mystery blue liquid

If it's slightly viscous and oily looking, then the odds are it's antifreeze. If you've got an antifreeze tester, it'll show if it's antifreeze by the specific gravity.

If it's thin and watery it's probably screenwash.

Either way, it's not a good idea to use in the wrong place.

Antifreeze`in the screen wash may well damage the paintwork, while screenwash in the engine won't do the anti-corrosion properties of what's in there already much good, and will probably boil off quite quickly anyway.

mr p gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

For the price of either, and the cost of a c*ck-up, I'd sling it.

Screenwash will be far more soapy, and ready to froth than antifreeze. It will probably also smell the same as your other screenwash.

Steve

Deliberately and emphatically does *not* recommend his normal method of dipping a finger in and tasting it......

Don't see why not, personally. Sweet = glycol = antifreeze. Burning sensation = methanol = screenwash. You'll only ingest a few milligrams.

I thought glycol was the type of antifreeze that has a distinctive smell that isn't sweet. It's difficult to describe, but it's a little bit like wet fur. Screenwash usually smells "alcoholic".

I thought antifreeze was usually either green or orange, but blue is a common colour for screenwash, so I'm betting it's the latter.

I've seen plenty of blue anti-freeze.

Used to have some stuff that changed colour to show it was correct concentration. Straw yellow when neat, dark blue green too strong, deep blue just right, pale blue too weak.

It's a risk I'll take on myself. I'd not like to suggest others take it.

On Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:54:06 +0000, John Williamson ranted:

snipped-for-privacy@w36g2000vbi.googlegroups.com...

I've done that a few times, I'm still here.

Glycol antifreeze supplied by Unipart is coloured blue.

Can you still get Bluecol, or is that just me showing my age again?

Steve

Yes, and yes!

Or it could even be PortaPotti fluid! Bin it unless you KNOW what it is!

Slatts