Frozen washer jets: Fluke or vulnerability?

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Old Dec 26, 2009 | 12:03 PM
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Frozen washer jets: Fluke or vulnerability?

I've had to park my RL out in the snow for the duration of a workday twice in recent weeks. Both times one or both washer jets froze over solid and would not begin working even after repeated applications -- which, of course, smear dirt in my field of vision and microscopically scratch the glass on every attempt. Ouch.

After the first episode, I sprang for the pricey Prestone stuff that's supposed to have the really low freezing point. No matter.

Anybody else out there have this problem?
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Old Dec 26, 2009 | 03:32 PM
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yes, I've had that happen on the 09, I was not amused.

Heating the windshield helped little.
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Old Dec 26, 2009 | 10:05 PM
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Yes, this happened on my 2006. It was a major pain in the ass during the winter.
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Old Dec 27, 2009 | 01:58 PM
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when I go to tahoe and it is cold my washers freeze up.. I think that is why some cars have heated washers.
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Old Dec 27, 2009 | 08:58 PM
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Where do you people live? I use "splash" and while I had crud freeze on top of the nozzles, I have never seen the hose or actual nozzle itself freeze up. As long as I clear the tops of the nozzle area while I am doing my windshield, they seem to spray fine. Coldest day I have operated the car was -24F. Can't recall any wiper problems, other than blade pressure which was the subject of a TSB.
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Old Dec 27, 2009 | 09:16 PM
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well, the top and a bit beyond that is what freezes up. Never actually seen any freezing beyond that, just to clarify.
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Old Dec 27, 2009 | 09:33 PM
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Couple of "aggressive" strokes with the ol snowbrush knocks the ice right out of there!
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Old Dec 27, 2009 | 09:36 PM
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um...that didnt actually do it for me, I remember keying it at one point and I think it made it worse.

Gonna have the dealer check it out as I am not happy with the way it sprays.
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Old Dec 27, 2009 | 11:14 PM
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Originally Posted by drolds72
Where do you people live?
Illinois.
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Old Dec 28, 2009 | 04:19 PM
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I just had the car out in -3 weather and I didn't have any problems. This is odd considering just a few days ago, it "froze" in 15 degree weather.
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Old Dec 30, 2009 | 11:51 PM
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I am talking about when I go to lake Tahoe for snowboarding.. It happens when it is in the low teens or 20's ... definitely has occurred several times for me.. You can use < 32 windshield fluid, but I can't find it locally, unfortunately. Even looked in gas stations on way to tahoe but never found it..
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Old Dec 31, 2009 | 06:02 AM
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Originally Posted by drolds72
Couple of "aggressive" strokes with the ol snowbrush knocks the ice right out of there!
That never worked for me. I had to insert a pin in the mechanism to make it work sometimes, but most of the time it was a matter of time. Again, annoying. In fact, I was hoping for heated washer fluid when I bought my V but the manuacturer went belly-up so it was mo longer a factory option.
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Old Dec 31, 2009 | 08:13 AM
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I have never had it freeze up or clog to that point. What was really annoying was the lack of driver side blade pressure. I had the dealer do the TSB on that while they were changing my propeller shaft. Picking it up today, I hope it makes a difference- but no snow in the next few days to test unfortunately...
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Old Jan 5, 2010 | 10:28 AM
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It happened to me pretty recently. I was picking the car up at the dealer after service and the tech. dropping the car off for me noticed that there was no spray, despite a full reservoir. The techs conferred and agreed that things were frozen and had no suggestions other than to wait. A few days later the temps finally rose and the spray has worked fine since.
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Old Jan 5, 2010 | 08:22 PM
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weird, i have an 06, never had any freezing issue and i have left my car in lower than -20C weather with snow...a quick wipe and a couple of squirts clears it up...gotta make sure you use the good washer fluids.
i'm from toronto
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 11:30 PM
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I'm going to try something different.

I can't stop driving in snowy places, so I'm ordering one of those 12-volt blow dryers with the 8-foot cord. Next time it freezes, I'm going to pull over and try to thaw it out.
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Old Jan 8, 2010 | 11:54 PM
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Originally Posted by TLynn
I can't stop driving in snowy places, so I'm ordering one of those 12-volt blow dryers with the 8-foot cord. Next time it freezes, I'm going to pull over and try to thaw it out.
electric dryer + snow/water= bad idea
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