cheap stuff at the bottom of the tank could be adding to the problem.

I like the rubbing alcohol solution. I might try adding that to whatever I put in there.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ATEJ8FTW &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">have you used rain-x brand?
it was for $3 for a gallon, pepboys was the only place i found it locally.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i run rain-x in all 5 of my cars exclusively. you can get it from walmart for less then $2 a gallon. the stuff is just plain awesome!

 

I know its just as cold, if not colder where I am, and Ive never ever had this happen to me...
I run straight blue washer crap from any store...rarely, ice-melter fluid (maybe a few weeks in jan.)

You must have a lot of water in the bottle...
To drain it, you need to pull the washer motor out (its just stuck in there with a rubber gasket). When its empty, jam the motor back in and refill with ice melter fluid, if you want

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Vindicator9000 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Anyone know if there's actually a drain plug on the tank, or if I have to use the squirters?

All of my splashguards are intact, and the system doesn't leak at all - I hardly ever fill it, except during the winter when I actually use it. I'm not sure how anything could be getting into it, but I think that having the old cheap stuff at the bottom of the tank could be adding to the problem.

I like the rubbing alcohol solution. I might try adding that to whatever I put in there.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You can disconnect the squirters at the hood, then run the hose to a container of some sort and run the washers to clean it out.

 

Go to a quick lube place and get some. I work at a Texaco Xpress Lube and we get our windshield washer fluid from a place out of Michigan call Innovative Fluids. Their trucks have a big Preston Windshield Washer fluid sign on it and in the 5 years that I've worked there, I've never had a problem with my windshield washer fluid freezing up.