Freezing Washer Fluid Concerns

Oh yeah, and my windshield sprayer which was working started working yesterday morning then quit, meaning...I can hear the pump but no spray. I'm not familiar with how it works, or if it could have frozen or something? Very well could be unrelated to the SEL, but not sure.

Thanks,
Ben

This is just frozen fluid in the lines. Mine's the same way, and won't change until we go above freezing tomorrow or the next day. It is almost certainly not related to your SES light.

Once the fluid is thawed, try adding some winter washer fluid with antifreeze. Next time it shouldn't freeze up on you.

Aaron is right.
Remember, the fluid is very cleverly pumped from the frigid nether-regions of the wheel well, not the temperate climate beneath the bonnet...

Okay, thanks. I'll wait for it to warm up and hopefully it will be good. I literally just added some new fluid, but forget if it has antifreeze...and it didn't have time to get through the lines I'm sure.

Yours is most likely just frozen, but for anyone with the same problem in non cold areas...also make sure the line from the motor to the sprayer isnt cracked. mine were a little dry rotted and finally cracked one day. i was just pumping washer fluid all over the motor and belts
A little electrical tape and she works w/out a problem now. my break was right past the resov before i goes to the firewall.

You know, when I've dealt with this issue on the Riviera, there's a "T" section in the line that leads out to the sprayers. Anyway, it's fitted on there and over time, I guess pressure was such that it loosened up and I washed my motor. I just gorilla glued in place and the problem was fixed.

That said, if you don't see fluid all over the motor, there could also be the possiblility that mold have accumulated in the lines and the best way to cure that is to take an air hose, siconnect the lines and blow them out. Living in the northwest, we're familiar with mold and mildew and i've see that be the case on more than one occasion

Try it now. Bet it works. Mine did!

Yep, above 32 and working today! Gonna put in some better fluid.

beninohio wrote:

Yep, above 32 and working today! Gonna put in some better fluid.

You can always dump that rotgut pint of Popov vodka over the fridge in there for antifreeze...

Eldo wrote:

beninohio wrote:

Yep, above 32 and working today! Gonna put in some better fluid.

You can always dump that rotgut pint of Popov vodka over the fridge in there for antifreeze...

I wonder if Vanilla Schnapps would work... I haven't touched the bottle of that crap in my fridge since "the incident"...

While checking out pix of the '05 PA exhaust, I thought of something else - Have any of you 'northern folk' looked at adapting the heated washer-fluid system to your cars?

Eldo wrote:

While checking out pix of the '05 PA exhaust, I thought of something else - Have any of you 'northern folk' looked at adapting the heated washer-fluid system to your cars?

have not looked at heated washer fluid system and have *never* had the washer jets freeze up. I suspect their location on the cowl does not hurt.

Albertj

albertj wrote:

I have not looked at heated washer fluid system and have *never* had the washer jets freeze up. I suspect their location on the cowl does not hurt.

Albertj

The heater is not for frozen jets, but rather for the ice on your windshield... I admit that it sounds like a recipe for a cracked windshield, but evidently they control the temperature precisely.

On the other hand, "ne-ver-mind"...
http://jalopnik.com/5043596/gm-recalls-950000-vehicles-for-heated-washer-fluid-problems

Eldo wrote:

albertj wrote:

I have not looked at heated washer fluid system and have *never* had the washer jets freeze up. I suspect their location on the cowl does not hurt.

Albertj

The heater is not for frozen jets, but rather for the ice on your windshield... I admit that it sounds like a recipe for a cracked windshield, but evidently they control the temperature precisely.

On the other hand, "ne-ver-mind"...
http://jalopnik.com/5043596/gm-recalls-950000-vehicles-for-heated-washer-fluid-problems

In the fall I switch to a -20 antifreeze windshield fluid mix. Alternatively you can put in one or another of the washer fluid additives that claims melting ice.

Albertj

I use straight washer fluid year 'round.
I've never had it freeze on me. Not in the lines or nozzles.

Many years ago I worked at one of those quick lube places.
They bought washer fluid concentrate in 55 gal drums.
I used it straight, undiluted, and wow did that cut through the ice!

I only use the subzero stuff in the winter. Usually there is an ingredient such as ethanol or methanol in the winter stuff that I don't like spraying all over the paint and rubber parts of the car year round. So I only use it 2-3 months out of the year. Once it starts warming up, I use the Rain-X stuff for the rest of the year, which is good to 32ºF - but it freezes (it has) easily in winter.

I suspect you'd be much better off running washer fluid in winter that will protect from freezing down to what you normally expect for low temps. Fluids freezing in a pump... not usually a good thing.

I can attest to fluid freezing in the washer system not being a good idea. My father had the regular mix in his Suburban and it got down to about -10 one night and that did the trick. Froze solid and cracked the tank, and the lines.