frozen windshield washer reservoir

I bought a new (to me) Corolla for my grocery getter a couple months ago. Well, not sure what kind of Minnesotan puts the non-winter windshield washer fluid into a car but its now a problem I have to deal with. Luckily the washer fluid reservoir wasn’t that full, but I still have to get it out and clear the lines. Other than the obvious of parking in a heated garage, anyone have any tricks for getting the reservoir thawed? I was thinking of using a hairdryer along with heating up some of the winter windshield washer fluid and dumping it in the tank and trying to get it thawed to a point that I can run it all out. Anyone have any tips? I’ve never had to deal with this before because I only put the winter grade stuff in my vehicles.

A poor college student might do it. Don’t ask me how I know. Luckily when I did it, it warmed up enough that I could pump all the “summer grade” stuff out and refill it with the normal stuff. Unfortunately it’s not going to warm up until next week. Baked potatoes wrapped in foil stay hot/warm for a long time. Try putting some of those near the reservoir and use the hair dryer on the hoses.

Heat gun

Wouldn’t just adding winter fluid dilute it enough to thaw it? Its not that cold yet. Then a heat gun for the lines

Ive dumped isopropryl in there and it worked. I cannot say whether or not that is bad for the tank, etc however.

Red Eye wrote:

Wouldn’t just adding winter fluid dilute it enough to thaw it? Its not that cold yet. Then a heat gun for the lines

Bingo

Like captain musky said add a bottle or two of isopropyl alcohol to the tank and your gonna have to thaw the lines and pump out somehow. The alcohol won’t harm the tank or anything else. Parking it indoors somewhere would be the best way

Actually once it thawed I just used it all up. With the isopropyl in there it isnt going to freeze. The vehicle we had it happen to came from AZ which that is about all they use down there is water.

Throw a tarp over the hood, wheel wells, and grill. Let it run for an hour or two and I think you’d be good without any supplemental heat (keep an eye on your temp gauge though to make sure it’s not overheating)

That or go to your local car repair guy or neighbor with a heated garage, and offer him a case of beer to leave it in his place overnight

My very first car came from SoCal as a rental return. The washer fluid was pure water and cracked the tank on the first deep freeze. I ended up having to replace it.

If you don’t have a heated garage, I would dump hot water in the tank on a moderately warm day. Then get as much out as possible and top off with regular fluid. Here’s to hoping you don’t need to replace the tank.

I would top it off with correct fluid (warmed in the house or maybe even soaked in hot water in the sink) then start up the car and go do something else for an hour. Let it idle and warm up under the hood. That’s what I would try first unless its obvious and easy to remove the tank.

Agreed on the alcohol add to the tank. Many “deicer” or “all-season” washer fluids have significant alcohol content.

thanks guys. I’m going to give it a go tonight and see what happens

I have thawed one out in a self serve car wash, reservoir and lines. Just make sure you can fill it with winter fluid and pumping the winter through the lines before leaving the car wash.

sliderfishn wrote:

I have thawed one out in a self serve car wash, reservoir and lines. Just make sure you can fill it with winter fluid and pumping the winter through the lines before leaving the car wash.

pour a bottle of rubbing alcohol in the tank and top it off with the winter blend washer fluid. Let it sit for a while (overnight and all next day) if its still not flowing on way home from work, stop off and use the hot water rinse to spray on the hoses. I also have had the nozzle freeze up and that just takes a grill lighter held to it for a couple seconds. I would bet just adding the rubbing alcohol alone will take care of the problem.

Use isopropyl and some winter -35 washer fluid. Let set a day or 2 and see if the tank thaws out. If it is now liguid let it warm up under the hood and should be able to pump through the lines or try blowing them out with air.
The other option is heated garage or pull the tank and take inside.

I don’t know why they even sell the 32 degree stuff around here but I have seen it at Wal Mart.

slowly Fill with boiling hot water…. once cooled, pump out top of bottle. repeat until thawed… maybe 3 or 4 times.

disco bobber wrote:

I don’t know why they even sell the 32 degree stuff around here but I have seen it at Wal Mart.

I replaced a washer tank on a mini van as part of the accident repair and filled it with the correct winter fluid. Van came back and the washers wouldn’t work. (Winter time) the owner used summer fluid to refill and even had the bottle with some remaining frozen fluid inside the van.