Not necessarily. In our area they put down salt. The ambient can be quite low and the road can still be wet and you will get a salty mist on the windshield. However, the washer fluid can get frozen in the tube going to the nozzle as it's less insulated than it is in the resevoir. So then the small amount that does make it onto the windshield, if any at all, serves only to smear the salty mess around making it impossible to see at all. I'll take reduced, but safe visibility over sudden blindness any day.

You'll have to take my word for it that I use the proper fluid (low temp) and blades. I'm a maintenance freak. Also, I've spent the better part of 30 years driving in wiidely varied winter conditions. My examples are from my experiences. YMMV.

 

For that very reason I wish Honda would have implemented that system that heats washer fluid to something like 170 degrees right out of the pump.

I've only had that trouble once with these OEM wipers. The set that was absolutely terrible was that silicone tripledge type on my civic. They were only usable dry in the salt (wet would smear), for a while- then you spray for 15 seconds to clean them off so they'd work for another 5 minutes.

I've always wondered if I should keep some wipes in the car or something, just in case. Maybe just a rag and a windex bottle filled with low-temp washer fluid would work.

 

I have to side with wdb, but for different reasons.

As you say, road salt can keep roads wet at least down to -10°C, and even a bit lower if there's sun out. The spray can be pretty fine, and dries almost instantly into a white powder. Here's a pic of what's kicked up onto the hatch:



(last week my hatch looked worse; I couldn't make out the Honda logo and the license plate wasn't readable. Thankfully a full day's rain washed a lot off)

I have toughed it out when it's darker, but especially when driving into the sun the dried crap scatters the sunlight and whites out the windshield, to the point I can barely see the car in front of me. Not safe at all, so I have to flush and wiper it--and it can take quite a bit if I've let it build up.

I'm not surprised that Canadian Fits come with a larger washer fluid tank than US ones (4.5 L vs 2.5 L). When I gas up I also squeegee off the head- and taillights.

 

Simply offering my opinion based on my experiences. Not really a debate. Naturally, when the windshield is coated so much that it's unsafe, I clean it. I guess I did not stress the part where I pull over to do so. I feel it's better to try it at idle than moving in case it smears badly.

I'm sure we all do what is best for us under the conditions we are experiencing at the time. I have no doubt that most folks who take the time to participate in a forum such as this are safe, informed, and conscientious drivers.

I have my Go-To protocols for bad weather and they have served me well. I haven't been in an accident (including offs) in my adult life. I do driver's schools with the BMW and Porsche clubs to keep my skills sharp and I travel (often by car) for a living. Put darn near 50k miles on last year in some pretty horrible weather. Global warming??

I'm always happy to hear what others do, and also happy to share what works for me.

 

Didn't mean it as a debate; poor choice of words on my part.

If it's warm enough after a fresh snow, after I get home I'll often grab handfuls of snow and dump them on the windshield and hatch windows, and wipe it all down. Best cleaning agent there is, and costs nothing

 

No worries. The most innocuous statement on some forums can lead to raging debate lasting page after page. I'll go out of my way to avoid that.

I agree - the handful of snow can be a lifesaver. Works great.

 

If this is true, I pity you......
Mini van things don't belong off road.
And -60F is about -45, big deal. Its been colder here this winter than Anchorage. Your warmer by 15 as I write this.
And how can anything applied to the windscreen change the shape of a frozen blade that's sitting half an inch from the windshield?
Rain-X? You can't be serious.

 

i dont know what the big deal is. where i live we usually get wet & icy conditions, not much snow. the last storm i had about 46,000 miles on my stock dunlops and they were nearly bald. i was worried but when i got on the slippery ice i didnt have much problem. i had a hard time coming to a stop but braking a little early solved that.

the next day we got a layer of snow over the ice and i had no problems manuvering around. i did get stuck, but that was because i got highcentered. that is my fault for attempting to drive through a drift that was clearly too high.

i also tried to get sideways which was the most difficult of all (didnt use the ebrake). this car is no fun at all in the ice. but its fwd, so i didnt expect much.

i have driven cars that are much worse in winter conditions. you guys should try driving a high powered truck with no weight in the back. then jump back in your fit and see which one you think handles better

 

You're both W-R-O-N-G and I am R--I-G-H-T!!!

J/K

They use salt here too, so I know what it can do. It's awful stuff, but I think I prefer it to the sand and stone I've seen used in some western states; that stuff grit-blasts the front end and windshield of your car.

I used to have times when the washer solvent would freeze even though the road was wet, but lately with the better washer solvents out there I have not had it happen. I've had wipers freeze and get a buildup of gunk on them, especially on the far end of the blade, but I have not had the washers freeze up.

Agree with both of you on using snow to clean windows, also about cleaning off head and taillights while filling up with gas. Clean headlights make a world of difference.

