Windshield washer fluid additive to depress freezing point?

[92saturnsl2]

First bout of real cold weather this season and I've got frozen windshield washer fluid. Had to stop three times on my way home to wipe salt mixture off the windshield from road spray, not pleasant.

I'm done trying to use seasonal windshield washer fluid... Made the mistake again this year, and although I topped up regular blue (rated -20F or so), there was enough of the summer "bug wash" mixture left in there that it froze.

Is there any household chemical I can use to depress the freeze point? I was thinking rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol.

 

[Rand]

warm it up and drain it out?

Cheaper than anything else.

Also warm washer fluid will work alot better than cold if you are trying to thaw it out.. get some -35 stuff and heat it up to about 100F+

dumb buddy had straight water in it with a couple drops of dawn.. Dumped in some 130f water and siphoned it back out a few times to thaw it then when it was down farther than I could siphon it back up finished it off with some heated -35f washer fluid (best we can get here)

 

[kschachn]

Yes alcohol will do it. Get the more concentrated one at Walgreens or wherever.

Even Everclear is fine

 

[92saturnsl2]

warm it up and drain it out?

Cheaper than anything else.

Also warm washer fluid will work alot better than cold if you are trying to thaw it out.. get some -35 stuff and heat it up to about 100F+

dumb buddy had straight water in it with a couple drops of dawn.. Dumped in some 130f water and siphoned it back out a few times to thaw it then when it was down farther than I could siphon it back up finished it off with some heated -35f washer fluid (best we can get here)

That would surely do it, but not a task I'm excited about when it's 10F outside.

 

[Mainia]

You fill your cars tank 2/3 and add a bottle of this. Works to 35 below where regular window piss 35 below doesn't work.

https://www.menards.com/main/tools/automotive/automotive-maintenance/automotive-fluids-chemicals/splash-reg-red-hot-windshield-de-icer-32-oz/234632/p-1444443335949-c-10098.htm?tid=-2367993473026180532&ipos=1

 

[B1974]

Put a trouble light with a 60w incandescent light bulb under the frozen tank for a few hours until it melts and then run the pump until it's empty.

Same thing has happened to me, no more bug wash.

 

[Spartanfool]

I was at Home Depot a couple weeks ago and looked at their three "clearance" areas around the store. One had all the extra Covid stuff they are getting rid of....masks, cleaning supplies, wipes, etc. There they had GALLONS of 80% ethanol alcohol for $0.50 each. I grabbed a couple to fortify my wiper fluid tanks this winter.

 

[UncleDave]

Stoli

 

[Hall]

First, buy 1-2 gallons of cold-weather-rated washer fluid and have it ready to use. Heat up plain tap water, even boiling, and add a quart to your washer tank and run the sprayer a lot (don't burn up the pump though). Keep adding your hot water until you thaw out the frozen stuff and then add the proper washer fluid.

 

[92saturnsl2]

I was at Home Depot a couple weeks ago and looked at their three "clearance" areas around the store. One had all the extra Covid stuff they are getting rid of....masks, cleaning supplies, wipes, etc. There they had GALLONS of 80% ethanol alcohol for $0.50 each. I grabbed a couple to fortify my wiper fluid tanks this winter.

I assume it was denatured alcohol? Otherwise all the alkies and misfits would be lining up for $0.50 gallons of booze.

 

[dwgwater]

If the fluid in the hoses and nozzles is frozen, liquefying/thawing the reservoir may not be enough.

 

[4WD]

I keep a few of these around to toss in as needed …

 

[92saturnsl2]

If the fluid in the hoses and nozzles is frozen, liquefying/thawing the reservoir may not be enough.

I didn't consider that, but that's probably what I'm experiencing. I felt I added enough -20F fluid to the summer stuff to keep it from freezing (temps were about 7F last night), and looking into the tank, it appears liquid. I should have purged the lines afterward, which I forgot to do.

I added about 8oz of isopropyl alcohol to the tank for good measure and will let it sit in the garage for a night and see what happens.

