summer's a good time to solve this problem. anyone found a way to keep the darn washers open during the real cold weather? half the time i'm at altitude and they're frozen up, and i'm using the stuff rated for the cold.
insulate the lines? got a formula that never freezes?
like to get this solved before the water gets hard again. thanks.

 

This just came to mind I've never heard of it before and don't know if it'd work but what about using rubbing alcohol or something that won't freeze easily(does it not freeze easily, idk for sure)? Or am I completely wrong? I don't have problems with my washer fluid freezing and have never tried this but it just came to mind so idk...

 

Altitude? 30,000 feet?!

I was thinking about a solution and came up with this: get a peice of copper (or aluminum) tubing the same size as your washer hose, wrap a couple of coils (3 or 4) around one of your heater hoses, preferably the inlet (hotter one) and then connect it inline with your washer hose. You may have to do some rerouting of the washer hose (extra lengths) but you should have "warm" washer fluid that should clear snow and ice pretty well.

I haven't tried this but it's something to look into.

 

do what "ford" did and heat the bottle with the coolant so that it cracks the windsheld lol now you know wh they dont have that "opson" anymore

or do what he said

or run the washer hoses into the truck's heater box (you know the one that heats you up) and then to the hood that might warm it up just enough

 

Use the washer fluid that dont freeze!

 

Yes you shouldnt have a problem if you use the correct fluid. The fluid I use in the winter is rated at -40'C, and it doesnt freeze even at -30C. I cant see it being colder than that in colorado

 

thanks, good ideas.
the stuff i get is for below freezing use, but gets cold in the high country in january.
wonder what the north of the border guys do?

 

I usually use the Peak purple washer fluid that I get at Sam's, and I've never had an issue with freeze up. BTW, my house is at 10,500ft in Summit county.

 

I usually use something like this:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/pr...08474396673432

The trick is to make sure that you put it in before the freezing weather and that you get it in the line so the old stuff doesn't freeze in there.

 

Any stuff rated for -30 to -40 will work fine.
Normally don't use it when it's really cold anyway. All the dirt is froze.

The trick as mentioned is to make sure it's not diluted with water or summer fluid.

I run winter stuff all year long so I won't have to change it.

 

I used this stuff (Rain-X de-icer) this past winter and it never froze in my lines, worked great.

http://www.rainx.com/Products/Windsh...s/De-Icer.aspx

 

I use the same stuff. Works well. We hit -15 deg F here last year.

About heated window washer fluid, I've been thinking about that too and I don't see any way around the likelihood of cracking the glass from the sudden change in temp.

I think a better solution is to heat the actual wiper blade so it is free to flex and also remove freezing build up on the edges of the windshield. Here in Juneau most cars use winter wiper blades that are shrouded in rubber to try and prevent ice from collecting in between the metal structures of the wiper arms, thus making them stiff and ineffective. I still have water make it inside, so warming them up is the only way to prevent it.

A secondary closed system, heated from the radiator would be a safe system. Make a heat exchanger on some part of the radiator and route lines up to the arms with metal tubes on the blades to transfer heat...

I'll have to see if I can put something together!

Erich

 

I use the yellow Rain-X stuff, good to -40. Never has a problem with it freezing. I don't see it on their website so maybe it's a special Canuck formula.

 

we ussually just drain the summer stuff in the fall and put the winter stuff in.
At work we still get quite a few people coming in with frozen washers. I ussually try and get some gas line anit freeze stuff (rubbing alcohol) in and blow the line out with an air line.

I really like that idea 89dlx put out with the copper wire and heater hose. I think I'd probably just wrap the wire around a metal coolant line though.

 

thanks to all, turns out i didn't really have the REALLY cold stuff.