washer fluid nozzles are freezing

[nomech]

Yesterday I added windshield washer fluid to my vehicle (2025 tahoe hc), which has been sitting in my garage for at least a year, but it was new and sealed. My car was parked outside for a few hours after I added the fluid and when I went to go pick something up from the store I pressed the button for fluid and I only saw the wiper move, no fluid. This was for the front windshield. I thought that was strange so I tried the rear window and that one worked, I could see the fluid running down the glass and wipers cleaned the window.

Overnight I parked in the garage, tested the front before leaving for work and both front nozzles sprayed the fluid, ok, there was some frozen rain/snow yesterday maybe the nozzles froze up when my car was outside at work.

About 20 minutes into my drive (15* f outside) I try to clean the front windows....nothing, just wipers moving, no fluid. I try the rear window, same thing, no fluid. I've never seen nozzles freeze that quickly in the cold temps. Sure, if there is snow covering the nozzles they spray water and you see the snow change to the color of the fluid but doesn't have enough pressure to make it through the snow, but they still work.

Now I'm starting to think that the anti freezing agent in the fluid I used is possibly old/expired and not doing its job.

This is my first winter season with this vehicle that's why I came here to ask, but I've never experienced anything like this with my previous tahoe (2020) which I drove for 5 years in the winter or any other vehicle prior.

 

[RST Dana]

Is this winter fluid? The summer fluid will free for sure.

 

[nomech]

Is this winter fluid? The summer fluid will free for sure.

I bought it in bulk and that is something I would have checked, first, I believe it is but I'll have to check the jug I used. If it isn't then obviously that is the issue. It is also the stuff I would have used in my 2020 Tahoe which I did not have issues with.

 

[2024 White Tahoe]

I bought it in bulk and that is something I would have checked, first, I believe it is but I'll have to check the jug I used. If it isn't then obviously that is the issue. It is also the stuff I would have used in my 2020 Tahoe which I did not have issues with.

I live in the Midwest with sub-zero winters and snow.

I have used this Prestone windshield deicer washer fluid for years in numerous vehicle, including those with rear wiper washers, with excellent results: https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/PAF...142&gbraid=0AAAAADzGEwz3WKW52XA-W3UwUsdy8qusC

The one gallon jug comes with an inner foil neck seal, and I don’t break the seal until I use the fluid.

(I buy it in person and have no connection to NAPA or Prestone).

 

[nomech]

Is this winter fluid? The summer fluid will free for sure.

It was summer fluid. I had 3 full cases of winter fluid, but the only opened case had 4 winter and 2 summer. I have no clue how the summer got in there as I don't buy summer because I typically don't need wiper fluid during the summer months, possibly because I wash my car more than others. Anyway, the mystery is solved and I'm crossing my fingers that nothing cracked/fully froze. To be clear, I'm not saying the summer fluid was mixed in with the bulk boxes that I bought, maybe a friend/family member brought some over at some point throughout the year, who knows.

I pumped out the summer fluid and filled the housing with hot water. I also rinsed off the nozzles with hot water and poured hot water over the wiper fluid lines that I could see in the engine bay. After a minute or so, I was able to get the hot water to come out of the front nozzles, rear nozzle took a few more minutes. Then I ran the hot water through until the low wiper fluid light came on. Then I put the winter fluid in and ran it through until I saw blue color fluid coming out of all three nozzles.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

It was summer fluid. I had 3 full cases of winter fluid, but the only opened case had 4 winter and 2 summer. I have no clue how the summer got in there as I don't buy summer because I typically don't need wiper fluid during the summer months, possibly because I wash my car more than others. Anyway, the mystery is solved and I'm crossing my fingers that nothing cracked/fully froze. To be clear, I'm not saying the summer fluid was mixed in with the bulk boxes that I bought, maybe a friend/family member brought some over at some point throughout the year, who knows.

I pumped out the summer fluid and filled the housing with hot water. I also rinsed off the nozzles with hot water and poured hot water over the wiper fluid lines that I could see in the engine bay. After a minute or so, I was able to get the hot water to come out of the front nozzles, rear nozzle took a few more minutes. Then I ran the hot water through until the low wiper light came on. Then I put the winter fluid in and ran it through until I saw blue color fluid coming out of all three nozzles.

Yeah, my first thought was that either you have the wrong fluid (summer versus winter, though not much summer fluid used here in New England), or you cheaped out and bought crap fluid. Or, a 3rd possibility is that maybe sitting in your garage with temperature fluctuations, some bit of moisture got into the nozzles in the front, due to their angular orientation, and then froze when the temperatures nosedived.

 

[homesick]

Why does 'summer' washer fluid even exist? Is it cheaper?

joe

 

[vcode]

Why does 'summer' washer fluid even exist? Is it cheaper?

joe

My question as well. Never even heard of it here in Wisconsin.

 

[Coveman]

yes, it is cheaper to make because it has less ethanol in it. I noticed the summer stuff stacked up all over the place during Covid when we were having ethanol shortages. You could also add a bottle of drug store ethanol to the tank to bring down the freezing point

 

[vcode]

yes, it is cheaper to make because it has less ethanol in it. I noticed the summer stuff stacked up all over the place during Covid when we were having ethanol shortages. You could also add a bottle of drug store ethanol to the tank to bring down the freezing point

Must be a regional thing.

 

[homesick]

My question as well. Never even heard of it here in Wisconsin.

I did a search. It said summer versions had more solvent, for bugs and such.

joe

 

[jerry455]

I use the orange Rain X solvent year round. I am in the metro Detroit area. It works well.

 

[RoadTrip]

In MN they sell Cold Weather washer fluid, good down to +25-ish degrees, and Really Cold Weather washer fluid good down to -15-ish degrees.

I never bother with the standard Cold Weather one, because it's never all used by the time the weather gets cold again.

 

[vcode]

In MN they sell Cold Weather washer fluid, good down to +25-ish degrees, and Really Cold Weather washer fluid good down to -15-ish degrees.

I never bother with the standard Cold Weather one, because it's never all used by the time the weather gets cold again.

Both bottles of my blue stuff are rated to -25. I've never seen anything else.

 

[89Suburban]

I ALWAYS do a power flush of the wiper nozzles when parking for the night in frigid temps.

 

[Fless]

I use the orange Rain X solvent year round. I am in the metro Detroit area. It works well.

I do this, too, year 'round. Denver area.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I do this, too, year 'round. Denver area.

Same with me.

 

[Doubeleive]

all the stuff they sell here (on the shelf) is for +32deg, if you want the -20 orange/ -35 purple stuff you have to order it

 

[2024 White Tahoe]

I ALWAYS do a power flush of the wiper nozzles when parking for the night in frigid temps.

I’ve lived in the Midwest my entire life (a long time……) and have driven in winter weather for many, many years. When younger, I had to park my vehicles outside in the weather.

I have never heard of power flushing the wiper nozzles. What is that?

 

[89Suburban]

I’ve lived in the Midwest my entire life (a long time……) and have driven in winter weather for many, many years. When younger, I had to park my vehicles outside in the weather.

I have never heard of power flushing the wiper nozzles. What is that?

I just runs the washer fluid to flush out any moisture out of the nozzles that may have crept in from snowmelt or road wash or such