Windshield Washer Fluids are not created equally

[Hugh R]

So the wifey and I drove from Los Angeles to Boise, ID this last weekend. The temps from mid-Nevada to Boise and most of the way to Las Vegas were in the 20's or less. The windshield washer quit working, kind of a pain with all the snow, slush and general road dirt. It turns out that the regular Walmart windshield washer fluid they sell in So. Cal doesn't have an anti-freeze in it. Yes, the lines froze solid, fortunately, no damage.

[gshase]

I laugh when I read some of the labels " Good To 32 degrees"

[aigel]

Haha - I can tell you either will make it a summer home or look elsewhere. I grew up in the cold. No thanks ...

G

[Hugh R]

Looking at Boise as a Summer home, with our Condo in Ventura, CA as a winter place.

On the way to Vegas we went through a place called "Mountain Home" ID. the car temperature gauge read "4 F" outside.

[Tobra]

I seem to remember that if you put some rubbing alcohol in it, you can lower the freezing point quite a bit.

When I was in Great Lakes right after boot camp, I remember looking at the time and temperature on the sign in front of the bank and it said -8. When the wind blew it made my pea coat seem like it was made out of tissue paper.

[wdfifteen]

I had a similar experience. WW fluid that was fine in Ohio froze solid at -29 F in Iowa

[look 171]

I learned that driving to Edmonton during college to visit my relatives. Those damn northern mechanics laughed at me once they looked at my plate. I had 50/50 anti freeze and water and my oil froze. 20-50w will do that without a block heater and left out in the blowing wind at -30c. My windshield wiper fluid stayed frozen until I got to Vancouver three week later. I learn to use an ice scraper and warn up the damn car up with heater full blast onto the windshield.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Years ago my uncle bought a Caddy in TX, the first night back home in KS the block froze and cracked because the previous owner was running straight water.

I run the orange RainX de-icer washer fluid year round. It does a fantastic job of removing light ice or frost from the windshield and is effective on bugs too.

[1990C4S]

I have to laugh when someone from California posts this. Try -20F and you will separate the men from the boys...but yes, the cheap crap is dangerous.

[wdfifteen]

Two stories from my days as a mechanic in a college town.

A guy was driving his newish TR-7 through Ohio from somewhere down south without anti-freeze in the cooling system. He stopped as he was passing through because his engine was overheating. The radiator was frozen solid and not circulating any water. If he had stopped and let the engine cool it would have frozen too. He dodged a bullet by coming straight to the shop.

A kid drove into town in a beat to he11 Ford Maverick and the brakes weren't working. He had been putting water in the master cylinder and it froze when he got into cold weather. Makes me wonder how many morons out there had water in their brake system that didn't freeze.

[GH85Carrera]

One of my friends moved off to Fairbanks, Alaska many years ago. He said -40 and -50 was not too unusual. He said tires will freeze, steel gets very brittle

In the super cold temperature cars exhaust turn right into an ice fog.

No thanks. My 50-50 antifreeze is good to -30 or something stupid. It is rare to get below zero around here.

[vash]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

I have to laugh when someone from California posts this. Try -20F and you will separate the men from the boys...but yes, the cheap crap is dangerous.

it's payback for the rest of the country wishing we fall into the ocean, go broke in the next housing bubble, get politicianed to death by our government, die of STD, overdose of patchoulie and sandelwood oils, run out of gas, desensitized by porn, desensitized by liberals, overrun by migrant farmers, AIDS, get killed by a robber because we dont have concealed carry, get killed by bears because we dont allow hound hunting, get killed by cougars because we LOVE them, die because we run out of ammo in our 10 round black guns..

at least our weather kicks ass my windshield washer fluid smells like rose-water.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

I have to laugh when someone from California posts this. Try -20F and you will separate the men from the boys...but yes, the cheap crap is dangerous.

Yesterday morning it was 43 degrees F when I left for work, I was very close to going back inside and saying to heck with it.
My "windshield washer fluid" comes right out of the tap.
If I really want to get fancy I'll pour a few ounces of windex in there for good measure.

I live here for a reason.

[304065]

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Yesterday morning it was 43 degrees F when I left for work, I was very close to going back inside and saying to heck with it.

I live here for a reason.

That's nearly shorts weather here.

[RF5BPilot]

Originally Posted by Tobra

I seem to remember that if you put some rubbing alcohol in it, you can lower the freezing point quite a bit.

This ^

When I lived in Iowa while going to grad school, we'd get -24 F with a 42 mph wind, making -73 F windchills.

Technically, windchill doesn't affect the temperature at which fluids freeze, only how quickly they freeze.

While your washer is still working, stop by any pharmacy, Target, etc. and pick up a bottle of 90% denatured alcohol. The goal is to have about 3% alcohol in your washer system. Eyeballing it is close enough. 3% is enough to keep the fluid from freezing, but not enough to damage the system or the paint.

It's a lot cheaper to add your own alcohol to washer solutions than buy the ones with it already added.

Cheap. Easy. Works.

[flipper35]

It is only a few bucks for the good stuff here. Though if you want protection below -35* it is $5.

[vash]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Yesterday morning it was 43 degrees F when I left for work, I was very close to going back inside and saying to heck with it.

My "windshield washer fluid" comes right out of the tap.

If I really want to get fancy I'll pour a few ounces of windex in there for good measure.



I live here for a reason.

Haha.

It was sub freezing yesterday at the trail head. Had to break into my wool to stay alive. I almost tapped out when I saw my breath steaming.



Sent via Jedi mind trick.

[Christien]

Originally Posted by vash

it's payback for the rest of the country wishing we fall into the ocean, go broke in the next housing bubble, get politicianed to death by our government, die of STD, overdose of patchoulie and sandelwood oils, run out of gas, desensitized by porn, desensitized by liberals, overrun by migrant farmers, AIDS, get killed by a robber because we dont have concealed carry, get killed by bears because we dont allow hound hunting, get killed by cougars because we LOVE them, die because we run out of ammo in our 10 round black guns..

at least our weather kicks ass my windshield washer fluid smells like rose-water.

This is actually quite true. Every February I look at a map: Florida, boring and full of retired Canadians, Arizona, yeah, maybe. California, no way.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Tobra

I seem to remember that if you put some rubbing alcohol in it, you can lower the freezing point quite a bit.

Pfft... I fill my windshield washer with cheap vodka... added plus is if your car breaks down you have shots while you wait for the tow truck to show up.