Which Windscreen Washer fluid additive should I use?

[Goldfish11]

I have for many years just gone out and bought the cheapest (5 litre) container of that blue windscreen washer fluid additive from Helfords or where ever. My concern is I am sure some of this can be quite aggressive to perhaps my nice polished paint

Does anyone have any recommendations on this or is my policy of buying cheap blue stuff what everyone else does?

I bought some green stuff once that smelt nice everytime you cleaned your windscreen but it seemed to be just as good as the blue at cleaning. I also got some free Autoglym stuff that was pink but this didnt seem any better.

Anyone got any recommendations of what to buy (or NOT to buy) or is cheap blue the stuff to go for?

 

[fuzzer]

i personally use costco £2.49 for 5 litres

 

[Goldfish11]

i personally use costco £2.49 for 5 litres

I guess this is cheap and blue?

 

[fuzzer]

I guess this is cheap and blue?

correct

 

[pluggers]

Ive converted to the merc brand about £3 for 500ml I think,Works quite well IMO and doesn't smear!

 

[GrahamC230K]

I am converted to the MB stuff now. Remember to buy the red and blue bottles (the blue is the winter anti-freezing agent).

 

[Goldfish11]

What temperature does the MB stuff protect you down to? What dilution do you need?

I know some really cheap blue stuff you need to use nearly neat to protect down to -5C some others you need 20% dilution hence the silly question.

 

[Dieselman]

The Costco "cheap and blue" stuff is Holts high performance screrenwash and is actually green.

1:18 spring/summer
1:4 -6c
1:1 -16c
neat -36c

That doesn't sound like poor performance and having used both I cant tell any performance difference between that and MB screenwash.

 

[garystu1965]

Fairy Liquid - works a treat. Forms a green scum which blocks the jets. My missus has just done this on her Fiesta

 

[jeffreyli86]

why don't you people just use tap water? and maybe add some soap of some sort??

 

[Flash]

My Windscreen washer was topped up at the my A Service (pink stuff with Protec etc.).

I've got some Halfords Premium Windsreen Washer (ready mixed) and use that in the Sprinter - it seems ok. Has anyoen else used this stuff? Shoudl I add just a bit oif anti freeze to it or is is fine as it is a as described on packaging as "Ready Mixed..."?

Flash

 

[pammy]

if it's the ready diluted/mixed type you just pour it in as it is - don't add water. It should already have anti freeze in it - that's the point of it.

Fairy liquid no no no

 

[jeffreyli86]

why not? (sorry for my ignorance)

 

[Shude]

why not? (sorry for my ignorance)

Forms a green scum which blocks the jets

 

[Goldfish11]

Fairy Liquid - works a treat. Forms a green scum which blocks the jets. My missus has just done this on her Fiesta

Dont use Fairy Liquid, it may clean your glass well but it will strip any wax/protection off your paintwork which will result in premature aging and even paint system failer.

When really cleaning a car before going into a bodyshop they use Fairly Liquid to remove all the car wax etc, they then use an other wash to remove acrylic and silicone. So putting this in your washer will do the same to your roof as the washer spray floods over the car.

 

[Shude]

So putting this in your washer will do the same to your roof as the washer spray floods over the car.

If your headlamp wash shares the reserviour with the windscreen then you'd be stripping the protection off most of the front of your car!

 

[Satch]

Fairy Liquid & others of that type are aggressive but also contain a thickening agents to make it goopy and look all nice & expensive. One of these is called Sodium Chloride. So do you really want to be dousing your car in salt water?

I used the Autoglym stuff for a while but now use the Halfords concentrate in appropriate dilution to match the temperature.

Long time ago skiing in Andorra, found it was cheaper to copy the locals: buy a small bottle of concentrated screen wash only, topped with el cheapo duty free Vodka from the Supermarket! Not ideal as potentialy flammable!

But the really cheap Vodka (70 proof, 35% Ethanol) had a freezing point of -21C which was not low enough for winter mountain conditions, so people used either 80 proof (40%) which was good at -25C or 100 proof (50%) which went down to -40C.

Plus of course if you bought too much a cocktail loomed. Which cannot be said for the Halfords stuff. Hmmmm.....

 

[Flash]

if it's the ready diluted/mixed type you just pour it in as it is - don't add water. It should already have anti freeze in it - that's the point of it.

Fairy liquid no no no

Cheers Pammy - I thought the same thing too but was not sure.

Flash

 

[lil.smartie]

Halfords also do a nice apple scented one but I think that may be aimed at us females who drive Smart cars??

Kate

 

[Shude]

I put 2 pints of the halfords stuff and 8 pints of water into the reserviour last night. It seems ok, considering it's budget/cheapo stuff.