We got our first snowfall last night. I found out while running an errand at lunch that I have no wiper fluid front or rear. The headlight fluid seems to be working, thought.

I don't know what was in the car when I bought it 3 weeks ago, but I've topped off both reservoirs with Prestone DeIcer fluid. The car is garaged at home, so frozen nozzles seems a stretch.

Ideas? Drain the reservoir? If so, how?

Is this a common problem in northern states during winter?


Thanks for your help.

 

I would guess that the nozzles and lines are frozzen. If you have the cold weather package, it will NOT thaw them out, as the fluid is heated up stream of them, and if the fluid can not flow, it won't thaw them.

Neither will the new fluid you put in, as it will not migrate downstream in the system until you thaw things out first.

Engine heat may thaw the nozzles on the bonnet, or try a blowdryer. You could go to heated wandwash carwash also.

The headlights nozzles are probably working because they are inside the engine compartment, warmer in there, and are high pressure.

Mark

 

I checked the line right before the bonnet. It was pliable.

The Prestone fluid has been in place for over a week. The stuff that was sprayed prior to that was quite foamy.

 

Then the nozzles are frozzen. The new fluid will NOT thaw them out, as it will not migrate to them unless there is flow through the pump. Can you hear the pump working, if not, it has frozzen fluid in it also. You need to get the car in a heated space to thaw things out.

Mark

 

One thing to check is that all the lines are connected properly. An easy to test is to open the hood and try spraying the windshield. If fuild comes rushing down the inside of the hood, you have a leak...haha. Seriously, it happened to me. There is a T connection in the middle of the rearward most side of the bonnet. To get to it, simple undo the plastic screws that hold the bonnet mat in place and remove it and you will see the washer lines. Its an easy test and like others said also listen for the motors.

 

Is there a drain plug on the reservoir? I would like to remove whatever was in there prior to me buying the car?

Is nozzle freezing coming in winter, in Minnesota and other northern states?

 

I don't think there is a drain plug, I guess you Siphon it out, then put in the winter fluid.

Again, the anti-freeze will not thaw out anything frozen, thats why it is called ANTI-freeze.

I come from north of you, Manitoba. I had the same problem you did my first winter with my MINI. Took it to a carwash, warmed things up, which fixed it, then put in winter fluid.

Now I'm in St.louis, no sign of what you or I call winter here

Mark

 

Mark,

Do you expect that I just need to focus on the nozzles (front & rear)? Or is there another area that needs to be heated up?


thanks

 

I think just the nozzles, as engine heat should thaw the lines. You could let the car idle for a while with a blanket on the bonnet to thaw them out.

Can you hear the pump running when you turn on the washers? If so pull the line from the nozzle under bonnet, point it away from the car, and flush out the lines, to get rid of as much of the old fluid out of the system.

Hope this helps.

Mark

 

I don't know about the pump, but it worked last week. I'll check before I go home. I will try to drain it tonight.

I'll also try to hit the nozzles, front/rear, with a blow dryer.

 

Let us know how it goes. Good luck

Mark

 

Okay. I got home at 6:00 and parked in the garage. Made dinner, ate, cleaned up. Went out to fix the wiper nozzles at 7:00.

Opened the hood. Checked any wiper hoses that I could see. Closed hood. Got in car to try the wipers. Everything worked!

This better not be how they operate in the winter. Not very useful if they can only be used in a garage. It wasn't even cold today!!

I'll see what happens tomorrow.

 

So this morning I tried the wipers in the garage before I left for work. 10 below last night. The fronts worked, but not the rear. When I got to work, neither worked.

Somehow, I have to get rid of this fluid.

The dealer said they would look at it, but I don't know that they can do much if it is just freezing.

 

I've also been dealing with this "quirk" with my 06. Don't have the headlight washers but do have the chill package and actually took my car into the dealership after spending a very frustrating day trying to see out of my windshield after it was spattered with road spray/salt/crud and all I could get out of the front was a goo that did not spray. My back wiper sprayer worked initially, but I think that was due to the fact that I had the defroster going at full tilt!
The dealer removed my tank and hose (in the 06) it is covered by a housing that (of course) requires the car to be brought in to do so. They drained the existing fluid (it was OEM Mini fluid - as the car was in three weeks early due to a disconnect between the tank and hose) and refilled it with what my SA told me was Mini's "winter fluid". We've had really unseasonably warm weather since, but the weather forecast is predicting subzero's next week, so we'll see how fluid performs.

Check with your dealer about getting the winter fluid. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this stuff will truly work, and I won't need to be pulling over every 10 miles to clean off the windshield! Good luck

 

Just take a few minutes to drain the fluid by operating the washer lever. Don't bother trying to siphon it out.

If you have headlight washers you can click the lights on and off in order to reset the switch that only goes on every few times you wash the windshield.

I've had to do this once and it only took a few minutes to drain everything that way.

 

I took my MCS to the dealer during lunch.

They found that whoever had the car before me, had put soap/water in both washer system reservoirs! What were they thinking!! They completely flushed both tanks (4 times) and filled with appropriate fluid.

Both wipers worked fine when I left work.

 

Glad to hear that they found the solution! Maybe the previous owners wanted to save a bit of time and thought that they could not only clean the windshield, but if they operated all the washer simultaneously - they could get a car wash to boot!

Happy motoring and here's to clean windshields!