Best windshield washer fluid?

[NetWareHead]

It has really been cold up here lately and the washer fluid has been freezing at the exit nozzles and choking up the entire system. I can't spray my windshield anymore as a result until the car warms up a little and melts the frozen nozzles. Due to the windchill of me driving, I can even see the already sprayed washer fluid freeze up at the edges of the windshield.

The stuff I got is from Walmart, dont remember the brand but supposedly is good down to -40. I wont buy it again but I need something better than what I'm using. Any recommendations?

 

[Homer Simpson]

ive been using rainX brand the last few years without issue. i dont live in the great white north but it seems work fine with temps in the single digits. its both a de-icer and bug remover plus it makes water bead up nicely when it rains.

 

[NetWareHead]

ive been using rainX brand the last few years without issue. i dont live in the great white north but it seems work fine with temps in the single digits. its both a de-icer and bug remover plus it makes water bead up nicely when it rains.

Does it say what is its lowest working temperature? I'm in New England and it has been below zero here without wind chill.

 

[mwmorph]

I use the Napa brand Extreme Cold or something rated down to -40. My nozzles were only frozen once, when it got down to -47 or so, though at -25 to -30 it does turn a bit slushy on my windshield. When it's unusually warm, hovering around 0 to maybe -5, it remains fully liquid.

 

[Howard]

maybe you can cut the fluid with some industrial pure ethanol

*don't do this

 

[LTC8K6]

http://www.windshieldwiperheaters.com/

http://www.amazon.com/AlphaTherm-AT-38OD-Windshield-Washer-Heater/dp/B0034GW1WW

 

[Vette73]

http://www.windshieldwiperheaters.com/

http://www.amazon.com/AlphaTherm-AT-.../dp/B0034GW1WW

Be careful with those. GM did that for a couple years and they started to break/catch fire. The company that made them for GM went out of business shortly after that.

 

[CraigRT]

I like RainX.
Rated to -40C.

 

[bruceb]

RainX is good. Since you are in a very cold climate, you may want one that also says it does deicing as well.

 

[T2urtle]

I use the Napa brand Extreme Cold or something rated down to -40. My nozzles were only frozen once, when it got down to -47 or so, though at -25 to -30 it does turn a bit slushy on my windshield. When it's unusually warm, hovering around 0 to maybe -5, it remains fully liquid.

wait so your saying your fluid actually freezes?

i never had frozen fluid but sometimes it doesn't come out the nozzle until i drive a bit. I just use cheap wal-mart sometimes i water it down too. not in issue for me in chicago winter.

 

[herm0016]

i use the rainx stuff too. works good. no problems till about 25 below zero with it.

 

[mwmorph]

wait so your saying your fluid actually freezes?

i never had frozen fluid but sometimes it doesn't come out the nozzle until i drive a bit. I just use cheap wal-mart sometimes i water it down too. not in issue for me in chicago winter.

Just another free perk of living so far north, all north american roads end here and then loop back south.

 

[ravana]

I too am using the RainX orangey/gold winter blend here in the great frozen tundra of Minnesota. Seems to work fine, it was below zero last week.

 

[LTC8K6]

Be careful with those. GM did that for a couple years and they started to break/catch fire. The company that made them for GM went out of business shortly after that.

I don't think there is any connection.

 

[Vette73]

I don't think there is any connection.

Here ya go...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/business/09recall.html

I have seen many aftermarket ones have issues as well. Not saying all are bad but I would research the compnay and product like that very well before I put it on my car.

 

[LTC8K6]

Here ya go...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/business/09recall.html

I have seen many aftermarket ones have issues as well. Not saying all are bad but I would research the compnay and product like that very well before I put it on my car.

Yes, I was aware of the GM recall.

One company making a bad item does not mean you avoid every company's version of that item. If that were the case, an awful lot of stuff would not be on the market.

 

[ShawnD1]

Right now I have RainX (green) rated for -40 in my car, and it's total shit. It leaves weird white streaks behind for a few seconds then the white streaks disappear.

Conceptually, it doesn't even make sense why anyone would use RainX in winter. It's great in summer because it puts a teflon layer on the windshield and rain beads off it. That's in summer. It never rains in winter, so all the teflon does is leave weird streaks so I'm totally blinded for about 1-2 seconds. The best stuff is the cheap stuff at places like Walmart. Instead of buying quality, you buy quantity then use lots of it. When summer rolls around, go back to using RainX or equivalent.

