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I was in Michigan for nearly two weeks and my washer fluid sprayers were inoperable the entire time. They didn't thaw until I got into North Carolina coming home. I won't have the truck up there in the winter ever again so I'm not going to mess with it.
We can get to -30 in Canada quite often, so the trick is during the coldest months (now) add a cup of methyl hydrate to the washer reservoir and pump it well into the lines for a minute or so and it will never freeze up again. Cheap fix found in the paint section of any hardware store...they use it for cleaning shellac brushes, and no it won't hurt your truck paint.
Interesting. I looked up methyl hydrate, to see what it was and was also directed to some HEET information. Read that the Heet Yellow, being 99% methanol, can be used in windshield washer fluid reservoirs to deter ice buildup. Never knew that.
My '16 SCREW has a 05-2016 assembly date. The valve in the cowl was a three way "Tee" or "Wye" design, not a straight nipple configuration. If this is the "fix" used by TSB 16-0082, it didn't work in my truck in moderate 20*F weather. FWIW, the truck was full of Rain-X fluid and it was dosed with isopropyl alcohol. This isn't a washer fluid freezing issue, it is a check valve binding in cold weather issue.
When I decided to remedy this situation the check valve was again stuck closed and it was 8*F in the driveway. The plan was to drill the valve, but plastic is hard and brittle in the cold. I ended up replacing the check valve with a plastic vacuum T fitting. It still seemed easier to fix it myself than to go to the dealer.
We shouldn't have to do stuff like this to a new truck...
I have a 2016 Ford F-150 in the Washington DC area. I have the same exact problem. After driving for over an hour, I went to turn on the windshield washer and it wouldn't come on. After a near accident due to poor visibility, I stopped and checked only to find the fluid frozen..it was 10 degrees, the fluid we had in there was -25degrees. It is definitely a defect. Of course I took it in to the dealership and they found nothing wrong with it. But I am reporting this issue.
What brand of fluid were you using that froze in the tank? This is unusual as most often it's rain water that has gotten into the top of the check valve that freezes stopping the valve from opening..
The fluid that was in there was from the Ford dealership where the truck is regularly serviced. I was truly surprised when I looked on their repair work order to find that they recommend that I use a different type of fluid from what they put in my truck. I took a picture when I found the fluid compartment frozen. It is an absolute safety hazard. When temps drop, the washer fluid tank should not freeze and remain frozen even when the vehicle has been running for over an hour. With snow and mist hitting the windshield and then drying, My visibility was completely non existent in the middle of busy traffic where I had to drive by looking out of the side windows until I could safely stop somewhere. I also own a Honda and a Dodge...never had any issue like this before.
This is beyond just stupid,,, on your dealers part.. makes one wonder what kind of cheap oil they are using.. if they are actually changing it at all and not just wiping the filter clean.
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