Mastermind1

I have 2009 Maxima SV Premium with approximately 26k miles. With the crazy cold weather here, I just happened to run out of windshield washer fluid, I got home the other day and began adding more fluid.

Before I could get more than a quarter of a gallon in the reservoir, it stopped accepting more fluid. I was only able to put about a fourth of a gallon of fluid in the reservoir. I know there's got to be something wrong, since this car has a much bigger reservoir.

I've never seen anything like this happen before with this car. Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be?

Obviously a trip to the dealership should rectify this so please spare that response. I'm simply trying to avoid burning half a day there.

Thanks for any advice.

-MM1

gen2000

Sometimes if it is cold enough the fluid can freeze in the fluid delivery hoses. I have had the problem in a 2004 Maxima, but not yet in the 2009 Maxima.

DJWILLIE

Yes maybe it froze...

Mastermind1

I suppose that could be it, though it's been in my garage for three days and its still not accepting more or dispensing any fluid. If it were frozen would it accept any?

-MM1

Mastermind1

BTW, DJ Willie, I'm listening to your music now and my son's dancing to it.

-MM1

ratdoc

Maybe you didn't run out of fluid after all. It could be the pump broke.

lightonthehill

That is definitely possible. Also, on American make vehicles of the past, I have had the tubes that carry the washer fluid to the sprayer:
1 - come loose
2 - get pinched
3 - disentegrate over time from heat
4 - get stopped up

As the fluid is still in the tank, the tubes are probably fine. I would check ratdoc's suggestion first.

WhitefrostMax

Test it again when u think it had melted or bring it to the dealer should be fixed under warranty because if it was empty it should be able to hold the whole wiper fluid.

pajaha1

Similar thing happened to me the other night with these cold temps. I had salt all over my windshield and the fluid wouldn't come out. Got home and filled the tank but there was plenty in there. After being in the garage all night, everything was working again in the morning. Gotta love winter.. On the plus side, this thing is pretty good in the snow!

2010BlackMax

i always try to fill up my washer fluid in the winter. I use the lower freezing point stuff instead of that cheep blue stuff that the shop uses. that way it won't freeze. or atleast until the temps drop a lot lower

pajaha1

The fluid I used was "rated" at -20 below. No matter what you have, it's going to freeze somewhere in the lines when you've just driven 80 mph thru 30 mph wind gusts and 10 degree air temps!

DapperGuy

Fluid is unaffected by wind. Only thing that matters is freeze temp rating. Now if you have H20 ice on the nozzles, it might prevent it from spraying, even if tank is full.

lightonthehill

Ice can do terrible things. Experts are suggesting it may have been ice forming on the air speed measuring devices that caused the Air France airliner to lose the ability to know their speed and then crash over the mid-Atlantic last summer.

Ice on the wings also caused the problems that were mishandled by the crew in the Buffalo crash that killed 50.

Ice is also coating the streets of Atlanta (and much of the nation) tonight.