 

[herm0016]

Right now I have RainX (green) rated for -40 in my car, and it's total shit. It leaves weird white streaks behind for a few seconds then the white streaks disappear.

Conceptually, it doesn't even make sense why anyone would use RainX in winter. It's great in summer because it puts a teflon layer on the windshield and rain beads off it. That's in summer. It never rains in winter, so all the teflon does is leave weird streaks so I'm totally blinded for about 1-2 seconds. The best stuff is the cheap stuff at places like Walmart. Instead of buying quality, you buy quantity then use lots of it. When summer rolls around, go back to using RainX or equivalent.

the cheap stuff is not usefull when it is frozen. I have not seen any issues like you descirbe with the orange rainx fluid. i not seen the green stuff.

 

[ShawnD1]

the cheap stuff is not usefull when it is frozen.

That's part of why this thread is so confusing. When windshield fluid is rated for -40, I have no idea how it could possibly freeze. I'm guessing the OP didn't remove all of his bug wash before adding winter fluid. Bug wash freezes at 32F or 0C.


I googled about the white streaks issue and what people are saying on forums makes absolutely no sense. They keep saying you're supposed to let the washer fluid dry before wiping it off. So if I get dirt on my windshield while I'm driving, I'm supposed to spray fluid and somehow prevent the wipers from going (impossible in a toyota since they automatically wipe after spraying). wtf are these crackheads smoking?

 

[Throckmorton]

The best fluid would be plain ethanol, because methanol is highly toxic even in small amounts. It causes blindness.

 

[NetWareHead]

That's part of why this thread is so confusing. When windshield fluid is rated for -40, I have no idea how it could possibly freeze. I'm guessing the OP didn't remove all of his bug wash before adding winter fluid. Bug wash freezes at 32F or 0C.


I googled about the white streaks issue and what people are saying on forums makes absolutely no sense. They keep saying you're supposed to let the washer fluid dry before wiping it off. So if I get dirt on my windshield while I'm driving, I'm supposed to spray fluid and somehow prevent the wipers from going (impossible in a toyota since they automatically wipe after spraying). wtf are these crackheads smoking?

I dont run bug wash in my car...just washer fluid. We most likely are not accounting for the windchill factor. 55-65 mph when it is already below zero will probably approach temps to even freeze washer fluid. I know it is frozen because in the afternoon, I visit my car again and the washer system works.

 

[ShawnD1]

I dont run bug wash in my car...just washer fluid. We most likely are not accounting for the windchill factor. 55-65 mph when it is already below zero will probably approach temps to even freeze washer fluid. I know it is frozen because in the afternoon, I visit my car again and the washer system works.

Only humans are affected by wind chill. Fluid is not affected by wind chill because the wind could be blowing 200mph and the fluid will still never be colder than the air temperature. All your fluid sees is air temperature.

The best fluid would be plain ethanol, because methanol is highly toxic even in small amounts. It causes blindness.

I don't know if there is a warning on the bottle, but you're not supposed to drink the windshield washer fluid. You're also not supposed to drink the gasoline. And definitely don't drink the radiator fluid; it tastes terrible.

 

[CupCak3]

the cheap stuff is not usefull when it is frozen. I have not seen any issues like you descirbe with the orange rainx fluid. i not seen the green stuff.

I thought the green stuff was for summer.

 

[LTC8K6]

Only humans are affected by wind chill. Fluid is not affected by wind chill because the wind could be blowing 200mph and the fluid will still never be colder than the air temperature. All your fluid sees is air temperature.



I don't know if there is a warning on the bottle, but you're not supposed to drink the windshield washer fluid. You're also not supposed to drink the gasoline. And definitely don't drink the radiator fluid; it tastes terrible.

It's not wind chill, it's evaporative cooling that causes the fluid to freeze when sprayed into the dry winter air, and then you have an ice coated windshield that was clear a minute ago.

 

[Throckmorton]

Only humans are affected by wind chill. Fluid is not affected by wind chill because the wind could be blowing 200mph and the fluid will still never be colder than the air temperature. All your fluid sees is air temperature.



I don't know if there is a warning on the bottle, but you're not supposed to drink the windshield washer fluid. You're also not supposed to drink the gasoline. And definitely don't drink the radiator fluid; it tastes terrible.

Except the fluid falls right down in your cowl intake, so the AC can suck in the methanol fumes. And if your windows are open, you might get methanol on your face