I can't believe I was that dumb

[JeffX]

Okay, I'll just say that it was very dark and I'd had a few drinks. Last night we were coming back from a party (I wasn't driving) in the X and we ran out of windshield wiper fluid. Stopped in a store got some, popped the hood and began to pour. Now this is the first time I ever add wiper fluid to this Explorer (it's a 2002 and I've only had it for a month) and it was dark, so gues what? I probably poured a about 1/2 to 1 cup of wiper fluid into my radiator overflow. Doh! I quickly realized what I had done, but we had to drive it a few miles to get it home. Once home I pumped out the reservoir with a hand pump to bring the level down a little. I think i'm okay, what do you guys think? It wasn't much, so I'm not that concerned. Mostly just embarrassed.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I think there is a little over 2 gallons of coolant, so I doubt a cup of washer fluid would hurt anything.

 

[Black Magic]

That is'nt going to cause any problems. Your OK!

 

[mikeinpa]

As far as I know windshield washer is just water with a little solvent (alcohol possably???) in it to lower the freeze point and some color to identify it as washer fluid.

I dont think that small percentage of solvent will cause any problems.

 

[JeffX]

Thanks for the replies. I figured I was okay, but your replies made me feel more confident. I still want to kick myself a few more times ...

 

[irtySanchez]

Hey, don't feel bad. A few months ago I got quite loaded and ripped my whole exaust system off by driving over a tree stump.

And of course all this happened when I was about 400 miles away from home.

Ahhhhhh.... the price we pay to have a good time!

 

[Ahef]

a little methanol!

Depending on the quality of the fluid you had bought, it will have a little methanol in it as a freeze protector. When it is eventually pulled in to the radiator via the heating up/cooling down cycle of the cooling system, it will boil the methanol out in the form of methanol vapor. This vapor will be expelled thru the very system that you used to put it in to begin with, the overflow tank. Methanol will boil at 147 F which is much lower than the typical operating temp. in your cooling system.

Bottomline, a cup of washer fluid will include a very small amount of methanol, therefore "no big deal".

 

[A Wise Guy]

Hey, was that you or your truck?

 

[William Schumacher]

now....

if you had poured the anti-freeze in to the windshield washer reservoir....it would have been more of a problem for you.

 

[tenikiwon]

JUst test it. Testers are cheap or have a local 10 oil/lube shop test it if your worried.

But as stated above, I don't think you should have anything to worry about.