hello all. let me start by saying i very seldom use my washer fluid, because whenever i get gas i wash with windex, and i always scrape my ice. that being said, i havent used my washer fluid in about 2 months. it has finally warmed up to 19*F today, and on the way home i needed to wash the salt from a semi off my windshield. only one side worked (thankfully the drivers) and it didnt spray very much.

thinking back, the last stuff i put in was rain-X bug remover. (which is only rated to 32*F.) rather than warming it up (which is pretty hard to begin with because the engine bay is so huge) and siphoning it all out and making a mess, i was thinking just use whats in there with something to lower the freezing point. i want to stay away from anything that will damage the paint. my best idea right now is a splash of vodka, but i figured i would ask you guys first because i dont know what the alcohol will do to the plastic and rubber the washer fluid comes in contact with.



any help is greatly appreciated!

Poke the nozzle with a needle. Done.

problem is the fluid itself is the consistency of a milkshake. i looked at the spare bottle ive got in the shed, and its all bulged out and ready to burst. apparently, it has no alcohol or melting agents in it at all. just rain-x and water essentially

I guess you need to disassemble everything and flush by hand.

Jason, Prestone makes a good product concentrate .
A precise blend of ice-melting alcohols ensures premium performance at even very low temperatures and helps prevent dangerous re-freeze from forming on windshields.
Prestone® Washer Fluid Booster De-Icer Additive | Prestone®
I use it when I travel to extreme low temp areas..works well with Windex windshield washer or anything that has performance down to -45c.
You could use a hair dyer on low for a while under the hood reservoir and suction out what u have and add this if Your res is full.
Man I never use summer windshield washer fluid ever because of problems like u are experiencing!
Maybe you should check something else too?? LOL..(sorry)
https://www.gmforum.com/tools-198/to...winter-306400/
Just razzin ya..

chances are the motor could be frozen too, dont ask me how i know. i am going to start just putting cold stuff in mine all year because it was a huge pain in the but taking apart the tank and junk to get the motor. as far as your current issue i think they use a isoprpal alcohol for anti freeze and it comes in plastic container. but so does regular windex and i have had that gray black plastic on a car i had

Windex Auto -40c windshield washer fluid is good stuff! Strak free in salt/prevent smearing
Windex

Regular Windex bottle froze solid in my trunk too easy, so I mix it with the Auto Windex to
prevent it from freezing excellent combination !

well, i ended up pouring in about a quarter of a bottle of some REALLY cheap plastic bottle vodka thats been in the freezer forever because noone will drink it. worked like a charm. as for the windex, like i said i keep a bottle in the car for when im at the gas station and clean all the windows. ive found windex is good up to about 22*F. after that, it goes into slush.

as for the winter blend stuff (i usually buy rain-x de-icer blend) autozone was completely out of everything winter. so i ended up buying another bottle of rain-x bug remover. by my math, about 2 cups of dollar store vodka to every gallon of washer fluid seems to work well.

and art, its my P/* pump im worried about. in cold temps that thing whines like a stuck pig for about the first 20 seconds on cold startup. (20*F or below engine temp). fluid is nice and clear though. so i guess its just getting old and crotchety. it is a 15 year old pump with almost 200,000 miles on it, after all.

Our 3800 power steering pumps are known to make noise. Depending on its age, it can sometimes be confused for the sound of a supercharger.

thats the easiest sc swap idea i have heard yet