For the last year or so, I have had no washer capabilities when it got down below 45 degrees or so, or it would be very difficult to get the washer to squirt. Pulling back and up on the stalk inside would finally usually get some to squirt out. Now it won't even do that. The colder it gets the more stubborn it gets. But it is not freezing up. The stuff I have in there is rated down to zero, and it has gotten nowhere near that, plus it starts getting stubborn when the temp drops into the forties, sometimes even a little higher than that. However, when it is warm outside, read 60 or above, no problems at all. Pull the stalk back normally and everything works as it should. The wipers always work, but the fluid doesn't always squirt. As I have said, I have no broken or leaky lines. The problem lies elsewhere and seems to be related to the weather, though not necessarily freezing temps, though it gets even worse then. Any ideas what is going on and what needs to be serviced? My warranty has expired and I had just as soon not spend a couple of hundred bucks at the dealer for them to analyze the problem before they even touch fixing it. So any help would be appreciated. Anyone else had this problem? :-k
Strange Windshield Wiper Washer behavior
- Thread starter yoda13
- Start date
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TRAILN
Full Access Member
Try a different brand. Its sounds like its freezing early and not what its rated for.
First thought...
Take a straight pin and clean out the washer jets. Sometimes car wax gets jammed in them and wont let them operate (the wax hardens).
If the washer fluid is actually freezing...
At your local automotive store, you might find an additive that makes your fluid a better de-icer (I think it's called "heat" or somthing like that). A cheaper solution would be to add isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to the washer tank. Isopropyl alcohol (pure) has a freezing point of -89°C (-128°F) but we can't buy it pure from the store. The stuff we get usually has a freezing point of about -40°C (-40°F) and diluting it further, by adding it to the washer fluid, will increase the freezing point (towards 0°C) but will still help quite a bit. If you get it unfrozen, empty the washer tank completely and get yourself some stuff that won't freeze so easily (don't leave the isopropyl alcohol in there!).
Take a straight pin and clean out the washer jets. Sometimes car wax gets jammed in them and wont let them operate (the wax hardens).
If the washer fluid is actually freezing...
At your local automotive store, you might find an additive that makes your fluid a better de-icer (I think it's called "heat" or somthing like that). A cheaper solution would be to add isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to the washer tank. Isopropyl alcohol (pure) has a freezing point of -89°C (-128°F) but we can't buy it pure from the store. The stuff we get usually has a freezing point of about -40°C (-40°F) and diluting it further, by adding it to the washer fluid, will increase the freezing point (towards 0°C) but will still help quite a bit. If you get it unfrozen, empty the washer tank completely and get yourself some stuff that won't freeze so easily (don't leave the isopropyl alcohol in there!).
Yeah this happened to my dad's truck. He buys this cheap blue stuff with no label, the 50 cent special... Anyways, the stuff actually froze his washer tank solid. Needless to say it took a long time with a hair dryer to warm it up to empty it out, in order to put some good stuff in there.
Bennett
Bennett
I appreciate the quick replies. I am going to check everything out after tomorrow, (going to be kind of busy tomorrow \
/ ) and get back to you guys with an update. I am going to check the wax buildup and let it thaw out outside, which it will do here Sunday, and check it out again. I normally don't put cheap stuff in, but I noticed that when I had it fixed at the body shop after the encounter with the deer, that they put some strange clear stuff that I have never seen before. I had added about a third of a tank of good stuff before it got cold, but this maybe the problem. I still wish I knew why it gets harder to work when its colder outside, even when its not freezing outside... :-k Oh well, I will get back to you with some updates as soon as I can get into it. Thanks again =D>
/ ) and get back to you guys with an update. I am going to check the wax buildup and let it thaw out outside, which it will do here Sunday, and check it out again. I normally don't put cheap stuff in, but I noticed that when I had it fixed at the body shop after the encounter with the deer, that they put some strange clear stuff that I have never seen before. I had added about a third of a tank of good stuff before it got cold, but this maybe the problem. I still wish I knew why it gets harder to work when its colder outside, even when its not freezing outside... :-k Oh well, I will get back to you with some updates as soon as I can get into it. Thanks again =D>MTN GTO
Full Access Member
RE: W/W Woes
Have you checked the washer motor ? See if it is running. Sometimes the impeller housing gets gummed up & causes erratic behavior in cooler weather.
