I'm out of windshield washer fluid, and the lows (very unusual here) are going to be 20F. I think I may have water or very watery washer fluid, since I haven't refilled the washer fluid since the summer, nor have I winterized my car yet. I'm worried about freezing and damaging the plastic washer container. Would dumping ammonia in there help lower the freezing point? Is that fairly okay to put in there?
Ammonia as washer fluid?
- Thread starter ueberooo
- Start date
- Status
I don't think it would hurt much short term. I wouldn't leave it on the paint long.
thanks labman!
Ammonia can be bad for rubber.
I just did a quick Google search and the following mixture stood out:
35% Methanol (wood alcohol)
63% Water
2% Automotive Antifreeze(also colors the fluid)
Evidently isopropyl alcohol can be used, but you'd need to use it in concentrations of ~70%, which is not economical.
Why not just buy a winter washer fluid with methanol pre-mixed? AutoZone has the Rain-X stuff for like $3/gal, while Wal-Mart has Peak stuff for a bit over $1/gal.
I just did a quick Google search and the following mixture stood out:
35% Methanol (wood alcohol)
63% Water
2% Automotive Antifreeze(also colors the fluid)
Evidently isopropyl alcohol can be used, but you'd need to use it in concentrations of ~70%, which is not economical.
Why not just buy a winter washer fluid with methanol pre-mixed? AutoZone has the Rain-X stuff for like $3/gal, while Wal-Mart has Peak stuff for a bit over $1/gal.
Thank you Pete, well, I could probably go to the 24 hr gas station and get washer fluid.
I just tested out the washer, and it seems it's only maybe half watered down washer fluid, hard to tell, but definitely seems a lot better/more chemical than straight water by the looks and smell of it; I didn't read your post in time, so I'd put in the tiny bit of ammonia I had left (maybe ~5oz) so that will help lower the freezing point a little more. 20F isn't that drastic compared to some of the lows more inland. Anyways, it should be a pretty thin concentration of ammonia, so hopefully won't be too hard on the rubber.
I just tested out the washer, and it seems it's only maybe half watered down washer fluid, hard to tell, but definitely seems a lot better/more chemical than straight water by the looks and smell of it; I didn't read your post in time, so I'd put in the tiny bit of ammonia I had left (maybe ~5oz) so that will help lower the freezing point a little more. 20F isn't that drastic compared to some of the lows more inland. Anyways, it should be a pretty thin concentration of ammonia, so hopefully won't be too hard on the rubber.
Last edited:
I'm pretty sure that a little bit of ammonia won't cause much of a problem. You probably don't want to let a whole bottle of lab-grade ammonia sit in the reservoir for very long, though. 
I would not do ammonia. Try to get some cheap rubbing alcohol at a local supermarket that has a pharmacy and add 20% with water.
21°F on my PC thermometer (some semi local weather site) right now.
I don't think a little ammonia will help the freezing point much, and I think it's not great for rubber, plastics, and paint. Just my 0.02$
I don't think a little ammonia will help the freezing point much, and I think it's not great for rubber, plastics, and paint. Just my 0.02$
WalMart has Prestone's windshield washer "booster" which contains methanol. You add it to the blue stuff to lower the freezing point. About 2 bucks/bottle
Steve
Steve
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Not knowing any better, used to wash my windshield with windex containing ammonia every couple weeks. I always wondered why my windshield wipers never lasted more than a few months...
I don't know how detrimental that ammount of ammonia will be, but it's sure not helping you freezing point, so flushing and filling with what's meant to be in there might be a good idea
I don't know how detrimental that ammount of ammonia will be, but it's sure not helping you freezing point, so flushing and filling with what's meant to be in there might be a good idea
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
I don't know how detrimental that ammount of ammonia will be, but it's sure not helping you freezing point, so flushing and filling with what's meant to be in there might be a good idea
I think you're mostly right, and what really saved me was the fact that the car luckily just had watered down washer fluid, and the fact that it only got down to 20F at dawn.
BTW, according to the internets, urine has a freezing point of roughly -5C = 23F, and is composed of 95% water; the rest, I assume is mostly ammonia, followed by trace amounts of salt and various biological organic traces. So, if anything, that little bit of ammonia might have lowered it ~2C, or not enough, had the reservoir not contained a decent percentage of washer fluid to begin with.
I don't know how detrimental that ammount of ammonia will be, but it's sure not helping you freezing point, so flushing and filling with what's meant to be in there might be a good idea
I think you're mostly right, and what really saved me was the fact that the car luckily just had watered down washer fluid, and the fact that it only got down to 20F at dawn.
BTW, according to the internets, urine has a freezing point of roughly -5C = 23F, and is composed of 95% water; the rest, I assume is mostly ammonia, followed by trace amounts of salt and various biological organic traces. So, if anything, that little bit of ammonia might have lowered it ~2C, or not enough, had the reservoir not contained a decent percentage of washer fluid to begin with.
Last edited:
Wait until the car gets warmed up, and you can spray the fluid that you have in the tank.
Spray it all out, then refill with some blue stuff intended for the winter.
Technically this should be done in the fall, but I see no reason why it would hurt anything.
Spray it all out, then refill with some blue stuff intended for the winter.
Technically this should be done in the fall, but I see no reason why it would hurt anything.
Don't get the $1 washer fluid. Turns slushy at 15-20 deg F.
Get the $3-4 stuff that is rated to 35 below 0 F.
Get the $3-4 stuff that is rated to 35 below 0 F.
- Status
Similar threads
