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Class-1
Guest
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 Posted:
Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:13 am Post subject:
Factory prep question -> window wash liquid |
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The weather's now starting to get icy, so it's time to fill up with
antifreeze liquid (usual glycol solution) for the window washing
system.
Thing is, the reservoir's still almost full of the washing liquid they
put in in the factory (car's only 6 weeks old). I don't want to have
the lines freezing and splitting.
Question: Do they put in anti-freeze wash liquid at the factory, or
just plain water (cheaper)? If it's the former, I'll just wait until
the reservoir's empty before filling up with glycol.
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Jan Kalin
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:43 pm Post subject:
Re: Factory prep question -> window wash liquid |
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In article <CradnWfp2c-f8hneRVn-tw@adelphia.com>, Malt_Hound wrote:
| Quote: | Class-1 wrote:
The weather's now starting to get icy, so it's time to fill up with
antifreeze liquid (usual glycol solution) for the window washing
system.
Thing is, the reservoir's still almost full of the washing liquid they
put in in the factory (car's only 6 weeks old). I don't want to have
the lines freezing and splitting.
Question: Do they put in anti-freeze wash liquid at the factory, or
just plain water (cheaper)? If it's the former, I'll just wait until
the reservoir's empty before filling up with glycol.
I don't know anyone that puts plain water in there ever. It's got
antifreeze in it. But it's not glycol. That would make a mess on the
windshield.
|
You're joking, right? Why would anyone put antifreeze and not just
detergent into the windshield water unless the temperatures are below 0?
Especially considering the fact that alcohols (methanol, ethanol,
isopropyl alcohol, sometimes also glycol) in antifreeze degrade and harden
the rubber in the windshield wipers.
It makes sense to have antifreeze as an engine coolant, but that's because
the glycol not only lowers the freezing point but also raises the
boling point. But in windshield washing liquid?
--
/"\ Jan Kalin (male, preferred languages: Slovene, English)
\ / http://charm.zag.si/eng/, email: "name dot surname AT zag dot si"
X ASCII ribbon campaign against HTML in mail and postings.
/ \ I'm a .signature virus. Copy me to help me spread. |
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Dave Plowman (News)
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 23, 2005 5:11 pm Post subject:
Re: Factory prep question -> window wash liquid |
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In article <1132731457.485380.182450@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
Class-1 <Class1@fastmail.fm> wrote:
| Quote: | If it's the former, I'll just wait until
the reservoir's empty before filling up with glycol.
|
Doesn't glycol damage paint? The antifreeze in screenwash is something
else?
--
*There are two kinds of pedestrians... the quick and the dead.
Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
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Malt_Hound
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 23, 2005 7:30 pm Post subject:
Re: Factory prep question -> window wash liquid |
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Class-1 wrote:
| Quote: | The weather's now starting to get icy, so it's time to fill up with
antifreeze liquid (usual glycol solution) for the window washing
system.
Thing is, the reservoir's still almost full of the washing liquid they
put in in the factory (car's only 6 weeks old). I don't want to have
the lines freezing and splitting.
Question: Do they put in anti-freeze wash liquid at the factory, or
just plain water (cheaper)? If it's the former, I'll just wait until
the reservoir's empty before filling up with glycol.
|
I don't know anyone that puts plain water in there ever. It's got
antifreeze in it. But it's not glycol. That would make a mess on the
windshield.
--
-Fred W |
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Floyd Rogers
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 23, 2005 10:12 pm Post subject:
Re: Factory prep question -> window wash liquid |
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"Jan Kalin" <nobody@noknown.domain> wrote
| Quote: | Malt_Hound wrote:
Class-1 wrote:
Question: Do they put in anti-freeze wash liquid at the factory, or
just plain water (cheaper)? If it's the former, I'll just wait until
the reservoir's empty before filling up with glycol.
I don't know anyone that puts plain water in there ever. It's got
antifreeze in it. But it's not glycol. That would make a mess on the
windshield.
You're joking, right? Why would anyone put antifreeze and not just
detergent into the windshield water unless the temperatures are below 0?
Especially considering the fact that alcohols (methanol, ethanol,
isopropyl alcohol, sometimes also glycol) in antifreeze degrade and harden
the rubber in the windshield wipers.
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The 20/10 winter formula cleaner I have in my garage has methanol in it.
I would not use ethylene glycol. I always replace my wipers in the spring,
because they're crap by then after a winter of ice/show/road grit/etc.
FloydR |
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Dori A Schmetterling
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 23, 2005 11:26 pm Post subject:
Re: Factory prep question -> window wash liquid |
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Because I think that is what they do.