Just my .02 cents
Peace....Frank
Have you checked the washer motor ? See if it is running. Sometimes the impeller housing gets gummed up & causes erratic behavior in cooler weather.
Just my .02 cents
Peace....Frank
Marlon_JB2
Kombat Edition Jeep
yoda13 said:
Sounds like water to me! \
/EDIT: didn't want to make a new post.... could be water mixed with soap! O
marlonjbt said:master yoda13 said:
Sounds like water to me! \
Yeah, I set myself up for that
\
/ Seriously though, it wasn't just water, I checked. I had some type of chemical in it....I could smell and feel it when I stuck my finger in it. It also made suds on the windshield. But I did think of that =D>
JeepJeepster
Full Access Member
well, its not freezeing, b/c it does it in the 40's. get that clear crap out of there, then see what happens, that crap they put in there must of hurt ur motor. again, see if its running when it dosent work, get someone to sit inside and pull it, and u get close to the tank at the bumper.
I am going to check and see if the motor is working tomorrow, when i can get someone free to help me for a sec. Let you guys know what's happening. Thanks again for all the help, and it isn't soap that is in there, it smells too much like chemicals.
OK, here is the lowdown. Everything is now working properly. The temperature has risen to about 60, but I tried it the other night when it was freezing outside and the fluid was not frozen, but even it was, I tried again after driving for several hours and it still wouldn't work. Got out in it a while ago and it worked on the first pull and didn't have pull hard. This morning when it was about forty degrees outside, I had to pull the stalk back really hard and pull up and then down to get it to work, and some trickled out and then it started working normally. Could the cold weather be messing with the motor, the BCM, or some other electronics? As I have said, it has always been stubborn when the temp. is below fifty, what do you think I should do? I dread having an expensive diagnostic trip to the stealership, but when it is cool/cold, it is nearly unusuable and getting worse, I am at a loss, anymore ideas? ](*,)
bigfella
Full Access Member
ouch. the stalk is just an electrical connection so pulling on it more should have no effect. if it does then it may be the switch in the stalk is malfunctioning when it is cold.
bigfella said:
yeah, that is what I thinking might be the problem as well, but doesn't the switch control the wipers and squirters at the same time, or is it two seperate switches because the wipers work when the squirters won't. :-k
bigfella
Full Access Member
I have a feeling your stalk is ok it is just taking a while for the pump to start to function. so what is happening is that you pull and pull and the stalk is still sending the same voltage to the pump and the pump is just taking a while to respond. Next time try pulling the stalk and just holding it where you know it works when it is warm and see if it does the same thing. If it does then it's not the stalk and you should go easy on it or you'll have a second problem to fix! Then you should probably think about replacing your washer pump. It may just be in a condition that it functions poorly at lowtemps...pumps sometimes do this because of the internals and the tolerances they have to be at to pump correctly.
Then you should probably think about replacing your washer pump. It may just be in a condition that it functions poorly at lowtemps...pumps sometimes do this because of the internals and the tolerances they have to be at to pump correctly.bigfella said:I have a feeling your stalk is ok it is just taking a while for the pump to start to function. so what is happening is that you pull and pull and the stalk is still sending the same voltage to the pump and the pump is just taking a while to respond. Next time try pulling the stalk and just holding it where you know it works when it is warm and see if it does the same thing. If it does then it's not the stalk and you should go easy on it or you'll have a second problem to fix!
Thanks, that is a good idea, I will try that next time it is stubborn, as you are correct, don't want to have to replace a stalk because I am frustrated with a pump \
/
grogiefrog
Full Access Member
Does everyone's rear sprayer just kind of dribble out, rather then spray like the front? I assume this is so that at high speeds, it doesn't spray off the rear window.
My rear sprayer usually sprays better than the fronts, but that is another story. However, assuming that everything is working right, I wouldn't say that it dribbles out, but it doesn't spray as strong as the front.
grogiefrog
Full Access Member
Okay, it's just not as strong of a spray. I 'll have to try it out on the interstate today at 65 mph.