 

Deactivate the front anti-sway bar and you can induce oversteer even on dry pavement.

 

Oh Christ. This will be difficult so try to focus. In Alaska we have a series of interconnecting roads that allow you to travel from one place to another. This series of roads is what allows me to be somewhere hundreds of miles away from my listed location with out anyone knowing. For example, late last December though early January I was 70 miles (113 kilometers) North of Talkeetna photographing the Aurora. This means that while the mean temperature in Anchorage was only -15ºF (-26ºC) I was able to be somewhere that the temperature was 50º colder.

This picture doesn't show the outside air temperature, but it does show that even with the intake air at -21ºF (-29ºC) the engine is still humming along nicely at 173ºF (78ºC).



I was also able to drive through Turnagain Pass last February during a blizzard with eight inches of unplowed snow on the hiway all while averaging 50 mph (80 kph) with out an issue.

And using Rain-X or similar helps your blades by not letting shit build up on your glass in the first place.

 

I was thinking about these remarks the other day so I though either I'm a wimp or it must be the temperature.
I know I live in a colder place than Anchorage. Its been about -40 to -48 this week with the windchill.
So I took my portable laser temp reader with me to work and back.
Outside temp is -39. Steering wheel is -40 (either the thermometer or my gauge is out).
Car is plugged in. Run it for 5 minutes. Steering wheel temp is still -40 but the windshield above the duct is -33.
Drive to work (20 miles) as I live out of town.
After another 5 minutes, steering wheel is -38, woo hoo!
Five more minutes, steering wheel is -37.
Ten minutes later in the city the steering wheel is a balmy -33.
I measure a few points in the car in the parking lot at work.
Steering wheel -32.
Windshield above duct is a respectable -4.
Dash by radio is -26.
Rear view mirror is -11. Heat rises I guess.
So I am wearing heavy gloves. No way am I hanging on to anything thats -30 or colder for 25 minutes.
Now, this test was in the dark, as the sun doesn't rise around here when I'm going to work at 0630hrs.
I know this is colder than Anchorage, so I am allowing some leeway. But the heater in this car doesn't like sub -30 temps.
I would assume in an hour or so the plastic would start warming. But my commute doesn't allow for that.

 

^ you are far from being a wimp.

i start cursing and wondering if ill ever make it to my car when it was about -10 deg out

 

That's a neat little gadget. Where does one acquire such a device?

 

It's a Scangauge. Do a search of this forum, there are tons of threads.

 

Thanks!

 

The defroster really does suck on the fit. I always keep my cars super clean, but the defroster has to be on all the time or the windows fog. The only other way is to crack all windows with the visors on and keep the vent and feet part on level 2.

And I tried e-slides in the snow, and the ABS comes on as soon as you pull the e-brake and it kills a lot of the e-slide fun because you can't gas and e-slide really at the same time, as ABS goes apeshit. Anyone pulled the ABS fuse and tried e-slides with no ABS?

I use rainX and it really does help, especially at freeway speed in heavy rain. On a snow trip we got caught in whiteout conditions for a bit an then later in rain and sleet where you couldn't even see outta the windshield, it was crazy as hell. The wipers do suck, no intermittent setting, and fast setting isn't fast enough sometimes. I feel like there is almost no speed adjustment. And I dunno why theres even a rear wiper, that shit stays dirty no matter how much you clean it.

 

First winter after purchasing 08 Fit I had a job delivering express packages. I was so impressed with the Fit even with the stock Dunlop tires. Granted, I do love drifting so whenever it gets slippery I like to throw my Fit around a bit. In local or highway there was nothing stopping Fit.
On one particular day I had to drive up a steep hill where some cars were sliding backward. I thought I give it a try and what do you know Fit steadily climbed it all the way. Secret is in spin control.
The only time I had problem was when entering housing complex where fresh snow wasn't plowed and it was higher than the Fit clearance. I had some guys push it backward and I reversed my way out of it no prob.

If you expect longer stopping distance and aware of the condition you shouldn't have any problem driving in snow. I just love the handling of my Fit.

 

I have to agree, although I do use Pirelli Winter Carving studded. The only problem is when it's too deep uphill. So I shovel my driveway. I do have to crack a window or alternate defrost/dash to get the side windows clear whan it's cold, but small price to pay for such a wonderful car for the money. 40K and no problem. Well, one - after slush and refreezing, I had a wheel freeze up. Had to rent a gas heater to blow hot air on the wheel.

 

Whether you're on snow or ice more pressure is preferrable. Even ice has a penetration that is enhanced by greater pressure. Of course, there's a lot less penetration in the ice so grip suffers but it still better with more pressure than less. Which is the reason for chains or meshes.