windscreen washer fluid or water?

[n00bcar]

For the washer level thing do you guys use the fluid that you can buy or top up with water?

[Radec]

Mix them together

[ingenieur]

You should have lots of nasty chemicals in the washer bottle or else it starts to grow life.

I've cleaned out enough of them to know.

Usually requires removing the entire bottle from the car and taking it to the bench to scrape mold out of the bottom of it. Then the motor has to be cleaned, the pipework and the nozzles.

I would always use something much stronger than water.

[Scrump]

I have tutti frutti ’flavour’ screen wash concentrate. Needs to be diluted with water.

[Pica-Pica]

There have been cases of legionella when plain water is used. I use BMW’s own additive, for reasons explained on other threads. When the low warning light comes on, I keep a bottle of plain water (just in case) until it runs out, and then add the appropriate mixture to re-fill.

[GreenV8S]

n00bcar said:

fluid that you can buy

^^^ That.

Plain water is rubbish at cleaning windows and will also allow stuff to grow in the reservoir which will leave you with a nasty mess.

Windscreen washer fluid is essential a solution of soap and water. You can buy it ready to use or as a concentrate that needs to be diluted. Ready to use is obviously more convenient but you may be able to save money buying concentrate if you're going through a lot of it. In hard water areas, dilute with demineralised water not plain tap water.

[donkmeister]

Mrs D has always used plain water with a dash of vinegar, which is why I have had to flush out the bottle and replace the washer pump on several of her cars over the years. Also changed the blown fuse and pump on her dad's car (who taught her this approach to motoring).

[Polly Grigora]

donkmeister said:

Mrs D has always used plain water with a dash of vinegar, which is why I have had to flush out the bottle and replace the washer pump on several of her cars over the years. Also changed the blown fuse and pump on her dad's car (who taught her this approach to motoring).

[Condi]

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/triple-qx-concentra...

2 of these will do a year, buy them when on offer. In summer dilute to about 1 in 10, in winter then maybe 1 in 5 or 1 in 3 if very cold weather.

[hairy v]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10293519

Edited by hairy v on Tuesday 28th June 20:17

[MrHappy]

Or buy the screenwash tablets (recommended on another thread) and make up each one to 5 litres (I use filtered water for this). Very cost effective.

[Pica-Pica]

hairy v said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10293519

Edited by hairy v on Tuesday 28th June 20:17

Indeed. That is also why people with air or ground sourced heat pumps, or any source that only stores domestic hot water for washing and showers/baths at 35 to 55 deg C should have a electrical boost to raise the temperature to 65 C and kill any legionella, on a regular basis.