Boys and Girls,

Always wished my truck had heated windshield washer fluid. Years ago, I had an aftermarket kit installed on another vehicle and it worked very well. It was a coiled plastic tube, wrapped around the upper radiator hose. It spliced into the line between the reservoir pump and nozzles, and picked up heat from the radiator hose. It wasn't an instant-on system like most electric versions, but it was cheap and easy, just like me.

So I gets to thinking. I installed a new radiator several years ago:



At the driver's side, note the two receptacles for automatic transmission cooler lines. Since my truck has a manual transmission, those connections are unused. Pretty much all replacement radiators have a built-in cooler for an automatic transmission, but it's just going along for the ride with a stick shift. Why not put it to good use?

Here's an installed view, looking forward on the driver's side. The brass fittings are 1/4" NPT - 1/4" barb. Disconnect the output line from the reservoir, attach a 1/4" barbed splice fitting and hose to extend the line, and route this newly lengthened line to the upper port on the radiator. I ran a new piece of 1/4" hose from the washer fluid reservoir to the lower port on the radiator.





Now, when I press the switch for the pump, fluid is routed into the transmission cooler at the bottom and out the top, absorbing heat on the way. From there, warm fluid now travels to the stock nozzles. I measured approximately 90F spraying out.

Even without a heating system, I highly recommend Prestone AS253 De-Icer fluid:

https://prestone.com/product/preston...-washer-fluid/



It melts ice and frost even if cold, but is even better when heated. Whatever fluid you select, make sure it is rated for freezing temperatures. The reservoir, nozzles, and lines are still not heated, so you don't want them to freeze up and block the flow.

 

If you have a little chip in the glass what do you think would happen when the heated fluid hits it?

Dave ---

 

I was thinking that myself. Hot washer fluid hitting a frozen window seems like a recipe for disaster to me.

It's a neat idea, I'm just not sure it's a good one.

 

24 minutes elapsed for the first naysayer. I thought it would be quicker.

Lots of newer vehicles have heated washer fluid from the factory. I had an aftermarket system on another vehicle for years with no issues, in much colder weather, too. Also, keep in mind, the fluid doesn't heat up instantly after engine start, so it's not like you're spraying hot hot fluid on a cold cold windshield. I'll have the defroster running, slowly warming the windshield from the inside. About the time the defroster is warm, I'll finally have warm fluid.

From my previous experience, the heated fluid is really nice for clearing accumulation while driving. It's not really a factor right after a cold start, but that Prestone stuff works just fine cold for clearing frost. Rather, the heated fluid really works its magic while driving through a storm, limiting build-up on the wiper blades and at the ends of the cleared path. By that point the defroster has already warmed the glass, so there's no thermal shock.

 

Sorry I did not answer sooner but I was working as I like to eat and stay warm & dry
If I can ever get my sons stuff out of my garage I can park my pick up back in it and my DD in the house garage.
Then I dont have to worry about frost / ice on the glass.

Where I live if there is any "weather" the state shuts down till it is gone as they dont have equipment to fight it.
I really just need to get thru this winter that we may get and then I retire and can take my time warming up the DD
Dave ----

 

Forgot to mention one little tidbit. The original transmission cooler (repurposed as a washer fluid heater) is on the "cool" side of the radiator. Coolant enters the radiator on the "hot" side, roughly 180F or so. (Wish the factory temperature gauge had numbers so I'd know for sure... )

The hot coolant passes through the radiator core, with the airflow extracting heat via the tubes and fins. By the time the coolant reaches the "cool" side, it is at least 40F cooler. So the washer fluid is heated by 140F coolant, not 180F. I suspect in booger-freezing weather, the heat transfer in the core will be even more effective, reducing further the coolant temperature on the "cool" side.

Heat transfer to the washer fluid is less than perfect, too. So it's not like I'm spraying 180F liquid on frigid glass. The end result is more like 80-100F, sprayed on a surface already heated to some extent by the defroster. That's not much worse than peeing on the glass, but with the neighbors far less likely to call the authorities on me again.

 

Funny what happens, when people have too much time on their hands. LOL In nearly 30 years of driving to VT for skiing most winter weekends, I have never wished for heated windshield washer fluid.

I kind of do appreciate the heated wiper blades, from the heat coils in the windshield.

 

. That's not much worse than peeing on the glass, but with the neighbors far less likely to call the authorities on me again.[/QUOTE]

This method might work for you but I run into the problem of getting 3” of discharge hose fished through 6” of Carhart.

 

I see that as a good repurpose of the unused transmission cooler.

I will also vouch for the Prestone washer fluid.

Like others, I had concerns of hot liquid on frozen glass, but you convincingly explained my concerns away.

I have seen more than a few windshields shattered by people taking a pan of hot water and slinging it across a frozen windshield --- and then they wonder why the doors are frozen shut.

Now that you have larger washer lines, why not replace the wimpy stock pump with one meant for a 12-volt spray ?

My original pump gave up the ghost many many years ago and I replaced it with a generic washer pump that would out-spray the original many times over and has outlasted the original many times over as well.

My original jug split from age and my washer jug for the last several years has been a 48-ounce mouth-wash bottle with draw-straws poked through holes in the lid; this mouth-wash bottle resides in a purpose-built steel "holster".

One huge advantage to using a mouth-wash bottle that is easily lifted out of it's holster is I can keep a second full bottle in the truck and swap an empty for full as need be.

A few years ago, I came up with a second generic pump and I mounted it as well, having individual Draw straws/lines that TEE together into the single line that feeds the nozzle; increase in performance was more than dramatic.