Has anyone had problems with the window washer fluid freezing up and then not working in really cold weather. Today I was taking advantage of 43 degree weather to wash the car and it worked perfectly. When it was 18 degrees and probably 23 degrees it wasn't working. Maybe I need to put in an antifreeze soln?
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skdave
Member
Yeah the OE stuff they put in the Roadster is basically water. I heard from service that they had to unplug a bunch of Roadsters on their first winter in Canada. I was clever enough (for once) to realize it was junk and replaced it before it got cold, so they didn't have to fix mine.
caddieo
Member
Check the labels. Some types of washer fluid are made specifically for winter. I had a similar problem once when I filled up with washer fluid here in Florida and then drove to Chicago in the middle of winter. Fortunately there was a thaw the following day and I was able to replace the fluid with one designed for winter.
Xenoilphobe
Well-Known Member
Add a couple ounces of 91 Isopropyl Alcohol. Works like a charm. Also will not freeze on the window either
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Add a couple ounces of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. Works like a charm. Also will not freeze on the window either
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Add a couple ounces of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. Works like a charm. Also will not freeze on the window either
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Add a couple ounces of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. Works like a charm. Also will not freeze on the window either
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Add a couple ounces of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. Works like a charm. Also will not freeze on the window either
Jaff
Active Member
Same here...I had a big chunk of ice in the reservoir when my Roadster was delivered in Dec 2010...I used a small siphon pump that worked off of an electric drill to drain the reservoir and refilled with the RainX wiper fluid...
I discovered another potential problem when I bought my 2010 CPO Roadster (it had barely over 1000 miles); the first time I tried to use the windshield washers, almost nothing came out. It had been used so seldom (if ever), that the washer pump was clogged with bacterial/fungal growth. My advice would be to use the washers from time to time even if you don't need to, to keep the pump working, and to change out the fluid once in a while to prevent problems. (Does anyone know of a washer fluid with anti-bacterial/fungal additives? I couldn't find any.)
If you drive your car regularly I doubt you're going to have problems. Probably the previous owner lived in a desert and only drove it on nice days.
djp
Model 3 Performance
I had the same problem with bacterial/fungal growth clogging the pump and lines. I siphoned out the tank and Tesla flushed the lines to clear them. Another reason to use real wiper fluid instead of the coloured water crap. You can also pour a small amount of bleach into the tank to prevent it from happening again.
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