using anti-freeze as screen wash

[LeeThr]

FreeLitres said:

PKLD said:

Your MPG reading just places you just within the safe PH limits. Make sure it doesn't creep above 20 MPG otherwise we will have to cast you out with the (non-PH) diesel and prius owners.

So where does this put me with the 40 odd MPG i get with my 1.4I pug 206?

Or does this mean I have to take over my dad's EVO to join your club

[plfrench]

PKLD said:

zcacogp said:

Apologies for being slow here, but what's the problem with stopping off to buy some screenwash on the way to wherever you are going? Every petrol station sells the stuff, as does every supermarket and even Halfords may stock some (although expecting them to provide something useful is a bit optimistic.)


Oli.

yes normally I would agree but it was my o/h! (and we live in the north of scotland which means even our tesco has run out of screen wash)

She has the car at the minute as she is at uni but when I said that she should check the paintwork - she then suggested getting an old brush to clear the snow off my poor TT.

Also standard screenswash even non-diluted will only work down to -5. that ain't good enough when:

I normally use Carplan stuff during the summer, as it seems to give a good smear free clean. However come winter it freezes at -6C, even neat. Try popping to your Audi dealer, the VAG screenwash is ok down to -16C at a dilution of 1 part screen wash to 2 parts water. Neat it is ok to -70C!! By which point I think you'd have more pressing things to worry about than your screen not being clean...

[PKLD]

Acehood said:

Are we talking about de-icer here, or screenwash, or coolant? I'm confused.

so am I now - however I will have my answer tomorrow. as long as it doesn't snow tomorrow!

having looked around a bit more it's looking like that it was labelled 'anti-freeze & summer coolant' but it's blue and cheap so as suggested already I'm not expecting to turn up and see bare aluminium & steel!

[blueg33]

PKLD said:

Acehood said:

Are we talking about de-icer here, or screenwash, or coolant? I'm confused.

so am I now - however I will have my answer tomorrow. as long as it doesn't snow tomorrow!

having looked around a bit more it's looking like that it was labelled 'anti-freeze & summer coolant' but it's blue and cheap so as suggested already I'm not expecting to turn up and see bare aluminium & steel!

If the label says coolant, that means its coolant! The stuff that goes in the radiator/expansion tank not the screenwasher. And it certainly can damage paint. Its rubbish as a total paint stripper but it can certainly soften it up and stain it.

[kambites]

AJB said:

kambites said:

One other point - the screen wash system will be made of plastic and wont be designed to deal with highly corrosive chemicals, so is it possible that it'll eventually eat it's way through the washer bottle and/or pipes?

Given how much of a modern cooling system is plastic (thermostat housings, reservoirs, water pump impellors, inlet manifolds), I wouldn't worry about that too much... And as someone has just said, antifreeze is designed to inhibit corrosion - that's why you have to use it all year round, not just in winter. I don't see it being particularly corrosive...

You may be right that there's nothing to worry about, it was just a question. Whilst bits of the cooling system are plastic, I doubt they're the same type of plastic as the washer system. To start with I wouldn't have thought the washer system would be designed to cope with boiling hot water. Still, I guess the bottles that they supply coolant in look like they're made of the same plastics as washer fluid bottles which is probably pretty similar to the stuff they use to make the washer bottle out of.

It's designed to inhibit oxidation, not other chemical reactions. I wasn't suggesting that it would make the washer system rust.

Edited by kambites on Friday 3rd December 10:51

[993AL]

So.......what happened?

[PKLD]

Edited by PKLD on Friday 24th December 10:07

[PKLD]

Well...... Looks like I got away with it! I tried to flush out the stuff by putting the garden hose pipe deep into the washer bottle. I then ran it dry while the car was still covered in snow then cleared the snow and gave it a quick rinse. I think the full proper waxing I gave the car before the snow helped a wee bit

So not not exciting but I'm happy that there was no damage

[PKLD]

Stupid iPhone posting!

Edited by PKLD on Friday 24th December 10:08

[thinfourth2]

I get free glycol based stuff from work.

Use it in the sheds screenwash its still the same colour as last month

Dirty

[993AL]

PKLD said:

Well...... Looks like I got away with it! I tried to flush out the stuff by putting the garden hose pipe deep into the washer bottle. I then ran it dry while the car was still covered in snow then cleared the snow and gave it a quick rinse. I think the full proper waxing I gave the car before the snow helped a wee bit

So not not exciting but I'm happy that there was no damage

Glad it worked out OK for you.