Washer fluid stinks in hot weather

I strictly buy ethanol versions now to avoid mixing types and maybe clogging system .. Does ethyl glycol ever fully evaporate ? or leave more corrosive residue on paintwork

some local **** in a green van who frequently seems to be washing his windscreen as he overtakes my bicycle on morning trip - I'll catch him at the roundabout one day.
 
If you're at the point where there is slime or sludge I think you'll probably need to remove the tank at least, otherwise the bits will clog the system even if you kill it all off.

Id try removing the tank and cleaning it out, then a flush through with some sort of biocide.

I'm surprised so many on here are arguing against diluting screen wash. As long as you aren't over diluting and following the ratios as per the bottle it shouldn't cause a problem.

I generally buy the Halfords -20 concentrated screen wash and it has ratios for various temperatures. Though comparing the pre mix Vs the concentrate, both are 5L and you need the concentrate at 100% for -20, so perhaps they're just the same product lol I'll have to look into this more when I next need some.
 
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Demon said:
What are you filling it with?

Any good glycol based screen wash should be naturally biostatic..

If just water, then yeah, bacterial growth will be a potential problem.

I'd get a really good -20C winter screen wash and put that through a few times, the higher the Glycol concentration the more likely to be biocidal and remove the issue, it effectively will clean as it goes..

However, I've bought cars with washer systems so full with algae and black stinky stuff that I've had to pull the tubing off the washer jets and blast it with pressure in reverse, the amount of crap that ended up in the washer bottle was not good, and that was someone presumably just using tap water to refill it the majority of the time.
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Glycol... Screen wash. I think your confusing screen wash and coolant. Screen wash is usually ethanol or methanol based.
 
robj20 said:
Glycol... Screen wash. I think your confusing screen wash and coolant. Screen wash is usually ethanol or methanol based.
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Many winter screenwashes also contain polyhydric alcohols including ethylene glycols mixed with ethanol/methanol.


"Windscreen washes may contain up to 30% ethylene glycol."
 
Demon said:
Many winter screenwashes also contain polyhydric alcohols including ethylene glycols mixed with ethanol/methanol.


"Windscreen washes may contain up to 30% ethylene glycol."
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I couldn't find any. One of the best Autoglym doesn't have any and that will do -45c.
Can you find any?
 
Some good advice in here with reference to preventing the issue, I've had it before and tbh it was largely my own fault, kept topping off with just water and by the end the dilution ratio was probably down to homeopathic levels.... Best way I've found to deal with the issue is to drain it all out (if you spray it out, sit in the car with the windows up and the blowers off - the aerosol from manky stagnent water can contain things you really don't want to be breathing in!) fill it up with water and drop in Milton Sterilising Tablet and leave for half hour or so, drain it out again (If spraying out, probably do as before and rinise it off the bodywork with a hose afterwards just in case - it shouldnt do any harm but you never know). Fill it up with water again and flush through. Then fill up with the correct mix of screenwash/water or the ready mix stuff and give it a squirt on both front and back to make sure its all through the pipework

Edit: Sorry @Homer-Simpson just seen your post
 
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robj20 said:
I couldn't find any. One of the best Autoglym doesn't have any and that will do -45c.
Can you find any?
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Yes,

I know many screen washes contain it because we have the sds for all the bulk screenwash we buy in work, out of the 10 or so, 9 have glycol, one doesn't which is just mainly IPA, alcohol and methanol.

There are only two main formulations of screenwashes with antifreeze properties, ones mainly made from IPA, alcohol and methanol and ones with Glycol and alcohol.

The fuchs stuff I bought from our local motorfactors last winter had glycol, it was in their marketing blurb.

MAINTAIN SCREENWASH | Automotive lubricants | FUCHS LUBRICANTS (UK) PLC

All season windscreen washer fluid additive with cleaning and antifreeze properties. Suitable for use with any type of washer nozzle and polycarbonate screens. MAINTAIN SCREENWASH is a blue coloured, specially formulated, water-soluble Screenwash concentrate. Its blend of alcohol, glycol and...
www.fuchs.com www.fuchs.com
 
Demon said:
Yes,

I know many screen washes contain it because we have the sds for all the bulk screenwash we buy in work, out of the 10 or so, 9 have glycol, one doesn't which is just mainly IPA, alcohol and methanol.

There are only two main formulations of screenwashes with antifreeze properties, ones mainly made from IPA, alcohol and methanol and ones with Glycol and alcohol.

The fuchs stuff I bought from our local motorfactors last winter had glycol, it was in their marketing blurb.

MAINTAIN SCREENWASH | Automotive lubricants | FUCHS LUBRICANTS (UK) PLC

All season windscreen washer fluid additive with cleaning and antifreeze properties. Suitable for use with any type of washer nozzle and polycarbonate screens. MAINTAIN SCREENWASH is a blue coloured, specially formulated, water-soluble Screenwash concentrate. Its blend of alcohol, glycol and...
www.fuchs.com www.fuchs.com
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Would you say it's the cheaper ones that have glycol in?
 
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