Frozen Washer Fluid line causing possible problems

washer fluid doesn't freeze. after 10 years of pri, i'd say nothing to worry about.

 

Believe it or not, I recently saw washer fluid for sale at a local gas station that was good down to +32 degrees!!! Wth???
(I guess they were trying to get rid of their Summer fluid)

 

Water will freeze. Correct washer fluid will freeze at lower temperatures than water alone. The cheap stuff is barely better than water and the good stuff is expensive but worth every penny when you need to use your washers in very cold weather.

 

No concern whatsoever. I bought a gallon of the -25°F rated stuff for $2.99 last night. It's no big deal.

-8C (18F) on this morning's commute. That will be considered warm here in 2 months.

 

Wait a sec, you're in Texas?? Maybe someone from the northern central US, Canadian Prairies, or Finland will weigh in, but I think you're fine.

Personally I just use the anti-freeze type, year 'round. Not really 'cause it super cold here (it isn't), but because I know the stuff I put in in the spring is likely still there by the dead of winter.

Ouch, just checked: it's -6C here right now, unusual cold snap for us.

They were mowing lawns here, a week back.

 

The line is soft and of a small diameter. Is will just expand and contract with the frozen liquid.

I am certain Toyota's engineers tested this with their cold soak tests, they are not stupid or negligent.

 

The high performance RainX stuff is cheap at $5 for a box of two gallons at WalMart.

Why buy the really cheap stuff?

 

So, the only time you clean your windshield is when it rains?

 

i mowed my lawn wednesday, and shoveled my driveway this morning.

 

Pretty much. I don't much use the washer fluid when the car's dry, ends up a sorry, splattered mess. Gets me thinking it's time to wash it again, if it comes to that.

But yeah, the reservoir takes about a gallon, might barely go through a pint in the summer, wouldn't want summer fluid hanging around through winter.

 

What is the point of a "summer" fluid?

The all-season stuff I just bought covers the entire temp range for $3 and has worked great.

.

 

I wonder the same thing. I guess it makes sense in the tropics.

I go a little over the top, get the Toyota Washer fluid, even it's only $3.95 for 4 liters. Good to -40C, though that rating can be pretty BS: they all seem to freeze on the glass, just a few degrees below freezing.

 

That's what I do. The first cold snap and all the shops sell out of washer fluid. Easy solution is to store it from the year before.

 

That is normal !

The rating only means it will not freeze in the washer fluid reservoir !!!

IT WILL freeze on the glass ! The stuff (which prevents it from freezing) evaporates quickly wind helps to freeze on the glass.

 

Don't think I've ever seen freeze damage to a windshield washer system (and my dad used to dilute the stufff 50/50).

 

A friend of mine recently sent me some pics of a mountain of snow in Minnesota last winter. I admire you people up there. You can handle it.

 

That sounds strange for Texas, which has some of the most laxed environmental regulations for chemical industries.

A very simple and easy solution is to go to Walmart and purchase a small yellow bottle of Heet. It contains isopropyl alcohol which is fully mixes with water. It is the alcohol concentration in the washer anti-freeze that keeps it from freezing.

After you put it in, be sure to operate the rear washer to replace the current fluid with the NEW.

If you can't find "isopropyl" HEET, rubbing alcohol with isopropyl from the local drug store will work the same, but it is more diluted.