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HELP!!! My windshield washer won't work

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by tolick, Jan 19, 2012.

  1. tolick

    tolick Junior Member

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    I have a 2010 Prius and now is cold here 20-30F. So, i filled up with tinter wash fluid the bottle and today when i entered my card was 25F and i can spry out washer fluid on back window but on front window it seems it is not working? It can't be frozen because under the hood i removed hose from one connection and it is not spraying also when it is removed as i tought that the problem can be nozzles, but no. Or maybe is a pump problem? So we have two pums on 2010 Prius for washing windows(one pump for front windows and one pump for rear windows? or there is a common one? Because there may left some water after i filled up with wash fluid. Yesterday it was working even in front and even on back. Today after i left car for two hours in underground Mall Parking i thought it will work when i'll come, but surprise, it wasn't working and there was 42F in parking. But the back spray is still working? So, what do you think? Can i have a pump problem? Does prius have two pumps for washing windows?
     
  2. tolick

    tolick Junior Member

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    Do you think i should wait for a warm weather over 32F or i should go to repair service? Thanks!
     
  3. smokiejoe

    smokiejoe Member

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    I think your Washer Liquid is still frozen. Your car would need to sit in a warm garage for a day to thaw out. You should probably try to change to a better Washer Fluid. 20-30F is not that cold, but you need a Winter Formula -25F Washer Fluid. Hopefully Washer Pump did not get damaged by the frozen liquid.
     
  4. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

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    Strange timing - this morning when I had to drive my daughter to school early I had the same problem, front did not work while the back did. I figured that the line was frozen. Later when I was driving to work both the front and back worked just fine - it was not so cold here and I figure that the little bit of heat from the engine was enough to thaw the line.
     
  5. tolick

    tolick Junior Member

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    So, we have one pump on prius or two?
    When i try to spray front window i can't hear pump but i hear it when rear windows is spraying.
    1st of all want to make sure 100% that pump is definetelly ok and then will try to find other issues!

    Thanks for your help!
     
  6. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    There are two pumps.
    What you may want to try is pour a washer fluid concentrate into the washer bottle so it can mix with what's already in there to drop the freezing temp.
     
  7. wick1ert

    wick1ert Senior Member

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    I tend to run the winter blend washer fluid all year round. It's about $1/gallon more here, but I'll otherwise forget to add the winter blend when winter gets here. Considering I use about 2 or 3 gallons of that a year, it's a minimal expense to save me encountering this issue later in winter.
     
  8. HyperFX

    HyperFX NIMFY (not in my front yard)

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    If your water pump works, sometimes the nozzles are frozen solid. Spray de-icer on the nozzles and use a pin to prick into the holes .
     
  9. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    You can get isopropyl alcohol and pour some of that in the washer fluid tank. It's the "active ingredient" in winter washer fluid.
    But definitely find a heated parkade or garage to let the car warm up after adding the winter fluid. Then, while still in there, spray lots of fluid to get the winter stuff in the lines.

    Been there, done that. Got the tee shirt. ;)
     
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  10. tolick

    tolick Junior Member

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    Fuse was broken, change it by my self in the morning but it fail again after 2-3 sec, then at toyota service center told me there was ice inside the pump, that's why fuse fail, they changed fuse, cleared bottle, then filled with good winter solution and now is working fine!
     
  11. lebansch62

    lebansch62 New Member

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    I have a 2013 v and live in NW Indiana. Every winter when the high temp is lower than
    25 degrees for an extended period my windshield washer lines freeze up. I've tried the
    special washer fluid but it still freezes. I have always guessed the heat of the engine is
    supposed to keep those lines thawed but it just doesn't. Yesterday I put a small heater
    under the hood all afternoon and the lines thawed out but when I went to pick up a friend
    at the airport an hour away with snow beginning to fall, the lines were frozen within an hour.
    Very frustrating and somewhat dangerous at times.
     
  12. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    Add some isopropyl alcohol to the washer fluid you buy. It obviously doesn't have enough. Usually found in the paint section of places like Home Depot or Lowes.

    Do note that if it's really cold, spraying even the -40 deg stuff on the windshield will result in an iced windshield. Wait until the windshield warms up a bit (front defroster on), you are stopped for however long you need to be, then spray it, use the wipers to keep "smearing" it around, and eventually it will all be gone along with the dirt.
     
  13. tvpierce

    tvpierce Senior Member

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    You say, "special washer fluid." Is it winter fluid? If so, that stuff should be good to -25 F or so.
     
  14. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    Yes, well except........

    That the "active ingredient" in most all washer anti-freeze is alcohol, which tends to evaporate over time.
    Especially over the summer when temps are even higher in the engine compartment.

    You used to be able to buy concentrated washer anti-freeze to add to the washer tank in the fall.
    If you can still find that stuff, it might be the best solution to the problem........instead of removing and replacing the blue stuff every fall.

    But when it gets REALLY cold, like around 0F all bets are off and the exposed nozzles will freeze up at times pretty much regardless of what you do.