keep your washer fluid from freezing
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Junior User
Joined: Dec 2012
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keep your washer fluid from freezing
K this is probably common knowledge but I'll share anyways lol. When I find a good deal I stock up, case in point we had a menards open up recently and with all their sales to get ya in there the washer fluid was 2 for a buck. well shoot I have 5 gallons at the house and i just ran out in the f150. problem its all summer stuff like only good til 32 degrees f. its sposed to get to neg 9 here tomorrow night. solution my local grocery has had a sale on isopropyl alcohol for quite a while (i have alot of 16oz bottles stocked up lol) so i'm gonna pour 8 oz of alcohol in a gallon and see how that does me.I usually do throw in some alcohol in the winter time just in case. We don't see temps that low very often in st louis, on top of snow we are supposed to get here. so there ya have it if ya find yourself with a tank full of summer washer fluid or just have a bunch around throw in some alcohol and wash away the winter nasty from your windshield.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2007
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Do you realize you spent more money on the summer fluid + bottle of alcohol then just buying the winter fluid?
I understand you've already got the fluid in the tank and have to keep it from freezing.... but it freezes every year in St. Louis.
I understand you've already got the fluid in the tank and have to keep it from freezing.... but it freezes every year in St. Louis.
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Junior User
Joined: Dec 2012
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now i thought of that i priced wiper fluid today at target 2.99 i spent 50 cents on a gallon of washer fluid and 97 cents on 16 oz of alcohol which i used half so i figure it cost me a dollar.
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,155
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From: Southern Louisiana
I just use summer fluid year round with no additives. Never had a problem with it freezing.
Of course we call 50° freezing around here. Schools close and all that lol. Don't know I I would like alcohol spraying all over my truck though.
Of course we call 50° freezing around here. Schools close and all that lol. Don't know I I would like alcohol spraying all over my truck though.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 6,757
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From: Corvallis, OR
Temps got into the teens here a few weeks ago and my fluid got slushy. That was after adding about 20% winter fluid to the nearly full 80% summer fluid. In the future, I'll run winter fluid year round since I don't use my wiper fluid much.
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Joined: Jul 2011
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From: Sioux Falls Area
i just bought my expedition and the fluid was all frozen up. there was enough room in the tank, so i dumped a bottle of isopropyl alcohol in there hoping it would thaw out ... it didn't.
the only real solution is to wait until it thaws, or use a hair dryer and thaw it out, then pump out the tank and refill with good stuff.
here's why it don't work:
Isopropanol (2-Propanol) based Water Solutions
in order to get it good to -10°F, it needs to be 60% isopropyl alcohol, which isn't going to happen by buying the store bought (70%) stuff and adding it to the tank.
if you add 1 pint to one gallon, it gets you good to about 20°F. assuming the other stuff was only good to 32°F ....
its a good idea, but it doesn't work too well.
it DOES do a good job of cleaning your winshield though.
in my case, i pumped it out on a day where it thawed out, then filled it with windex stuff good to -34°F ... if it gets that cold, frozen washer fluid is the least of my worries.
that being said, we are expecting -21°F by tomorrow morning.
the only real solution is to wait until it thaws, or use a hair dryer and thaw it out, then pump out the tank and refill with good stuff.
here's why it don't work:
Isopropanol (2-Propanol) based Water Solutions
in order to get it good to -10°F, it needs to be 60% isopropyl alcohol, which isn't going to happen by buying the store bought (70%) stuff and adding it to the tank.
if you add 1 pint to one gallon, it gets you good to about 20°F. assuming the other stuff was only good to 32°F ....
its a good idea, but it doesn't work too well.
it DOES do a good job of cleaning your winshield though.
in my case, i pumped it out on a day where it thawed out, then filled it with windex stuff good to -34°F ... if it gets that cold, frozen washer fluid is the least of my worries.
that being said, we are expecting -21°F by tomorrow morning.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2007
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I unintentionally put summer fluid in my Superduty a few years ago. It was sold as winter fluid by the local store.... but it wasn't. Froze up over night. I was outside in sub-zero weather pouring boiling water into the tank and using a hand pump to remove it. After many rounds the tank was empty but the lines were still frozen solid. I noticed the lines were entirely under hood so I drove around hoping the engine made enough heat to thaw the lines. It did after an hour. I'd be screwed with my F150 because the lines exit the engine bay.
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From: Sioux Falls Area
it might, but i didn't spend a lot of time worrying about it either.
in my case, no harm was done.
prolly not real good on your wax, though, too.
the -20 stuff uses methyl alcohol, so i'm not sure if that's much better than isopropyl or not .... my chemistry days are LONG behind me.
funny to hear you guys talk about "summer" and "winter" fluid .... i've honestly never seen summer fluid here. always the same blue stuff good to -25.
my idea of summer fluid is soapy water.
i usually just use the blue stuff all year long. eliminates the "oh crap" moment when you realize you forgot about it.
on a side note, a splash of dish soap in your blue fluid (-20 stuff) in the summer is the absolute BEST for removing bug guts from your windshield.
in my case, no harm was done.
prolly not real good on your wax, though, too.
the -20 stuff uses methyl alcohol, so i'm not sure if that's much better than isopropyl or not .... my chemistry days are LONG behind me.
funny to hear you guys talk about "summer" and "winter" fluid .... i've honestly never seen summer fluid here. always the same blue stuff good to -25.
my idea of summer fluid is soapy water.
i usually just use the blue stuff all year long. eliminates the "oh crap" moment when you realize you forgot about it.
on a side note, a splash of dish soap in your blue fluid (-20 stuff) in the summer is the absolute BEST for removing bug guts from your windshield.
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Joined: Jul 2011
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From: Sioux Falls Area
never mind
ethanol won't work either.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/et...ter-d_989.html
20% only gets you down to 15°F
ethanol won't work either.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/et...ter-d_989.html
20% only gets you down to 15°F
Last edited by meborder; Jan 5, 2014 at 10:35 PM. Reason: got it all wrong the first time.
More Turbo
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 660
Likes: 61
From: Southeast Kansas
A biker buddy of mine told me that if you mix 50% peroxide, and 50% water in a spray bottle you can safely remove bug guts etc., off of bug shields, bumpers, and windshields. Spray wait a bit and they remove easy.
I've tried it, and it works. I've not noticed any damage to paint or anything.
I've tried it, and it works. I've not noticed any damage to paint or anything.
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