Awesome. Any advice? [Updated]

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck) 02/08/2019 at 14:52 • Filed to: Iced taco

0

45

Noticed my washer fluid wouldn’t spray at all. Aaaaaand it’s frozen... What do I do?

[Update 1:09pm PST]

A hour later after idling, and chipping with a studd ed rod, and some warmish water douching: holy fuck. The entire reservoir is just like shaved iced. I'm going to give it another 30 minutes but this is feeling a little hopeless now. 33F and dropping.

facw > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 14:53

2

Wait for it to warm up (hopefully just having the engine on will be enough) and then replace it with better washer fluid? You can try putting in better fluid now, but since you are pretty full, I doubt you’ll get enough in to melt what’s there, and the frozen lines might be an issue regardless.

A nd by better washer fluid, I mean something rated at least to 0° , and ideally to - 25­­° (or lower if you are expecting to visit someplace truly cold) . The fact they even make 32° washer fluid is criminal.

HammerheadFistpunch > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 14:53

13

clear liquor.

For the reservoir to lower the freezing point...or whatever.

PatBateman > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 14:53

3

Move to Houston. 

CaptDale - is secretly British > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 14:54

1

Vodka and a hairdryer. Vodka added will keep it from freezing again and the hair dryer to melt what is frozen .

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 14:55

3

Ooh blue Gatorade my favorite

Chuckles > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 14:56

2

What’s the temp rating on that stuff? Most of the stuff in stores should be  rated to like -20F or lower. You may just have to wait it out. If you can get to an auto parts store and buy some lower rated stuff, maybe add some on top of the frozen stuff to see if it melts.

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 14:56

6

I would just run the engine long enough to warm the bay up, it will take some time, but its better than adding random liquids to it or anything else.

Then just run the washers dry, add a lower freeze point fluid.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > HammerheadFistpunch 02/08/2019 at 14:58

13

Drink it, then go back in the house and wait until it becomes a normal temperature outside

Chariotoflove > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 15:00

1

I hope it hasn’t caused a leak in the lines.

dogisbadob > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 15:01

2

it looks pretty tho

No really, you can get a torch, or alcohol, hot water (NOT boiling, maybe something like 100 degrees or a little warmer than that). They also sell something called washer fluid booster you can get at Walmart or any auto parts store.

It may not melt instantly but may take a few hours. In the mean time, get a de-icer washer fluid with a low freezing point. You can usually get one that’s -20 or -25 or -30 or something. But don’t add the new washer fluid until you do the step below.

After it melts, use the windshield washers, and use ALL the fluid you have in there.

Once it’s empty, THEN add the new washer fluid you bought earlier.

jimz > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 02/08/2019 at 15:02

2

mmmm, blind-a-licious.

ttyymmnn > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 02/08/2019 at 15:02

6

The liquor, not the antifreeze.

ttyymmnn > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 15:04

3

I remember seeing pictures of Red Army  trucks in the winter of 1941-1942 with wood fires burning underneath the engines so they would start in the morning. You might try something like that.

HammerheadFistpunch > ttyymmnn 02/08/2019 at 15:04

2

eh?  if its cold enough.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 02/08/2019 at 15:05

3

Right. And then pee it back into the reservoir?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 15:06

2

Buy some winter-formulated fluid.

Take the car on a drive somewhere that the engine compartment heats up and melts the ice in the system.

Drain the reservoir by pulling the hose, or by exhausting it with the pump.

Refill with winter-formulated fluid.

NKato > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 15:08

1

I have a jug of RainX in the trunk that hasn’t frozen. The Orange stuff.

I’ve never seen wiper fluid freeze like that though. 

facw > Chuckles 02/08/2019 at 15:08

1

In Houston I couldn’t find (looking at multiple auto stores, plus Target, etc.) lower than 32° except in winter, when stores carried some 0° (but still mostly 32 °). I ended up having to buy from Amazon just to get something decent. It does get below freezing down there, and it is possible to drive north!

vicali > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 15:14

2

Probably buy a new pump.

I cracked three on my SR5 before I realized summer bug spray is not the same as winter ice spray. Water/liquid freezes inside the plastic pump and ..

Chuckles > facw 02/08/2019 at 15:17

3

I guess I'm just used to de-icer fluid from living in the northeast. I feel like all I ever see around here is rated for 0F or lower.

Milky > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 15:19

0

Wait it for it to warm up and use it all.

facw > Chuckles 02/08/2019 at 15:25

1

We got stuff like this:

Or as a fancy option:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

In winter, places would stock this (but usually just a few bottles, they were mostly still the 32° stuff):

user314 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 02/08/2019 at 15:27

3

Svend > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 15:27

1

Can you put the car on the garage and use your wife’s hairdryer or if the washer bottle is sufficiently away from anything electrical, you could pour warm (but not too hot) water over the washer bottle , once thawed, top up with a stronger solution.

You may need to get under the car as windscreen washer bottles can go down into the engine bay quite a bit.

