windshield wiper fluid not working

[pbagdade]

Hi all,

This may have been discussed in other forums, so bear with me. I purchased a new Bolt last month in Minnesota where we have been below freezing most days. Yet, recently, when there were 40 degree days, the fluid was still not working. I added some of my own fluid that is supposed to work at -20F, but no success. Any thoughts to resolve this would be helpful.

 

[joe]

I have had lots of trouble with the rear washer. Maybe it gets dirty easily? So you have to pound on the washer button for a while or clean it mechanically to get it out. If that doesn't work, the fluid may be low. Apparently in my experience, fluid can come out the front but not the back if the reservoir is low

 

[pbagdade]

I'm getting no fluid in the front or the back.

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Do you hear the pump running?

 

[pbagdade]

That's a good question. I did in the past, but I don't think I am hearing anything now. It did work when I bought it and periodically when the weather was above freezing. Now, nothing...even above 40F.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

How long have you been at 40F? It still may be frozen, taking a while to fully melt.

I definitely had trouble with freezing wiper fluid in my Bolt, and I'm not in MN. Chevy seems to have used the cheapest stuff they could get their hands on. I bought the real low-temp stuff and went out of my way to flush the lines of the cheap stuff during the latest thaw.

 

[pbagdade]

We were above freezing for 3-4 days and I had my car in garage overnight for all of those days. I truly find this to be a safety issue.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I had a car years ago in which a tube detached due to frozen wiper fluid. Maybe there is a tube somewhere that wasn't pushed in all the way in your car. The expansion due to freezing could have popped it off. Maybe try to spray and then look around for fluid leaking somewhere?

You are absolutely correct that this is a safety issue. This time of year, there is so much crud on the road. All it takes is the car in front of you to spray from a puddle and your visibility is severely hampered.

 

[gpsman]

Dumb California rule:
You can’t use alcohol or anti-freeze laden windshield washer fluid because of “air quality” (smog) laws.

NEWSFLASH: we just had some 29 and 30 degree nights in the San Francisco Bay area.

There are exceptions if you LIVE above 5000 ft elevation. But what about my ski trips???
What about those handful of sub-32 degree nights we have at sea-level?


“California Fines Ace Hardware $850,000 for Selling Banned Windshield Washer Fluid

January 24, 2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif. --- In its largest consumer product settlement ever, the California Air Resources Board recently fined Ace Hardware $850,000 for selling in its stores windshield washer fluid that failed to meet California air emissions requirements.ARB cited the hardware chain for selling windshield fluid throughout California that was specially formulated with higher pollutants to prevent freezing in the state's colder, mountainous areas. From 2003 to 2007, Ace Hardware sold nearly 25,000 one-gallon containers of washer fluid with higher volatile organic compound content in areas throughout the state where it was not allowed, ARB said.Volatile organic compounds react with other pollutants and sunlight in the atmosphere to form ground-level ozone and particulate matter, the main ingredients in smog.”

Basically, all you can use in California is soapy water.

So are Bolt’s shipped to CA with CA compliant windshield washer fluid?

 

[lionfishmer]

Does anyone have the procedure for getting to the windshield washer reservoir pump on a 2019 Check Bolt Premier? No motor sounds are heard when trying to activate the front or rear washers. Fluid is full. Fuse is fine. I want to test the motor itself, hoping it may be a loose connection, but have no idea how to get to the electrical connection at the pump.