The 4.9lt washer fluid tank
Discussion
Miserablegit said:
Soft water or not - when tap water is left in a screen wash reservoir all sorts of bugs grow unless the screen wash is of a high enough concentration. A friend had to strip down his washer system when his car was let unused for a few months. I use premix for that reason and because I live in a hard water area.
Use the correct dilution as written on the bottle. Its not a difficult sum. If in doubt add an extra 50ml?CraigyMc said:
E90 is just over 5lts (but only if you have factory xenons).
My E90 has Xenons and the handbook says the capacity is 6 litres! But the handbook says my Z4 (also with Xenons) only holds 5 litres, although the reservoir is much easier to get to as it's in the engine bay rather than the inner wing.
Although I still buy concentrated screen-wash so I can dilute it to suit the time of year.
Every day's a schoolday, didn't know pre mixed was made with descaled water.
Found trucks to have worse gunging issues than in my own cars, obviously the mileages covered and constant water movement to be far higher which may have something to do with it, found it better to use just plain tap water during the summer to minimise the issue, don't know what's going on there.
Have removed the filler pipe before and hosed out the washer bottle (probably 10 litres or more) and find gunged up blue washer additive being swilled out rather than discoloured growths.
Found trucks to have worse gunging issues than in my own cars, obviously the mileages covered and constant water movement to be far higher which may have something to do with it, found it better to use just plain tap water during the summer to minimise the issue, don't know what's going on there.
Have removed the filler pipe before and hosed out the washer bottle (probably 10 litres or more) and find gunged up blue washer additive being swilled out rather than discoloured growths.
Maxym said:
Premix is a ripoff. Use good quality concentrate. I liv in a hard water area and have never had a problem.
The Porsche stuff is brilliant. Highly concentrated v good value and v effective.
^^The Porsche stuff is brilliant. Highly concentrated v good value and v effective.
This. Last time I got premix it said good to -10 degrees C.
Froze up and it had only been down to -3/4 C.
Concentrate never had a problem using it with the correct mix.
CraigyMc said:
E90 is just over 5lts (but only if you have factory xenons).
Ah that’ll be for the headlight squirters. First thing I disconnect. Infuriating, you’ve a lovely shiny waxed car. Then you get honking great loads of detergent all streaking up the bonnet etc which dries and leaves tide marks, spots etc. They also seem to chug tons of fluid too, so you need all that extra capacity. sherman said:
Why are you people not using the concentrated versions and just filling up with water to the top?
Because foam parties are only fun in specific circumstances.I dilute the concentrate in an empty bottle I keep just for that. Water first, then concentrate. Otherwise you get foaming.
Then I decant that into the washer bottle.
If you add concentrate directly to the washer bottle, you end up with foam. If you do water first, most cars you can't see when to stop to leave room for concentrate.
I appreciate screen wash manufacturers use low foaming agents, but they are not zero foam.
Dog Star said:
Ah that’ll be for the headlight squirters. First thing I disconnect. Infuriating, you’ve a lovely shiny waxed car. Then you get honking great loads of detergent all streaking up the bonnet etc which dries and leaves tide marks, spots etc. They also seem to chug tons of fluid too, so you need all that extra capacity.
Certain cars are known to syphon out their own tanks via the headlamp jets.MDT said:
Or, just buy the concentrated stuff and pore it in neat... for the winter that is. costs a bit more granted but seeing where you are going is fairly priceless.
PS: you do need to remember not to wash your windscreen while passing two abreast cyclists, that would not be nice.
Put your hand up if you're a PS: you do need to remember not to wash your windscreen while passing two abreast cyclists, that would not be nice.
. Master Bean said:
MDT said:
Or, just buy the concentrated stuff and pore it in neat... for the winter that is. costs a bit more granted but seeing where you are going is fairly priceless.
PS: you do need to remember not to wash your windscreen while passing two abreast cyclists, that would not be nice.
Put your hand up if you're a PS: you do need to remember not to wash your windscreen while passing two abreast cyclists, that would not be nice.
. hole using his washer fluid to try and persuade a monkey to get off his roof at a safari park, after stopping alongside for ages (which is the universally-understood Safari park code for "can all available monkeys please climb onto my car"). Yes I did tell on him. No the keepers were not amused by his actions. Sure, a stern ticking off by a pair of Biology undergrads in a stripey Land Rover isn't exactly feeling the grasp of the long arm of the law, but hopefully he felt silly.
While we are on the subject, it is amazing how many screenwash tanks are hidden outside the warm engine bay. So ensuring extra freezing cold temperatures when in proper winter temperatures.
My old Volvo had one properly in the engine bay, plus all the piping the 'warm' side of the bonnet insulation, plus of course heated jets. I never had an issue with it in the cold. It seems so basic.
And +1 on decent quality concentrate, I usually by a 25lt tank and it lasts all year between a couple of cars in Scotland where in winter even good stuff is at very high concentrations.
My old Volvo had one properly in the engine bay, plus all the piping the 'warm' side of the bonnet insulation, plus of course heated jets. I never had an issue with it in the cold. It seems so basic.
And +1 on decent quality concentrate, I usually by a 25lt tank and it lasts all year between a couple of cars in Scotland where in winter even good stuff is at very high concentrations.
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