Sovande > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer 02/08/2019 at 15:31

0

Or just warm it up and pull the hose at the bottom of the reservoir so you don’t have to run the pump for a full gallon.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Svend 02/08/2019 at 15:32

0

Cant get it into the garage as I can't get another car out of it.

Chuckles > facw 02/08/2019 at 15:32

3

This is what I have in my car right now:

-25F is typically good enough in this part of the world.

Nick- Professional Car Destroyer > Sovande 02/08/2019 at 15:32

0

Eh, it doesn’t take that long and depending what he has that lower hose isn’t easily accessible.

I know from personal experience it was just easier to run the washer for a bit.

Svend > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 15:44

0

Warm water over the windscreen washer bottle then I guess.

But as I say, some bottles can go quite far down into the engine bay like this one from a Lexus IS200.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Nick- Professional Car Destroyer 02/08/2019 at 15:45

2

Thanks, this is what I'm doing right now.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Svend 02/08/2019 at 15:46

1

The reservoir on this taco is, in fact, freaking huge.

facw > Chuckles 02/08/2019 at 15:49

1

Yeah that’s what I’d be looking for in the Northeast . The whole “oh you wanted to clean your win dshield, how about a giant sheet of ice instead!” thing sucks enough that I want to avoid it if at all possible.

Svend > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 15:59

0

Ouch, it may just be the waiting game. 

Chuckles > facw 02/08/2019 at 15:59

1

Also, when you come outside to a frosty windshield, it is so nice to not have to scrape it at all. A quick spray of de-icer and you're on your way.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 16:11

0

A perfect application for your wife’s hairdr yer heat gun.

Klaus Schmoll > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 16:11

0

I start adding clear spirit in the fall so that when it starts freezing there’s a mixture of spirit and spirit based glass cleaner in there that’s strong enough to de-ice a windshield. I’ve never had much luck with the stuff from gas stations or auto parts stores. That stuff always froze way above the advertised temperature.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 16:23

0

Mine stayed frozen for like... 3 weeks?  Is what it is.  You could also add 100% alcohol.

GoodIdeaAtTheTime > HammerheadFistpunch 02/08/2019 at 16:32

0

I use a cheap vodka. Works great. 

ateamfan42 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 16:55

0

Many auto parts stores carry “washer fluid concentrate”. It is basically pure methanol ( so don’t drink it) . It’ll mix with the fluid (even the frozen part) in the reservoir in time and bring the mix closer to the 50:50 typical of normal winter washer fluid.

Alternately, as someone else suggested, dump in a bunch of high-proof booze. Ethanol will lower the freezing point just like methanol, and do a similar job as a cleaning solvent on the glass.

Having been caught by this problem once in my youth, I vowed never again to buy “summer formula” washer fluid, even if it is summer at the time. You’ll forget that’s what is in there until it freezes. Always buy the winter rated stuff regardless.

ateamfan42 > CaptDale - is secretly British 02/08/2019 at 16:58

0

Vodka added will keep it from freezing again and the hair dryer to melt what is frozen.

Even without the hair dryer, over time the alcohol will mix with the water (even the frozen water) and bring the freezing point of the solution down.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 17:00

0

The solution is to literally never put anything in the washer fluid reservoir that can freeze. I never buy washer fluid myself with a freezing point above -45°C, but my climate calls for that. You might get lucky adding rubbing alcohol to it, but heating it back up so it becomes liquid and removing the contents will be easiest. Unless you really work the truck, you’re unlikely to get the engine bay warm enough to do much in a short period of time. Flushing with boiling water could work, but you’d need to then extract the water or it’ll just freeze again.

If you can’t refill with proper low-temp washer fluid, mixing rubbing alcohol with the regular stuff will produce a similar product. The “real” -45 washer fluid is really just regular washer fluid about 30% methanol content. If Lada ownership has taught me anything, it’s that cheap vodka is also a reasonable if expensive solution. ...

But I did have to fight this on my parents’ vehicle over Christmas. Since he finally got his cataracts fixed my Dad’s taken over driving again, and he doesn’t use washer fluid anywhere near as frequently as my mom does, which meant having summer fluid in lead to the reservoir freezing. We managed to solve it by just topping up with warm -45 fluid , and using large quantities to flush out as much of the old stuff as we could, but it was a bunch of freeze-thaw cycles before it quit freezing up completely. 

CaptDale - is secretly British > ateamfan42 02/08/2019 at 17:05

1

Yeah but looks really full so figured it would be easier that way   

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 17:39

1

I had the same happen to me one time at Mammoth Ski area. My car has never left LA so it only has the crappy +32F liquid and would never ever freeze at home. Well it was single digits out so that shit froze solid. I just waited until I went home and then it melted. I then proceeded to spray the ever loving crap out of my windshield for a week to run it out. Now on my trip to Utah, Wyoming, and Montana I have the good stuff (-30F) and haven’t had any issues. Sprayed out as liquid the one day it was - 17F in Wyoming like a champ! 

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 21:16

0

i never thought to look, i just buy the 20deg or 0 deg stuff. able to pour in a bit of boiling water?

pip bip - choose Corrour > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/08/2019 at 23:45

0

hot water?