Frozen Wiper Fluid Tank

Mass. Wine Guy · Jan 3, 2018

So I tried making my own low temp wiper fluid. Wow, what a bad idea!Now the whole fluid tank is frozen.

I don’t have a heated garage to use. What can I do?

Is removing the tank hard?

Thanks.

UhOh · Jan 3, 2018

I would be concerned with the fluid that's IN the various hoses. Freezing tends to pop hoses; for those with wagons and Golfs this can be a big problem (I've dealt with it even here in the PNW- because of this I've taken to not using the rear wiper and washer at all when it's freezing; fronts are a little different in that the nozzles have heaters in them, but I'm not sure how robust those are- still the issue of freezing in the hoses themselves). Might want to get the car in a heated garage and pump out any of that solution (with fluid that's got sufficient freeze protection).

gforce1108 · Jan 3, 2018

I try to always have winter blend fluid around - most summer blend freezes at 32F (I assume blue water). But - I've never had long term damage, just needs to thaw once. Parking in the sun and getting the engine hot usually do the trick.

Rxfire · Jan 3, 2018

Extension cord and a heating pad stuffed around it?

Electric blanket?

jettawreck · Jan 3, 2018

If the bottle is full and frozen it will be tough to get thawed out bepending on your ambient temps. It takes a lot of heat for something frozen solid to thaw it out in the cold. If your mix was slushy still, not so bad to warm up.
Bottle isn't too bad to remove, but wouldn't be something I would care to do out in the cold.
Seems like I end up with a frozen jug of fluid every fall the first time it gets good and cold from leftover "summer" type stuff. I have some winter -30F stuff in mine now and that's a bunch of BS. It's frozen from driving in the cold. It will thaw out if I heat up the garage, but it's not worth it for just that, and it will freeze again.

Fahrvegnugen · Jan 3, 2018

Same here! The -30°f stuff often sprays slush if it even sprays...gassers apparently have no problem spraying the blue -20°f kind. I should patent a windshield fluid frostheater mod. Or just buy a winter gasser

Mass. Wine Guy · Jan 3, 2018

I’ve sometimes added vodka to the mix to reduce the freezing point.

Rrusse11 · Jan 3, 2018

Rather than spiking the fluid with 80-90 proof alcohol (ethanol), just go to Lowes or similar and find a gallon of methanol, alcohol stove fuel. For a good grade of DAA alcohol, (denatured absolute alcohol),
should be pushing 180proof, or 90% ethanol, with some nasty additives to make sure you don't drink it; try a good paint store. Commonly used for shellac dissolving/thinning. Lot cheaper than pouring in Smirnoff. I don't think it'll hurt your hoses, but I wouldn't use it straight.

I'd suggest a good winter grade of cleaner would be ~ 50% alcohol,
a dash of detergent, and some distilled water. Maybe someone with some chemistry knowledge can chime in on a freezing point.

joep1234 · Jan 3, 2018

I go to the drug store and buy a bottle of 91% rubbing alcohol to use up the summer stuff before putting in winter blend in. It keeps everything flowing. One benefit is a cleaner windshield that dries off quicker and it is usually $2 or less. We don't usually get extreme temps in central NC except this year.

Fahrvegnugen · Jan 3, 2018

The purest alcohol is freeze resistant to -173, so 50% dilution ought to work. I’d wonder about rubber longevity in this circumstance, but visibility could be worth a shot!

jettawreck · Jan 3, 2018

When it's really cold I seldom have a need to clean the windshield. All the slop on the road is frozen and even keeps MN DOT from coating the roads with salt.
But yes, the alcohol (denatured version recommended) is what the commercial window washer guys use in the winter here (for window cleaning at least).
What's really bothering me is that the extra/spare gallon of RV Anti-freeze (says -50*F protection) is frozen solid, bulged the bottom of the jug, sitting on the shelf inside my storage building. Wondering how the plumbing in the travel trailer is surviving. Guess I'll find out in the spring.

jayb79 · Jan 3, 2018

You could try a hair drier, its going to take a while to thaw it if its frozen solid. Whatever you are going to try do it before the weekend its not going to get any warmer.

Rrusse11 · Jan 3, 2018

"the extra/spare gallon of RV Anti-freeze (says -50*F protection) is frozen solid"

Wow, I'm glad I never used that stuff winterizing my cottage in the
1000 Islands. Bit of pain to drain the elbows and sponge out the toilet,
but looking at the temps, I'm glad I never succumbed to using it.
Didn't trust it in my septic tank either.

pdq import repair · Jan 4, 2018

We mix our own fluid and adjust it to temps. Basically we buy a drum of methanol and mix it 3:1 water meth for winter, and add dye and soap solution. Leaner mix of meth for summer.

