Question:
Before assuming anything is mechanically wrong with a 1997 Honda (not bloody likely) figure that it is your windshield wiper fluid that is not of the best quality. It’s probably freezing to some degree. Sometimes nozzles get water in them from melting snow, ice, etc … and will freeze even though your fluid is *supposedly* rated for -20F or -25F. One solution is to get better windshield wiper fluid that’s good to -30F or below but they can be pricey (I’ve seen the Prestone De-Icer fluid go for as much as $3US per gallon). A cheaper solution that will work with what you already have in your tank is to take a bottle of common rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl alcohol – the 70% or 90% solution) that you can buy for $0.50 to $1 US in WalMart/K-Mart, etc … and then dump that into your wiper fluid tank as that will help keep the nozzles from freezing up. Just don’t use more than 1 pint of this stuff per fill as it could leave a mark on your CRV’s paint if the concentration is strong enough. — Bror Jace * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
Response:
I had the exact same thing happen yesterday on my 99 CRV. The temp then was -12 C approx. I am using -40 degree (F or C) washer fluid so it isn’t the issue. Also the fluid comes out of the passenger side just fine. I have not checked it today, but my theory is that water froze over the nozzle and caused it to plug on the outside. The heat from the engine combined with some salt might have cleared it after driving for a while. Al
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Wondered if anyone else has had this problem – my ‘97 CRV has a problem with > the winshield washer not working when the car is cold, in cold weather. It > first happened last year, I checked the fluid and it was kind of > thick…eventually after a few miles the washer would start working again. > This recurred for a few days, but as it was sub-zero at the time, I assumed > there was some bad fluid in the tank, and that once it had worked it’s way > out, I’d be ok. > However…just got a call from my finacee, she had a 5-hour drive today and > guess what…the driver’s side washer only started working during the last > half hour of the trip. We’re in the Chicago area, the temp today is > probably 10 – 15 degrees F… > Any suggestions? Over the phone, she said she had filled the tank with > fluid, felt the lines for obvious freze-ups, and double-checked the nozzles > for ice. Nothing obvious.
Response:
Wondered if anyone else has had this problem – my ‘97 CRV has a problem with the winshield washer not working when the car is cold, in cold weather. It first happened last year, I checked the fluid and it was kind of thick…eventually after a few miles the washer would start working again. This recurred for a few days, but as it was sub-zero at the time, I assumed there was some bad fluid in the tank, and that once it had worked it’s way out, I’d be ok. However…just got a call from my finacee, she had a 5-hour drive today and guess what…the driver’s side washer only started working during the last half hour of the trip. We’re in the Chicago area, the temp today is probably 10 – 15 degrees F… Any suggestions? Over the phone, she said she had filled the tank with fluid, felt the lines for obvious freze-ups, and double-checked the nozzles for ice. Nothing obvious.
Response:
go to your honda dealer and ask them to replace the nozzle. probably there is debree in the nozzle or piece of ice located in there. you can also try to use a hairblower aimed towards the nozzle(the part sticking out of the hood) or lift the hood and aim the dryer at the nozzle. have someone operate the washer while doing this to see if problem is correted. i had a problem like this on a chevy blazer. the nozzle had plastic lodged in it.
Response:
> the winshield washer not working when the car is cold.
Take the tube from the little black nozzle under hood and stick a very tiny pin into the opposite end of the nozzle to clear the debris stuck in there. Before doing that, make sure there is a sound of a humming motor. A motor pump might have frozen or a power is too low going to the motor pump. Susan
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