Windscreen washer fluid reservoir capacity

[stephenleak]

I'm posting this here, as I regard topping up the windscreen washer fluid reservoir as maintenance. At least M-B haven't made this a main dealer only job. Yet.

I have a 2017/W246 B200d.

When the warning message comes up, how much liquid should it take to completely fill up the reservoir?

Or, to put it another way, what's the total capacity of the reservoir and at what level does the sensor operate and the warning message appear?

Of course, feel free to tell me the figures for your completely different model. I know what usually happens on forums anyway.

 

[Wearsthefoxhat]

Hi, I have no idea how much screen wash any of our cars hold. The volume of them has never been on my find out list. I regularly mix up some MB winter or summerfit screen wash in a 5 litre container and top them all up.
You tend to get a lot of bubbles rising up the fill tube just before it is full.
The volume for it may be in the manual.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I did my wife's B class recently it took 5L. The warning light was on but the washer was still working.

 

[stephenleak]

Hi, I have no idea how much screen wash any of our cars hold. The volume of them has never been on my find out list. I regularly mix up some MB winter or summerfit screen wash in a 5 litre container and top them all up.
You tend to get a lot of bubbles rising up the fill tube just before it is full.
The volume for it may be in the manual.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for the reply.

Plan B is to wait for the warning message to appear, make up 5 litres, pour it in slowly until it overflows and measure what’s left. I may have to do this twice: our old SLK took 7 litres in total and the warning came on at 1 litre.

However, I’m cursed with an enquiring mind and wondered if there was more elegant way of finding this number.

I can’t find any mention of this in the manual. It’s as if M-B, whilst accepting that pouring a liquid from one container into another is within the capabilities of most people, assume that the average M-B owner won’t need this information, as they’ll take it to a dealer, so as not to have the hassle of buying screen wash (probably ready-to-use, the most expensive way I’ve found to buy water), figuring out how to open the bonnet (finding the safety catch on a B200 is just this side of impossible even when you know where it was last time) and, God forbid, risking getting their hands wet.

 

[stephenleak]

I did my wife's B class recently it took 5L. The warning light was on but the washer was still working.

Thanks, Useful intel'.

The warning comes on when you still have some in the reservoir. It's actually an offence to be in charge of a vehicle on the public highway with no washer fluid and not be able to clear the windscreen.

 

[stephenleak]

I've just blundered into the part of the interactive manual (locked filing cabinet. locked door, beware of the leopard sign, unlit stairs) which states that the warning sensor operates and the warning message appears when there is 1 litre left in the reservoir. However, how much it takes to fill the reservoir, whether from this level or from empty is still commercially confidential.

 

[Muckypaps]

Just less than 3 litres mine took when the light comes on.

 

[stephenleak]

Just less than 3 litres mine took when the light comes on.

Thanks. If this also applies to my B200d, then it could be useful. I knew that 2.5 litre container might come in handy one day.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

What’s your reason for finding out, or is it just out of interest? Now might be an ideal time to experiment. Use all the screen wash (until empty) and fill.

If it’s to make sure that you get the ratios right for different temperatures in winter, then unless you wait u til the warning you’ll not know how much is in there and there for ratios are always a guess.

I always use Mercedes screenwash. Summer fit is a whole (tiny) container no matter how big the tank. Winter fit ratio varies based upon temperature, but I fill 1:1, so I pour in a litre of water for every litre of winter fit. That way I don’t have to think too hard, and the ratio will still be reasonably punchy if the tank is anything other than full-ish.

 

[stephenleak]

What’s your reason for finding out, or is it just out of interest? Now might be an ideal time to experiment. Use all the screen wash (until empty) and fill.

If it’s to make sure that you get the ratios right for different temperatures in winter, then unless you wait u til the warning you’ll not know how much is in there and there for ratios are always a guess.

I always use Mercedes screenwash. Summer fit is a whole (tiny) container no matter how big the tank. Winter fit ratio varies based upon temperature, but I fill 1:1, so I pour in a litre of water for every litre of winter fit. That way I don’t have to think too hard, and the ratio will still be reasonably punchy if the tank is anything other than full-ish.

 

[stephenleak]

As I said, I'm cursed with an enquiring mind. It really does look like I'm going to have to experiment. I promise to post the results here, for the benefit of future generations.

The dilution ratios will come from the screenwash I use. They should know more about their product than M-B. The exact ratio obviously depends on the expected minimum temperatures. The quantity depends on the volume of the batch I'm mixing up, which is itself dictated by the volume of the container I'm using.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

As I said, I'm cursed with an enquiring mind. It really does look like I'm going to have to experiment. I promise to post the results here, for the benefit of future generations.

The dilution ratios will come from the screenwash I use. They should know more about their product than M-B. The exact ratio obviously depends on the expected minimum temperatures. The quantity depends on the volume of the batch I'm mixing up, which is itself dictated by the volume of the container I'm using.

Your selfless acts of experimenting and sharing the outcome will be forever cherished by those future generations you mention. This is “taking one for the team” in action.

PS Can you test 2016 and 2018 models too please because only 1.2% of members with a B-class have a 2017 model, where as there are many more with 2016 and 2018 models.

 

[stephenleak]

Your selfless acts of experimenting and sharing the outcome will be forever cherished by those future generations you mention. This is “taking one for the team” in action.

PS Can you test 2016 and 2018 models too please because only 1.2% of members with a B-class have a 2017 model, where as there are many more with 2016 and 2018 models.

Thwarting a tiny part of M-B's master plan for world domination or at least forcing us to go to their dealers for absolutely everything might have something to do with it.

Of course, the current "zombie apocalypse" means that it may take some time to use what fluid is in the reservoir. I shall resist the temptation to re-wire the pump to operate, competition style, whenever the ignition is on. Although, these days, that probably involves reprogramming the ECU.

 

[stephenleak]

Me again.

Due to the "zombie apocalypse" and not using the car anywhere near as much as we used to, it's taken a long time to use up the contents of my windscreen washer fluid reservoir.

The warning light has finally come on and the remaining contents have been used up.

As expected, it took 1 litre to switch off the warning message. It took a further 5 litres to fill up the reservoir. I could see the fluid down the filler tube.

So, for the numerically challenged, the capacity of the reservoir is 6 litres.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Me again.

Due to the "zombie apocalypse" and not using the car anywhere near as much as we used to, it's taken a long time to use up the contents of my windscreen washer fluid reservoir.

The warning light has finally come on and the remaining contents have been used up.

As expected, it took 1 litre to switch off the warning message. It took a further 5 litres to fill up the reservoir. I could see the fluid down the filler tube.

So, for the numerically challenged, the capacity of the reservoir is 6 litres.

And how about for 2016 and 2018 models? Future generations deserve to know

 

[Jibbajabba]

My 2020 e63s had the light come on today and I was able to get about 3-4L in ...

 

[JHS]

The difference between 3 and 4 litres is significant
!

 

[Delme]

My 70 plate GLA AMG 250 just warned me and took exactly 5 litres to fill.