You might be able to add some alcohol to your reservoir and lower the freezing point, but you still have to thaw it out.

Ask you friendly mechanic that works on VW if they have a corner of the shop you could park your car in to thaw it out for a day. We have done that before here a few times and usually don't even charge for it.

WolfgangVW · Jan 4, 2018

Can you guys not just buy washer fluid that's rated for like -40F or something?? Up here it's pretty standard in winter that any washer fluid you grab is at least -35C.

WolfgangVW · Jan 4, 2018

Mass. Wine Guy said:
So I tried making my own low temp wiper fluid. Wow, what a bad idea!Now the whole fluid tank is frozen.

I don’t have a heated garage to use. What can I do?

Is removing the tank hard?

Thanks.

How did you try making the washer fluid?? Like what did you use??

Hmmm as far as thawing that tank, it would be ideal if it could sit somewhere warm. Not sure on your location what all is available but just random ideas i'll throw out:

Is there a heated parkade anywhere?

Carwash?? Maybe you could blast the tank inside and out with warm pressure washer and let sit for a bit. Or being that carwashes gernerally aren't all that busy when it's super cold maybe you could talk the owner into letting you leave your car sit there for a bit.

Is there like an agriculture / farm type store around?? They sometimes have interesting items that might help you out ( like probes for water tanks / troughs so they don't freeze for the animals drinking water ).

Heating pad / battery blanket / block heater of sorts ??

Anyway just ideas man. The issue with alot of these is it takes way more energy to change the state of something than just raise the temperature. So items made to prevent water from freezing or keep things warm might not be as suitable for changing ice to water. Anyway good luck!! Post back the end result. Also when you get it thawed definitely flush all the liquid and get something in there that won't freeze and cycle it thru for a bit.

WolfgangVW · Jan 4, 2018

One other thing i'll add. I'd visually inspect the tank where you can, there's a chance it could have cracked when it froze due to the water/ice expanding. So in that case you'd probably be removing the tank anyway....

jettawreck · Jan 4, 2018

WolfgangVW said:
One other thing i'll add. I'd visually inspect the tank where you can, there's a chance it could have cracked when it froze due to the water/ice expanding. So in that case you'd probably be removing the tank anyway....

I think once it's thawed out it will be apparent if it's frozen and cracked (fluid leaking), although even if it was completely full and froze it may just expand enough and/or push the lid off/open.

Getting the lines thawed out may be more difficult than the tank itself unless you can get it inside somewhere relatively warm.

Fahrvegnugen · Jan 4, 2018

WolfgangVW said:
Can you guys not just buy washer fluid that's rated for like -40F or something?? Up here it's pretty standard in winter that any washer fluid you grab is at least -35C.

That’s about -30°f which is what we get for winter and it isn’t enough

wonneber · Jan 4, 2018

Mass. Wine Guy said:
I’ve sometimes added vodka to the mix to reduce the freezing point.

That's just alcohol abuse.

WolfgangVW · Jan 4, 2018

jettawreck said:
I think once it's thawed out it will be apparent if it's frozen and cracked (fluid leaking), although even if it was completely full and froze it may just expand enough and/or push the lid off/open.
Getting the lines thawed out may be more difficult than the tank itself unless you can get it inside somewhere relatively warm.

Agreed. I guess I was just saying if you can determine whether the tank is cracked before thawing you could just remove it anyway if it is cracked , as opposed to finding a method to thaw only to find out its cracked then having to remove the tank anyway.

As well I agree on thawing the lines, this might be why it's best to do the best to find a warm place to park it if you can.

WolfgangVW · Jan 4, 2018

Fahrvegnugen said:
That’s about -30°f which is what we get for winter and it isn’t enough

Hmm crazy. How cold does it get there? Can you find any good to -45?? That's what I usually grab. You'd think even of it was rated for -35 and it got to that temp it would just gel or slush up as opposed to freezing solid

Fahrvegnugen · Jan 5, 2018

It doesn’t get down to -30, but still it just slushes up and become useless. None has frozen solid on me. I haven’t seen -45° Fluid so I’ll try methanol next fill up.

WolfgangVW · Jan 6, 2018

Hmmm that's weird. When you add the new washer fluid do run the old stuff until the tank is dry then add the -30 stuff? I'm assuming you do, but in the event you don't that could be why it's slushing

Mike_04GolfTDI · Jan 6, 2018

Here ya go:

http://www.methanol.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/FreezingPointsMethanol-WaterSolutions.pdf

Rrusse11 · Jan 7, 2018

Mike_04GolfTDI said:
Here ya go:

http://www.methanol.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/FreezingPointsMethanol-WaterSolutions.pdf

Cool! Run 50-60% and you should be good for anywhere except
Antarctica.

Frozen Wiper Fluid Tank

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