I have read others having issues with their wiper fluid getting frozen in cold temps and it happened to me today. It happened in the morning when it was really cold (-5 F), and then again this afternoon when it was about 20 F. I never had this issue with my other car (civics rock), but am wondering my course of action.

For those who have had this issue, did using a better rated windshield fluid help? Did anyone take it to the dealership to have it looked at?

Also when it's cold my horn sounds like it's going to die. It starts out okay but then changes tone and gets a bit quieter. Anyone else had this happen?

Can't wait for the spring...

 

Can't wait for spring!? Winter hasn't even started yet! Let the snow fall so I can have some SH-AWD fun. Where are you from? Are you using full strength wiper fluid or watered down? Full strength should handle extreme cold.

 

Why are you concerned about the sound of your horn anyway? Do you use that all the time? Just for the sake of argument, you might expect the sound to change, mainly because of the temperature of the air (remember, the frequency of the sound is dependent on the density of the air, which in turn is affected by temperature).

 

In in Colorado in the Denver area. Using full strength, and it definitely is either freezing or something is getting clogged as it will work when it's about 25 F but clogs up at anything colder.

 

Not concerned about the sound, more the strength.

 

Where I live there are two different types of WW fluid...anti-freeze and non. The non is always cheaper but freezes at 32 degrees, the anti-freeze kind is rated to not freeze down till -25 degrees. Sometimes it still does, when this happens add some 70% isopropyl alcohol (buy it at wal mart or look in your wifes medicine cabinet ) into the mix and that will lower the freezing point even more.

 

We have winter and summer washer fluid here. Summer is more for bugs and is only good to about 10F below freezing, winter is more for de-icing/road grime w/ anti-freeze and often good to -30F or so.

Just go buy some low temp fluid and try and use up as much of the warmer stuff as you can before refilling.

The only issue I have with the RDX is the cold is an odd rattle and the battery doesn't seem very strong (but it always starts).

 

Alcohol is hygroscopic. It attracts and traps moisture. So if you don't use your fluid all year and wait till now to use it, it could have ice crystals in it.