# They put the wrong windshield washer fluid in! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979 "2010-12-13T14:25:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/1 "2010-12-13T14:25:25Z")
I asked at the garage for them to fill up the reservoir with the orange stuff, and they used the regular blue stuff. :mad: Other than siphoning out the blue windshield fluid, or just using it up as much as I can, I was wondering if I DO get the level down, and pour in some orange anti-freeze fluid, wonder if that would help with the de-icing? Half blue and half orange? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/2 "2010-12-13T14:31:42Z")
You can mix it. It just gets pumped through a sprayer onto the windshield. It’s not part of the mechanical operation of the car. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/3 "2010-12-13T14:46:58Z")
Orange stuff? I don’t think I have ever seen orange windshield washer fluid. Are you sure you are not talking about antifreeze? Which does come in an orange as well as blue and green. For this it would make a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/4 "2010-12-13T14:49:38Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Orange stuff? > I don’t think I have ever seen orange windshield washer fluid. > Are you sure you are not talking about antifreeze? Which does come in an orange as well as blue and green. For this it would make a difference. There are numerous windshield washer fluids that are orange, primarily marketed winter weather driving that won’t freeze. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/5 "2010-12-13T14:53:26Z")
I bought cold weather windshield wiper fluid yesterday that’s blue - is the OP sure that his is the warmer weather kind? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/6 "2010-12-13T14:56:59Z")
Rainex makes an orange “deicer” fluid. The OP talked about de-icing. Yeah, it’s hardly going to matter if they get mixed. Rather than futzing about with a siphon, maybe there’s a turkey baster in the kitchen, provided somebody in the household isn’t going to have conniptions about it being so used, even if you wash it out afterwards. Also look closely at the reservoir - a lot of them can be detached rather easily, and dumped out. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/7 "2010-12-13T14:58:16Z")
Prestone cold weather washer fluid looks like orange juice. [http://ozbo.com/media/g/86022CL.jpg](http://ozbo.com/media/g/86022CL.jpg) Rain X cold weather formula looks orange-ish, too. [![](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410jetmg%2BkL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) ](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410jetmg%2BkL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/8 "2010-12-13T15:10:16Z")
I’m sure that before they started marketing those wintertime window washer fuilds that they had an additive that you could mix in with the regular stuff. Most likely alcohol; try adding some 151 to it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/9 "2010-12-13T15:11:46Z")
OK - they put in NAPA Windshield Wash (blue) and now I see -20 degrees on it, so maybe that’s as good as the (orange) Rainex De-Icer that I want to put in. So I guess I can mix them and the windshield won’t ice up? That’s all I want is to be able to drive in the mess that’s coming up tomorrow. Thanks for the answers. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/10 "2010-12-13T15:42:39Z")
Essentially, They’re all alcohol solutions and they all can intermix. Presumably if you had a 50/50 mix of -20° fluid with -30° fluid, it would then be -25° fluid. While those temp ratings may hold under some kind of lab test condition, my experience is that all of those fluids will turn to slush or ice on the windshield of a moving car at ambient temperatures in the teens or twenties (Fahrenheit). I think how cold it is and how fast you drive will have a lot more to do with it than the temp rating of the fluid. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/11 "2010-12-13T15:47:34Z")
The de-icer ingredient evaporates, so its effect is temporary. Still better than frozen washer fluid. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/12 "2010-12-13T16:11:53Z")
You can mix colors of windshield fluid as long as the rated performance is what you desire. However, mixing colors of antifreeze in the cooling system can do damage over time because they use different chemical systems. And putting any antifreeze in the windshield washer will cause paint to be removed from the vehicle or damaging it at least. I assume you are OK\> ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/13 "2010-12-13T17:04:40Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > And putting any antifreeze in the windshield washer will cause paint to be removed from the vehicle or damaging it at least. I gather this is referring to engine coolant antifreeze, in which case it’s wrong. It won’t hurt anything. Now, brake fluid will mess up the paint in short order, but not antifreeze. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/14 "2010-12-13T17:14:55Z")
I’ve got the orange stuff sitting in my garage. It’s made by RainX. I’ve also seen purple deicing fluid and IIRC the Prestone (down to -50 degrees F is the claim) is yellow. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/15 "2010-12-13T17:54:24Z")
IME, most generic blue WW fluid is labeled for -20, but at +25, it freezes as soon as it hits the glass, and at +20, it freezes inside the lines. I’ve switched to a name-brand that claims to de-ice, and no more problems with freezing. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/16 "2010-12-13T18:03:29Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > I gather this is referring to engine coolant antifreeze, in which case it’s wrong. It won’t hurt anything. Now, brake fluid will mess up the paint in short order, but not antifreeze. Will antifreeze do anything? The last time I had my oil changed they put _something_ in my wiper tank that I don’t think was wiper fluid. Every time I used it, as the fluid would evaporate from my windshield it left a big streaky translucent mess. I ended up just using as much as I could on the way home and than refilling it with my wiper fluid. Worked just fine after that. ---
**Author:** ![Deereman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Deereman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deereman)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/17 "2010-12-13T18:45:48Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > I gather this is referring to engine coolant antifreeze, in which case it’s wrong. It won’t hurt anything. Now, brake fluid will mess up the paint in short order, but not antifreeze. I’ve had antifreeze mess up paint before. It wasn’t a car, but a tractor painted with enamel, but it did change the color of the paint. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/18 "2010-12-13T19:43:49Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Will antifreeze do anything? It’s somewhat oily in feel, and it can make a streaky translucent mess. > [@Deereman](#): > > I’ve had antifreeze mess up paint before. It wasn’t a car, but a tractor painted with enamel, but it did change the color of the paint. I defer to your experience. I would presume that modern automobile finishes are not prone to that, as I’ve seen antifreeze spilled on the paint many times but never observed any effect – other than a streaky translucent mess. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Deereman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Deereman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deereman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/19 "2010-12-14T08:21:02Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > I defer to your experience. I would presume that modern automobile finishes are not prone to that, as I’ve seen antifreeze spilled on the paint many times but never observed any effect – other than a streaky translucent mess. > > 😃 Yeah, you’re probably right about modern paints holding up better, that’s why I added that it was enamel paint. It’s not really an instant hue change, it takes more time. I usually see it where there are small seeps/leaks (that don’t get noticed or wiped up), it turns the green paint yellow. If I splash antifreeze on the hood and wipe it up right away there is no problem. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979/20 "2010-12-14T08:36:52Z")
😕😕😕😕😕 What am I missing? About 10 minutes or so of running the wipers and hitting the spray button should run the reservoir dry. And then fill it up with whatever cum you choose. Even the good shit is only about $4 a gallon. What’s the big fuss?😕😕😕😕😕😕 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-put-the-wrong-windshield-washer-fluid-in/563979.md?page=2)