using anti-freeze as screen wash

[PKLD]

whats the worst that can happen if anything?

I went out to get the bottle and noticed it was empty - phoned g/f and she said 'is that the blue bottle? yeh i topped up the screen wash like you told me!'

[PKLD]

morgrp said:

I would think it would be quite slimey and smeary - not recommended - doubt it would really do any damage as such

i'm liking this comment - more of these please. I'm dreading what I'll find once the snow clears!!

[PKLD]

NHK244V said:

Will stain the paintwork for sure

would this be easily fixed by me or something more serious/costly?

[PKLD]

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:

[PKLD]

Dog Star said:

PKLD said:

Also standard screenswash even non-diluted will only work down to -5.

Anti-freeze will strip your paint. No question.

Also - I've had no problems with screenwash and I've seen -10 quite a few times in the last few weeks and even a -15. I might have heated jets though - but I don't think so.

Seriously - *don't* use antifreeze. If your OH has put some in the washer bottle then got a (unfrozen) hosepipe into the filler neck and "flood out" the mixture. If things are so bad that it is freezing then get a squirty trigger bottle and use that - stop every now and then to get out and squirt some on.

I'm not suggesting in any way that this was a good idea by SWMBOS*! I've told her to leave it as I'll be down at the weekend and I was going to do exactly that: keep over-filling the washer bottle to clear it out the best I can.



*she who must be obeyed sometimes

[PKLD]

Dog Star said:

PKLD said:

I'm not suggesting in any way that this was a good idea by SWMBOS*! I've told her to leave it as I'll be down at the weekend and I was going to do exactly that: keep over-filling the washer bottle to clear it out the best I can.

Can you not get her to do this asap?

she's not using the car anyway so it's not like she out there spraying the stuff anymore - but it would have been used earlier this week. I said that if she needs the car again before I'm done then yeah she'll have to do it. but the car is stuck in the drive with snow so I should be ok!

Anything I should do in the meantime for the paintwork? what would be the best thing to clean it with just now?

[PKLD]

Dog Star said:

The front pillars and mirror cowlings maybe and the roof - who knows where it has got. Boot lid? To be honest any damage is likely done by now although hopefully general snow and crud may have absorbed/diluted it.

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?

This is not good - the paint used by Audi is st at the best of times. Any ideas of cost of respraying most of a mk2 TT?

[PKLD]

john_p said:

I'd disconnect the outlet from the pump and try and divert it into a bucket* while operating the 'washers' - keep topping up from the hose and flushing it through until you have water

I'd be wary about just brimming it to flush from the top - it'll take the paint off the engine bay where it spills


* for safe disposal, not down the drain!

Edited by john_p on Thursday 2nd December 09:44

can this be done in -6? everything is frozen (well apart from the amount of antifreeze left in the washer bottle) and will it involve getting under the car? if it's not easy to get at under the bonnet I've got alot of snow clearing to do!

[PKLD]

kambites said:

PKLD said:

Any ideas of cost of respraying most of a mk2 TT?

Even if it has damaged it, it shouldn't need to the whole car resprayed.

yeah I know - just dreading seeing what has happened.

[PKLD]

y2blade said:

who the hell let her out of the kitchen?

I suppose it's my fault - I've been saying that since we have a nicer car now that it needs to be looked after. So she's got the hang of checking tyre pressures, parking (but not reversing), and not taking it through a £1.50 supermarket car wash. And during summer she even kept a good eye on washer levels. So she should be commended for trying but still....

her: = me

[PKLD]

ohhhh i like the sound of the last couple of posts! I know I'm getting worked up over potientally nothing but as the car is 200 miles away I won't be happy til I see it this weekend.

If any damage I'll pop some pics up. If none then I say this thread was a load of nonsense!

[PKLD]

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.

yeah not bad as it is a 2.0tdi VAG - must be all that wheel spinning in the snow

[PKLD]

monthefish said:

Before you get too worried, is it definitely 'engine coolant' she has put in?

Lidl sell this stuff, which is labelled 'anti-freeze' as you can see



But it is definitely screenwash.

Edited by monthefish on Thursday 2nd December 12:43

not from lidl but it was cheap stuff that was for my old car and worryingly does look like that

hmmmm I think I might be in for a PH frosting*

• which by the way is not a porno related act but it described what the little bds at school used to do when it snowed = trip up the victim and then a group of 10 would kick the snow all over said victim so that you spent the rest of the morning classes thawing it a wet puddle.... bds

[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!

[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