Windshield Washer Won't Wash

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My windshield washer on my 2005 LS430 won't squirt RainX orange on my windshield. Reservoir is full, windshield wipers work, washer motor fuse 20amp is fine.

Please lead me down the diagnosis path....

Thanks!
 
Good place to start. It's interesting in that they have been fine but we did had 2 degree temps last week. Very unusual in these Virginian
neck of the woods.
 
Originally Posted By: Balrog006
Lines frozen?

Yep...Probably used the southern fluid. You'll have to clean them manually until it warms up.
 
Lines probably frozen/clogged. My grand cherokee wouldn’t wash for a week or two during the really cold temps recently in Michigan. Brought it to get new tires and just being in their warm garage for an hour thawed it all and it worked fine after that...so far
 
Do you have the cold weather washer fluid in there?

Turn the key on and have the engine off. Turn the washers on. Can you hear the little pump running? If not have someone else squirt while you reach under the hood and touch the little pump and see if it's buzzing. Might have just kicked the bucket.

Even regular washer fluid freezes here in Phoenix.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Do you have the cold weather washer fluid in there?

Turn the key on and have the engine off. Turn the washers on. Can you hear the little pump running? If not have someone else squirt while you reach under the hood and touch the little pump and see if it's buzzing. Might have just kicked the bucket.

Even regular washer fluid freezes here in Phoenix.

^^^^^^^^
Dont do this test. Probably frozen. Wait until it the fluid thaws out.
 
Call off the dogs. They were frozen. It confused me as I used the -20 F orange rainx. It obviously doesn’t perform as the label says. They just unthawed 5 minutes ago. Wow!
 
Sometimes reservoirs will be more than a gallon, so if you have some of the summer blend or cheaper stuff in there, and add lets say 3/4 of a gallon, you may raise the freezing point by a solid amount.
 
I've been adding about 3/4 cup of rubbing alcohol to the blue washer fluid in my reservoir for the past 2 winters. The fluid never freezes on me anymore even with the single digit temps we had here the last few days.
 
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Originally Posted By: Audios
Sometimes reservoirs will be more than a gallon, so if you have some of the summer blend or cheaper stuff in there, and add lets say 3/4 of a gallon, you may raise the freezing point by a solid amount.


That's it! I bought the car in Tampa 3 years ago. I very seldom use the windshield washer. I just filled the reservoir up and it only took about a cup and the mix looked bluish orange. Looked awful. I'm gonna drain it all tomorrow and refill. Yechh....
 
Just pour about 2 cups of vodka in the reservoir.
It will lower freeze point and will evaporate off windows quickly.
 
Originally Posted By: Gebo
Originally Posted By: Audios
Sometimes reservoirs will be more than a gallon, so if you have some of the summer blend or cheaper stuff in there, and add lets say 3/4 of a gallon, you may raise the freezing point by a solid amount.


That's it! I bought the car in Tampa 3 years ago. I very seldom use the windshield washer. I just filled the reservoir up and it only took about a cup and the mix looked bluish orange. Looked awful. I'm gonna drain it all tomorrow and refill. Yechh....


Good Luck accessing the lines of the res. to drain the fluid.
Much easier to dump some rubbing alcohol/vodka in the res. and spray away until most of the res. is of the winter variety.
 
If the fluid isn't frozen, the squirters aren't plugged, you can't hear the washer pump turn on and the fuse is good, most likely the washer pump is the culprit.

I replaced the washer pump in our '01 RX300 early in its life. It was a $20+ fix and quite easy to do. IDK how easy the access or the cost in on a LS430 but should be doable.

I had just filled my washer reservoir at the time and I first thought it was the fluid or dirt.
 
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Originally Posted By: Gebo
Call off the dogs. They were frozen. It confused me as I used the -20 F orange rainx. It obviously doesn’t perform as the label says. They just unthawed 5 minutes ago. Wow!


Even the best -40 rated fluids will still freeze up with use like yours. If they sit in the lines for extended periods without use the lighter compounds in them that make them -20 or -40 fluids (ethanol, Methanol) can evaporate off out of the nozzle leaving just colored water in the end of the line to freeze.

Your best bet is to use them occasionally to prevent this, use up old summer fluid so you can replace it with winter blend and to cycle some fluid they the system to make sure it works when you need it.
 
Originally Posted By: Gebo
Call off the dogs. They were frozen. It confused me as I used the -20 F orange rainx. It obviously doesn’t perform as the label says. They just unthawed 5 minutes ago. Wow!


Cool, glad it was simple!
However, maybe the rain or snow sitting atop of the hood/nozzles is actually what froze inside of your squirter/nozzles. This what happens to me frequently during our cold spell.
 
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