 

[Wolf359]

I assume it was denatured alcohol? Otherwise all the alkies and misfits would be lining up for $0.50 gallons of booze.

It has to be in order to be made into hand sanitizer. Can't be sold without it. It's a gel though even at 80% so not sure how well it will do in the windshield washer tank. Methanol is really the best, but there's no way to buy it cheaper than windshield washer fluid. The -35 stuff is just a higher concentration so that's what you really need. I usually just dilute regular windshield washer fluid in the summer with water and then don't fill it up as it gets to fall and use it up and then just refill with pure -20 fluid. I also have a heated windshield washer reservoir, but I've never had mine freeze yet.

 

[Speedy3861]

I've used nothing other than the orange Rain-X washer fluid summer & winter for as long as I can remember, never had any sign of freezing. Temperatures here in Central Pennsylvania can go below 0f occasionally. Seems to work as well as anything on bugs. First thing I do with a new car is siphon all the blue stuff out and refill with the Rain-X. I've seen the Booster, probably should look at it, but the regular orange Rain-X seems to work well for me

 

[92saturnsl2]

I've come to realize that about the only time I use the windshield washer is in winter after snow, when the salt splash on the windshield obscures visibility. No need for a summer blend, when I get bugs on a road trip, I clean it at a gas station during a fill-up. I'm thinking the generic blue stuff rated to -20F will do just fine.

Isn't ISO-HEAT (the stuff that removes water from fuel and costs about a buck) almost pure methanol?

 

[CleanSump]

I've come to realize that about the only time I use the windshield washer is in winter after snow, when the salt splash on the windshield obscures visibility. No need for a summer blend, when I get bugs on a road trip, I clean it at a gas station during a fill-up. I'm thinking the generic blue stuff rated to -20F will do just fine.

Isn't ISO-HEAT (the stuff that removes water from fuel and costs about a buck) almost pure methanol?

The Heat Red bottle is 99% Methanol according to the MSDS.

 

[Wolf359]

I've come to realize that about the only time I use the windshield washer is in winter after snow, when the salt splash on the windshield obscures visibility. No need for a summer blend, when I get bugs on a road trip, I clean it at a gas station during a fill-up. I'm thinking the generic blue stuff rated to -20F will do just fine.

Isn't ISO-HEAT (the stuff that removes water from fuel and costs about a buck) almost pure methanol?

A gallon of -20F windshield washer fluid is about 36% methanol or about 50 oz in a gallon jug. Usually those gas line antifreeze bottles cost about as much as a gallon of windshield washer fluid as you usually just get 12 oz in a bottle of it. Better to just use the washer fluid up and put in a fresh gallon.

Actually water cleans better than windshield washer mix which is why I just dilute regular windshield washer mix in the summer.

 

[Jetronic]

First bout of real cold weather this season and I've got frozen windshield washer fluid. Had to stop three times on my way home to wipe salt mixture off the windshield from road spray, not pleasant.

I'm done trying to use seasonal windshield washer fluid... Made the mistake again this year, and although I topped up regular blue (rated -20F or so), there was enough of the summer "bug wash" mixture left in there that it froze.

Is there any household chemical I can use to depress the freeze point? I was thinking rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol.

ethanol or methanol. any alcohol really. I got some ethanol for those small fireplaces, 95% denatured. I can use it for disinfecting, degreasing, fires and washer fluid anti freeze. also anti freeze for air lines.

 

[Wolf359]

ethanol or methanol. any alcohol really. I got some ethanol for those small fireplaces, 95% denatured. I can use it for disinfecting, degreasing, fires and washer fluid anti freeze. also anti freeze for air lines.

Interesting stuff, never heard of it. Looks like it's about $40 for 3 quarts of it on Amazon. Considering 1 gallon of regular -20F windshield washer fluid is $1.78 at Walmart, this is like a Rube Goldberg search for the most expensive alternative to just using windshield washer fluid.