I was driving home today, outside temperature was 3, and when I went to use the windshield washer fluid I got nothing. Instead, the retractable headlamp washers engaged and then didn't retract. Has anyone else experience this? Not exactly safe when the windows need to get clean, just saying.

 

I don't have any long-term experience living in cold climates but I don't think this is an uncommon thing. Washer fluid freezes at lower temps than water but it can still freeze.

 

You probably should switch to a fluid with a lower temperature rating if possible.

Your sig says you have the cold weather package--I thought one of the features of the cold weather package was that it heats the washer fluid. The configurator says, "Heated side-view mirrors and windshield washer jets help maximize visibility in icy driving conditions." How long had the car been running? Maybe the heating element isn't working?

 

It's just the nozzles that warm, if the "water" in the tank is frozen it can't pump ice.

 

+1
I do a lot of traveling....
The "local" washer fluid that is sold in most places vary in the cold ratings...
While -20° f ( sometimes less in some areas)is ok for winter fluid in mild climates (the cheap blue stuff)..many folks water it down for summer use...or use summer fluid that has zero antifreeze properties..think I would call this bugwash!!....if you use this stuff...run your tanks DRY in the early fall...then refill...and spray a bit ( to clean out the hoses).....
The -30°f (usually purple) or even the -40°f is more useful....(USUSLLY red)...heck up in AK (when I lived there back in the day) they sold stuff that was highly flamable ...had a mixture of amonia and methonol...not sure what the freeze point was of that stuff....but in article cold...you need the right products...and sounds like you didn't have the right stuff....or the shop put in inferior stuff...
Let the car sit in a semi heated garage....aka above freezing...then use the crap up in the washer tank(s)...then refill with a quality cold climate product!!
Hopefully the tank or the hoses were not split from freezing....

 

The car was warmed up and driven for about ½ hour before I tried the wipers.

 

Get better washer fluid.

 

I've always proceeded in this way for winter fluid but that's for the good advise.

 

I live in buffalo and use the red stuff and mine still freezes up in the nozzle sometimes. Gotta let the sun soften it up a bit, usually does the trick. Keeping the ice off the nozzle areas might help too.

 

Mine does too. I use I think -25 stuff they sell here year round, but it freezes up all the time... Usually around 10 and below. The tank stays good, but it freezes in the lines. It's almost like if you don't use it a lot the anti freeze part of it separates from the stuff in the lines. I don't know. Does the same in my truck.

But good thing is when it's that cold everything is frozen, so really no need for it anyways. Just need to scrape windshield because you can't spray this stuff to melt frost, thin ice.

 

My wife complained about this a month ago. She comes to me and tell me the fluid didn't work. So I'm thinking maybe she used too much and run dry. So I go to fill her up and when I tried it worked just fine
So my initial reaction was that being a new car they may have put regular windshield fluid instead of antifreeze one.
I'm still not sure...

I've never had that issue with my Volvo. Since it's under the hood line shouldn't freeze long once engine is on. If there is an issue I wonder if the top of the nozzle acts with capillary action and absorb some humidity which would freeze... ?

 

I would think the line would freeze faster than the tank as the line is thin and more surface area to volume would cool faster and thus freeze in the line. Engine heat would help but maybe if it was fully warmed and left to idle for a minute to have the heat rise.

 

I use RainX in mine, and it has never frozen. It's good to a very low temp, and it allows you to drive without using wipers in the rain at speeds over 45 MPH.

 

Temperatures are up and everything seems fine now. Thoroughly annoying that there isn't a low washer fluid warning light to at least stop you from making a fool of yourself. Funny, my VW's had them and that's what stops you from looking at the fluid chamber every once in a while.

 

Mini tried putting a warning on the gen1 (2005+) r50/52/53 cars...was a light on one of the steering wheel thinggys....
Problem was...the mini tanks are so TINY...a couple sprays...and the light would come on!! Was so annoying...many folks switched to the earlier ones...why they could not find a place to put a 1 gallon tank i'll never understand....
So most folks just check their oil...and top off the washer tank(s)....

 

On my 2012 I'm fairly sure there's an indication in the computer display in the tachometer that comes on when the fluid is low. Maybe it's because I have the Xenons and the headlight washers, but I'm almost sure my wife's Clubman with regular headlights and no washers has it too.

 

While I do have Xenons and the headlamp washers and once finding the tank empty, I realized there was no warning light or chime on the dash for the washer fluid.

 

What year is your car?

 

In the signature, spiney, 2013.

 

Sorry, signature doesn't show up on the Android app...

 

Go to MINI USA and look at the page for the owner's manuals here. If you download the PDF for your car and look for the section on "Check Controls" you will see washer fluid level used as the example picture. The indication shows up in the little square display on the tachometer. Some of these messages stay until dismissed with the button, and some hide themselves after 20 seconds and show up as the little triangle to the right of the mileage. You have to go through some gyrations with the "CHECK INFO" part of the display using the button on the stalk to show what's stored under that. I'm not sure what class the washer fluid warning is in.

 

On Gen 1 R50 R52 R53 MINIs the windshield washer tanks are small. In 1/2005 MINI added the warning light to the end of the wiper stalk. Seen on the right side stalk in pics and left hand stalk if you have the factory alarm( because it takes its place ).





On the Gen 2 MINIs the washer tanks seem much larger.


Page number 52 filling the washer fluid & 62 icon on the display icon. That for the 2012 Model year hardtop with the link spiney posted.
Which also below.

owner's manuals here.


I would use a good washer fluid for the cold, think regular blue stuff is - 20 degrees F , we have had some really cold weather in the northern parts of the US. I have seen some rated for -34 degrees F, that might work better.

 

70mph today tried to clean the road salt off windshield- nothing
wish i had seen this thread earlier.

After hour and a half of driving still nothing.

Walking over to auto parts store now for the red stuff

 

Yes, the extreme cold weather in the north here is freezing the blue stuff. On older MINI with the headlight washers also make sure the washer jets are clean.

 

Guess what? I finally saw the low fluid warning for the window washer fluid the other day. I think that I didn't see this the last time because I also got the warning for low tire pressure. I when in to the dealership to have the nitrogen checked and when they reset the tire pressure warning, they probably cleared the low washer fluid warning as well. Stupid me.