Prestone Screenwash

[bitchstewie]

I'm usually a bit OCD about screen wash but the Autoglym and VAG branded stuff is stupidly expensive now and I've been caught out this week by being tight on how much I've tried diluting it because it's now stupidly expensive.

Prestone Concentrate (the yellow stuff) seems to get decent feedback and is very reasonably priced.

Any issues with freezing or cleaning ability or it turning to gunk or any of those horror stories you sometimes read about please?

[Evanivitch]

Prestone always been good for me, just be mindful if you're buying concentrate or premix as per usual.

Electric cars minus heating washer jets really, really need the good stuff in winter!

[OldGermanHeaps]

I have been using the premix prestone exclusively for the last few months, completely emptied the bottle 7 times and it has been fine up until the last 2 days when it has frozen solid until around 2 pm (-9 yesterday and -7 today) so their claim of working down to -10 is bullst, if you take their claims at face value you are tricked into breaking the law.

[Lotobear]

Never had an issue with a gallon of the stuff on a pallet outside Aldi

[Snow and Rocks]

Not tried the yellow stuff but have used the blue concentrated stuff sold by Costco for years with no issue.

I use it neat at this time of year and have had no issues with freezing even at minus 20 here in Aberdeenshire. Obviously dilute it down a bit for the warmer months.

https://www.costco.co.uk/Tyres-Automotive/Car-Main...

[littleredrooster]

I use the Winter Concentrate (-18) neat. It is so effective, it can be used as a de-icer. It's also bliddy good at getting rid of the smeary-salty film that happens in winter - it regularly wins comparison tests.

Recommended.

[Scrimpton]

All good here, only minus 4 but flows properly, cleans well and no smears.

[bitchstewie]

Any thoughts on the concentrate v ready mixed?

I never honestly get why people buy pre-mixed rather than mixing it yourself but I suppose I did start the thread because I mixed it myself and fked up be being too right to use enough of it

[Snow and Rocks]

As I said above, buy the concentrate and use it neat in the winter.

[Collectingbrass]

I've used it for years and never had a problem, apart from when I have been tightfisted with it. Just make sure you flush a full reservoir of clean water through a couple of times before you change from one colour (formulation) to another, it's mixing the chemicals that leads to problems.

[Evanivitch]

bhstewie said:

Any thoughts on the concentrate v ready mixed?

I never honestly get why people buy pre-mixed rather than mixing it yourself but I suppose I did start the thread because I mixed it myself and fked up be being too right to use enough of it

Concentrate neat in winter, dilute in summer.

Going back a couple of years I remember a morning driving into Bristol where dozen or so cars were on hard shoulder scraping and wiping road grime off windscreen as the washer fluid was too diluted for the conditions. I even saw a kettle brandished on the M49...

[Huff]

Polygard arctic screenwash.

It's largely what's on every garage forecourt in NW Scotland, for a good reason; it just bloody works, and streak-free IME.
I usu dilute it around 4-5:1 and at that - recent overnights down to -5c, good to go right from cold start. Cleans really-well, and you can dilute down to 10:1 in summer and it still does so!

My go-to; cheap on that jungle site too.

[Pica-Pica]

I have used Prestone in our Fabia for all of its 12 years.
I have used the BMW stuff in my F30 for all of its 8 years, and in the E36 before that.
Never had a problem.
WRT the Prestone, I buy the concentrate and dilute it, I have never had to use it neat in winter.

Edited by Pica-Pica on Saturday 11th January 11:42

[Mr Tidy]

I've been using it for years with no issues - it's pretty cheap in Tesco.

[E-bmw]

Prestone has been my go to for many years & has only ever frozen on the transition into a cold spell when the car still has warm-weather dilution in it.

Neat in winter 10:1 in summer.

5 litres is generally around £15/20 and can last close to a year/car.

[Belle427]

There was a recent thread somewhere on this where the Halfords stuff won the test over the likes of prestone etc.

[CrgT16]

Nothing wrong with Prestonw but I do find the one I can get from bmw dealer is just better but more costly. I had issues with my E46 when the screen washed congealed and I had to take out the reservoir, etc to clean it.

Good advice flushing with clean water when changing formulations or screen wash brands. Prestone is a solid buy for the money.

[bitchstewie]

How do people "flush" out old fluid?

There's no access to anything other than the filler cap.

Are people really just running the washers for ten minutes or however long it takes?

[Collectingbrass]

bhstewie said:

How do people "flush" out old fluid?

There's no access to anything other than the filler cap.

Are people really just running the washers for ten minutes or however long it takes?

In short yes, but 20 minutes now is better that a gunked up reservoir, an MOT failure and taking the wing off to get to the reservoir, then cleaning it then putting back together. Ask me how I know.

BMWs are particularly prone to this. again, ask me how I know.

[Pica-Pica]

bhstewie said:

How do people "flush" out old fluid?

There's no access to anything other than the filler cap.

Are people really just running the washers for ten minutes or however long it takes?

The same as flushing out anything, let it go to empty, then add a small amount of plain water. Rinse (literally) and repeat, until happy.