cold weather windshield solvent sprayers

25

Asked by sapopper Jan 20, 2008 at 11:52 AM about the 2006 Ford Focus

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

In cold weather, the windshield solvent will not spray on our 2006 focus.I have tried holding my hand on each sprayer to warm them up and lightly brushing them with an old toothbrush to clear the opening, but this does not help...the car does sit out overnight. Any other tips would be appreciated.

2 Answers

14,125

what type of washer fluid are you using? I live in Canada, I had a 97 focus and I went home(northern ontario) in it. I use -45c (not sur what that is in F) or greater washer fluid, the extra money is worth it. I would suspet you got some frozen washer fluid in your car. There is aftermarket washer fluid heaters you can buy, all they do is drain your battery, I do NOT advise anyone to use they. I would recommend you get your car into a heated area and let the car sit for a while (to warm the whole car up. drain the washer fluid and put -45 or greater in it. alot of people use summer fluid in the warmer weather, then when the cold weather comes they are in asking why the spray'ers dont work. To make a long story short, only use -45 washer fluid. best of luck, hope this helps

83,745

Yes, sometimes just the remnants of the fluid in the tip, or ice from condensation, will clog these. Usually mine start working fine after sitting out in the sun for a few hours. You can try adding isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to your windshield washer fluid reservoir. When I worked at Advance Auto Parts we sold something by Prestone called "Windshield Heat" or something like that. It was like $4 for a small bottle. One day someone broke one open dropping it on the floor and when we smelled it, we all realized they were charging $4 for 50 cents worth of rubbing alcohol.

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