Frozen windscreen washer fluid

thenashlegend

Its a big problem this time of the year, bad roads are one thing but having to stop every few minutes to clean your windscreen doesnt make it any easier.

Just struck me today, could anti-freeze be put in the washer fluid reservoir?
Or is there a special fluid mix that wont freeze?

With all this frost, there must be some solution?

Anyway...Safe driving!:)

Basq

An all-weather screen wash should do the trick..

.. you'll find it in Halfords etc.

shinikins

Try a 50/50 mix of washer fluid and water, and keep a bottle of the same mix in the glovebox. You'll empty the resevoir in no time in this type of weather

MarkoC

shinikins wrote: »

Try a 50/50 mix of washer fluid and water, and keep a bottle of the same mix in the glovebox. You'll empty the resevoir in no time in this type of weather

Before you do that, read the label on the bottle.
If the ready mixture handles only -7 degrees i dont see any point to mix it again when theres -8 degrees at night. But yes, you can mix some stronger mixtures.

Lex Luthor

usually the bottle tells you what ratio of water to fluid to make up for different temps.

langdang

thenashlegend wrote: »

Just struck me today, could anti-freeze be put in the washer fluid reservoir?
Or is there a special fluid mix that wont freeze?

DO NOT tip a bottle of engine antifreeze into your washer bottle. Ethylene Glycol and car paint work are not friends. A certain mild diluted mix may work but really, if you value your bonnet and windscreen seals I wouldn't.

The "antifreeze screenwash" uses something else, possibly Isopropyl Alcohol (aka IPA or IsoPropanol). Don't go too mad with this either if you happen to find a 5L tub of it, it is flammable!

To be honest I reckon a good strong mix of screenwash is enough to prevent the bottle from freezing, but the airflow under your bonnet may mean that the tubes to the jets freeze up on a long drive - if you stop for a while in traffic and you get flow back then that's whats happening. Otherwise water is freezing right at the nozzle of the jets - try spraying some windscreen de-icer on these to free them up.

inforfun

Last time i filled the reservoir up i used 1 full bottle of W5 (Lidl) window cleaner mixed with 2 liter of plain water.
Apart from monday morning when it was -8 it has remained fluid.
If it gets empty i just filled it up 50/50 and that should be ok.

Lex Luthor

sometimes the fluid is ok but the jets are frozen...