Washer Fluid

I have topped up my windscreen washer bottle using 1/10 screenwash. Should I put neat cocentrate in the intensive wash bottle?

Reply to
Anyroadup
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NO

Try using an egg cup full of liquid sugar-soap in the washer bottle - does fantastic job of removing grease and other shit.

Reply to
hsg

Intensive or ordinary bottle?

Reply to
Anyroadup

I use it in both especially in the winter. As you know it cleans paintwork fantastically so don't use too much as it might just remove all your polish too. After all we only want to clean the screen and headlamps. DON'T over do it remember egg-cup (chicken's eggs not Ostrich Eggs)

Sir Hugh of Bognor

Reply to
hsg

What, an eggcup in each of THAT caustic stuff?

Reply to
DCA

Depends where you are.

I usually put ~5% in the regular bottle and about 10% in the intensive - less in summer, more in winter.

If it is very cold where you are put more [methanol] based washer fluid in.

Reply to
R. Mark Clayton

Are you sure that it's Sodium Hydroxide based? It may be strong but I did say NOT much and don't go mad - just a little keeps it all clean.

Reply to
hsg

Can you explain? I have a water bottle and a concentrate bottle as far as I am aware that is! I thought one took water, and the other took fluid that it mixes with the water. I'm obviously missing something here - I assume I need to read the manual!

Reply to
DCA

One is for the screen washer - mix solution with water for everyday use. The other is DEEP CLEAN and takes almost neat screen wash. However, I don't know if the two are mixed when you pull the column stalk to deep clean or whether it just sucks from the concentrate tank but I do know that it always needs filling when I use the washers with the lights on so I presumed (E38 740i) that one was for the lamps and the other was for the screen. Handbook doesn't say much about it. Sir Hugh of Bognor

Reply to
hsg

You should. They are separate systems with separate controls. The washer is normal - you use a mixture of water and screen cleaner as normal. The intensive wash uses a different fluid. If you've been using plain water in the normal washer it probably hasn't worked that well. ;-)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Shit!

Reply to
DCA

Thinking about it - the set-up I had imagined would leave the water vulnerable to a freeze! Any tips on after-market intensive cleaners (apart from sugarsoap)

Reply to
DCA

For us Yanks, what, praytell, is sugarsoap?

Reply to
Bob Smitter

TSP, or Trisodium Phosphate.

Reply to
Dean Dark

An old style detergent that is used to was household paintwork prior to sanding and repainting. Often used commercially in the past it now available in DIY stores in the decorating section either in powder form to be mixed as in the old days or liquid in bottles or plastic containers. It is quite good stuff and not that dangerous as one would expect as today's rules and regulation have reduced the effectiveness of commercially available cleaning materials to the general public.

I used to us a product called G850 that was a trade only car degreaser/cleaner. This is also available in 5L containers in the UK (renamed now) and similar must be available in the US - Try the phone book for car paint suppliers for degreasers or there must be a franchise of "Auto-Smart" in your area and, although trade only, the guy will sell anything on board to anybody and I will vouch that this would be my first port of call if I could only catch the local guy going in my direction - only ever see him going the other way!

But whatever you use only use a very small amount. Sugarsoap - about an egg-cup full per gallon (4Lit -US Gall)

Sir Hugh of Bognor

Reply to
hsg

Just wander into Halfords and have a look around.

There are two things you need: -

  1. Detergent suitable to remove traffic film.
  2. Methanol to stop it freezing (although this will dissolve oil)

If you are somewhere very cold then buy a cheap one that smells strongly of alcohol and use a 25 or 33% mix. Too much detergent and it will remove wax from the paintwork.

Reply to
R. Mark Clayton

The pump on my intensive wash bottle started leaking on my E39. Might have leaked slightly before getting so bad I replaced it. And on removing the whole lot to replace the pump I discovered the fluid had removed the paint under the reservoir down to the bare metal and rust had started. ;-)

After this it occurred to me just how much protection base coat only gives to the under bonnet areas?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

This is why it's important that your valve covers leak a little bit, so there will be a nice protective coat of oil on everything under the bonnet. This is why MGs and Humberts last so long; the protective oil film.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

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