Windshield Washer Fluid

Hello all, I'm a complete first timer to this forum. Purchased a new 2016 Cayman Black Edition recently at a very good price. Have never owned Porsche before, but plenty of Benz. Have read that Porsche windshield washer fluid from the factory will freeze (I live where it snows and car is outside a few days a week). Saw on some other forums where people drain their washer tanks before cold weather, ditch the Porsche fluid altogether, and use summer/winter fluids that are compatible, e.g., Nextzett Kristall Klar Washer Fluid for summer and Nextzett Anti-Frost Winter Washer Fluid for winter. Honestly, I thought winter/summer tires were ridiculous enough, but winter/summer washer fluid? For anyone that does do such a thing, how do you drain the tank, other than squirting nearly two gallons of fluid on your windshield/headlights? Seriously, I don't want to damage the car this winter, but Pedro, or anyone else, what's your best advise on the subject? Unfortunately, moving to Florida is not an option (yet). Thanks.

... I've never even thought about: Winter Windshield Washer Fluid!
I believe the best way to drain it would be by disconnecting the pump under the reservoir.
You would have to "peel back" the driver's side front wheel liner to get access.

But I will let some of our cold-weather experts, from up north, chime in to tell us how they deal with this issue.
Happy Boxstering
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Quote
Pedro (Weston, FL)
... I've never even thought about: Winter Windshield Washer Fluid!

well of course not. you live in #$%&*@ FLORIDA

the problem is not so much the liquid freezing in the tank, since the tank usually has a lot of empty space in it for the liquid to expand. the problem can be when it expands in the tubes and cracks them. also, you don't get the cleaner out when the lines are blocked.

when i lived in switzerland where i was often in places (mountains) that went way below freezing, i usually used the same winter fluid all year round. no need to switch. or, in the fall, as winter was approaching, i would not refill the reservoir for a couple of months and then just fill it with the low temp fluid. after a few squirts, it was sufficiently distributed to protect until at least -10C. Once, when it was around -21C, the LCD on my dash froze! it didn't display anything until the car warmed up a bit. the battery didn't do too well either.

i've never looked for any "compatible" washer fluids. it's just alcohol and water plus maybe a bit of surfactant, color, and possibly scent. i would seriously doubt if there's a "porsche approved" list like for engine oils.

--
MY 2000 S, Ocean Blue, Metropol Blue, Savanah Beige.
Bought June 2000 - Sold May 2010

I use the standard RainEx-containing fluid you can buy lots of different places. Have never drained the reservoir and never had the washer fluid freeze. I live in inland Massachusetts and we get plenty of frost, down to negative numbers.

I live in DC. I can and does get well below freezing in the winter. I brought my '09 new in November and did not have an issue with fluid freezing. I do drive it in the winter and use the fluid during snow melts. I use RainX on my windshield (their treatment that I apply about four times a year), and then use their washer fluid. So, I've haven't had experience with Porsche's newer fluids. Prior to '09, I've owned two other Porsches brought new that I've driven in the winter. Never had the fluid freeze. In those cars, I just picked up basic fluids that don't freeze from Target once my reservoir ran dry. Prefer the RainX as it is my daily driver.

I've never heard of this one before. To the best of my knowledge, all Porsches here in Canada come with windshield washer antifreeze. Although I don't drive mine in winter, I've never heard of a cracked windshield washer tank due to freezing from those who do drive them in winter.

I'd be surprised if it was any different for cars built for the US maket. It could be that Florida bound cars might not come with antifreeze, but even California bound cars could experience winter conditions.

With our daily driver (Currently a BMW), in winter, I use w/w antifreeze, found at most automotive stores, that's good down to -40 C = -40 F during the winter months. In Spring, I start mixing it 50/50 with distilled water. I've never had a windshield washer issue with any of my cars.

You could always test your w/w fluid by squirting a bit into a plastic container and set it in your freezer overnight. By morning, you'll know whether it's antifreeze or not.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2017 09:27AM by Guenter in Ontario. (view changes)

"You could always test your w/w fluid by squirting a bit into a plastic container and set it in your freezer overnight. By morning, you'll know whether it's antifreeze or not."

Does the G in G-Man stand for genius?

Seriously, just buy regional/season fluid. I have lived in the Northeast US my whole life and have never had the fluid in the tank freeze in any vehicle I've owned - mostly parked outside with temps as low as negative single digits F. Now, I have had the fluid freeze in the tubes, but this would quickly be resolved by the heat generated by the engine in the front of the car. For P-cars, where most engines are located in other regions, I believe the tubes are heated.

