Windshield washer fluid

Best bet is to spend a little money and buy the blue -20 washer fluid at the truck stop. You need those detergents to cut grime and chlorides, as well as keep from freezing.

Biggest problem with wet snow is the accumulation and subsequent freezing and stiffening of the wiper blades where they can't conform to the windshield curvature. Short of buying and wiring in heated blades, there's not much you can do about that problem.

 

If you own your truck, get a set of heated wiper blades, I bought mine here, Heated Wiper Blades | Everblades Windshield Wipers

I have been using them for what, four winters now, sounds about right, maybe five. I used them last night when I was running through snow squalls on my way down to Indiana. They are the BOMB! I normally run them in the winter and replace with summer blades. The set I have on I ran all year without issue. The blades are the old style Anco brand, built tough and will last three four seasons easily. They plug in at the wiper arm and are easy to replace.

You do have to hard wire them in, and they do come with a HD Lighted Switch so you know that they are on and working. I wired mine directly in to the fuse block on their own circuit, as they do draw some amps, not a lot, but enough to justify their own spot in the fuse block. And they do get hot to the touch, approximately they reach 200* F.

I will not drive without them, and they are worth every penny. Oh, made right here in the USA, in Michigan. We know a thing or two about snow.

Oh, washer fluid, I go to town and get the stuff with the ice melt in the ingredients, auto parts store and Walmart carry it. I think I use the Pennzoil stuff, yellowish green color I believe.

 

You would think heated wiper arm systems would be factory option equipment on any new truck, if not required standard equipment.

 

You are not kidding. The blades I have are simple plug and play once the initial wiring is installed and are built like iron. The arms are heated along with the blades, and should be a safety item on all trucks. I will not drive in the winter without them.

There was an outfit here in Michigan that was making a heater for the washer fluid, GM was installing it on the Cadillacs for a year or two until something went wrong with one of the units. Long story, I don't believe it was the manufacturer but the vehicle owner... Anyways, GM discontinued that option. The company was still in business a year or two ago, but know clue now.

 

You don't need to buy a heater, just get a length of small copper or aluminum tubing to wrap around the heater hose to heat the washer fluild and splice it into the washer line after the pump. This an old trick that works well.

 

I remember that! I am spoiled with the heated wiper blades! LOL!

 

But I know a driver who shall remain nameless who once closed a hood on an opened wiper arm and snapped it off. So I'm not sure how those would go over in a larger fleet.

 

Up here in the Great white north you can buy washer fluid rates down to -45 degrees.
Volvo has an option for a heated windshield, but it had those little black lines in it like a rear window one does.

 

The ones I use are just the blade itself, not the arm. Replace the arm and reinstall the blade.