Gary

2003 Boxster Base - Midnight Blue Metallic, Savanna Beige, Metropol Blue

Quote
MA122-NA
Hello all, I'm a complete first timer to this forum. Purchased a new 2016 Cayman Black Edition recently at a very good price. Have never owned Porsche before, but plenty of Benz. Have read that Porsche windshield washer fluid from the factory will freeze (I live where it snows and car is outside a few days a week). Saw on some other forums where people drain their washer tanks before cold weather, ditch the Porsche fluid altogether, and use summer/winter fluids that are compatible, e.g., Nextzett Kristall Klar Washer Fluid for summer and Nextzett Anti-Frost Winter Washer Fluid for winter. Honestly, I thought winter/summer tires were ridiculous enough, but winter/summer washer fluid? For anyone that does do such a thing, how do you drain the tank, other than squirting nearly two gallons of fluid on your windshield/headlights? Seriously, I don't want to damage the car this winter, but Pedro, or anyone else, what's your best advise on the subject? Unfortunately, moving to Florida is not an option (yet). Thanks.

Porsche windshield washer fluid doesn't freeze based on my experience.

Back in Dec. 2014 drove my 996 Turbo which is garaged in northern CA where it seldom gets down to 32F let alone below it to the midwest where it spent nearly 4 weeks in often times sub-freezing temperatures. Some days the temperature didn't get above 1F. The washer fluid tank and system was fine. Had Porsche washer fluid in the tank.

Bought my 2002 Boxster in January of 2002 in Merriam KS. Inches of snow on the ground. The windshield washer worked just fine from when I bought the car and for the 2 years I drove the car year 'round while I lived in that area.

Both cars have been on road trips summer and winter and encountered freezing temperatures. One trip -- again in the Turbo -- in Sept had me leaving 90F heat where I lived and spending the night in Flagstaff where the overnight temperature dropped to 19F. The washer system suffered no damage.

What I did when I lived in the mid-west and didn't want to use Porsche washer fluid -- although when I took the car in for service the washer fluid was topped up with Porsche washer fluid -- was to vsiit a local/nearby truck stop that had jugs of washer fluid outside on a pallet. I'd wait until a nice cold spell with temps below freezing for a night and a day or so then pick up a gallon jug or two of washer fluid selecting jugs with no slush in them. I'd use the washer fluid to top up the car's washer tank. Never had a problem.

Some other things to consider besides washer fluid.

Start the winter season with fresh engine oil. Be sure you run 0w-40 oil so the engine has the best protection during cold starts. (It will be fine in a heat wave too. Drove my cars through southwest desert heat of up to 119F with no issues and with 0w-40 oil in the engine.)

Be sure you fit proper winter tires, *real* snow tires.

To help with improving traction in the wnter I'd toss some bags of sand in both the front and rear trunks. Two each adding maybe 80lbs to 100lbs to each end of the car. The car is kind light -- which is normally a good thing -- but the tires are pretty ligihtly loaded and in bad traction conditions this ain't good. The extra weight helps.

I picked up a nice long enough towing nylon strap sized for my car's weight and a couple of lifting U-bolts. These were in the car so if I slid off into a ditch or got stuck in a snow bank I could install the tow eyebolt -- it screws into a hole behind a small round plug in the front (or rear) bumper cover) -- and then hook up the lifting U-bolt and nylon strap to the car so I could hook the other end of the strap and its lifting U-bolt to another vehicle and have it pull my car out of the ditch. Never had to use this setup.

Be aware if you park the car outside in the cold weather and it gets snowed up on sleeted on or freezing rained upon the side windows may "freeze" and when you open a door the window may not drop. This isn't that bad of a problem when opening the door but if you go to close the door the top of the glass can hit the top rail and make a horrible crashing sound that has one expecting to be showered in broken glass fragments.

What I found worked was to if the window failed to drop get in the car and turn on the key and then push the window lower button while gently wiggling the glass to break it free of its icy bond at the door glass seal area. The window would drop and and then afterwards work just fine.

Be very aware of large chunks of ice that vehicles can shed. You see these hanging down from the body of the vehicle just behind the wheel wells. You don't want to hit one of these with your car if you can help it. The Boxster ground clearance ain't much and the chunk of ice can take out a radiator. (The bottoms of the radiators are quite close to the ground and not all that well protected inside the bumper cover. (I lost a driver side radiator hitting some road debris (tire carcass). The bumper cover was relatively undamaged but the bottom tank of the radiator was cracked.)

Also, watch for flying sheets of ice/frozen snow that the wind can lift off of vehicles in front of your's. If one of these hits your car it can put a good dent in trunk lid or worse come through the top. I've even seen video clips of these hitting and breaking the windshield of the following car. Try to avoid following vehicles too close.

Be aware that when you park the car the heat from the car can melt any snow/ice/slush that accumulates under the wheel well liners. (My experience in some cases this can be inches thick.) The resulting melt water drips down on the brake hardware including the rotors. If the car sits any length of time the rotors can develop some rust. The rusting can be worse where the pads are. What you need to remember is to when taking off to apply the brakes a few times to scrub the rust off. You want to avoid if at all possible using the brakes hard and bringing the car to a stop. This can result in some kind of uneven material deposition problem that can have the brakes pulsing when used from then on.