DAS
For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
---
"Jan Kalin" <nobody@noknown.domain> wrote in message
news:slrndo908g.nfn58.nobody@oxy.zag.si...
[...]
| Quote: | You're joking, right? Why would anyone put antifreeze and not just
detergent into the windshield water unless the temperatures are below 0?
[...] |
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Malt_Hound
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Nov 24, 2005 3:27 am Post subject:
Re: Factory prep question -> window wash liquid |
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Jan Kalin wrote:
| Quote: |
You're joking, right? Why would anyone put antifreeze and not just
detergent into the windshield water unless the temperatures are below 0?
Especially considering the fact that alcohols (methanol, ethanol,
isopropyl alcohol, sometimes also glycol) in antifreeze degrade and harden
the rubber in the windshield wipers.
It makes sense to have antifreeze as an engine coolant, but that's because
the glycol not only lowers the freezing point but also raises the
boling point. But in windshield washing liquid?
|
No, I'm not joking at all. Do you drain and fill your washer system
each fall and spring? I know nobody (and I mean absolutely nobody) that
uses anything but the regular inexpensive washer fluid in a gallon
bottle that has both cleaner and antifreeze in the solution. Why make
life more complicated than it has to be?
Detergent? I don't think so... unless you mean in a generic additive
way. Adding detergent to the washer bottle would be a ghreat way to
strip the wax off the car's finish.
As far as the wiper blades, they are usually long gone before the small
amount of alcohol has any effect on them.
--
-Fred W |
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Class-1
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:14 am Post subject:
Re: Factory prep question -> window wash liquid |
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Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
| Quote: | In article <1132731457.485380.182450@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
Class-1 <Class1@fastmail.fm> wrote:
If it's the former, I'll just wait until
the reservoir's empty before filling up with glycol.
Doesn't glycol damage paint? The antifreeze in screenwash is something
else?
|
Now that you mention it, I don't know if it's glycol - I assumed it is
from memory.
In any case, it's a standard ready-to-pour alcohol-based washing
solution that I pick up at my local "brand name" gas station.
Been using this brand over the last two winters on my previous E46, and
had no ill effects + I always get new wiper blades in spring anyway.
I was fortunate that they stock it, as it doesn't smell as offensively
as some of the cheaper mixtures they sell at places like supermarkets.
No doubt there might be all kinds of nasty stuff in there that you
don't want in/on your BMW.
BTW - Some of you use methanol mixtures? Isn't that a touch too
flammable to be spraying around a hot engine - especially if you have
headlamp washers?? |
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Jan Kalin
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Nov 24, 2005 11:25 am Post subject:
Re: Factory prep question -> window wash liquid |
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In article <TbidndFVTaBTQxnenZ2dnUVZ_sqdnZ2d@adelphia.com>, Malt_Hound wrote:
| Quote: | Jan Kalin wrote:
You're joking, right? Why would anyone put antifreeze and not just
detergent into the windshield water unless the temperatures are below 0?
Especially considering the fact that alcohols (methanol, ethanol,
isopropyl alcohol, sometimes also glycol) in antifreeze degrade and harden
the rubber in the windshield wipers.
It makes sense to have antifreeze as an engine coolant, but that's because
the glycol not only lowers the freezing point but also raises the
boling point. But in windshield washing liquid?
No, I'm not joking at all. Do you drain and fill your washer system
each fall and spring? I know nobody (and I mean absolutely nobody) that
uses anything but the regular inexpensive washer fluid in a gallon
bottle that has both cleaner and antifreeze in the solution. Why make
life more complicated than it has to be?
|
Apparenty I use inordinate ammounts of water to clean my windshield. But I
can't stand dirty windshield, so I frequently wash it. I go through a 3.2l
reservior in a few weeks. The system doesn't need to be drained, I just
wait until the temperatures threaten to drop below freezing and then top
up the reservior with antifreeze, e.g.,
http://www.sonax.com/sonax-e/katalog_product.php?show_cat=15&show_product=332509
From then on until the end of winter I use a 1:1 mixture of antifreeze
(useful down to -38C) and water (it's almost never belov -20C here). In
spring I simply wait until temperatures are above freezing and then use a
mixture of additive (see below) and water.
The reason? Perhaps silly, considering all the other junk that a car puts
out into the atmosphere, but I try not to pollute the environment more
than is necessary, i.e., I don't use alcohol and antifreeze in the summer,
when they're not needed. Also I find that water with the summer cleaning
additive simply works better than antifreeze and water.
| Quote: | Detergent? I don't think so... unless you mean in a generic additive
way. Adding detergent to the washer bottle would be a ghreat way to
strip the wax off the car's finish.
|
Yes, I meant something like SONAX cleaning additive, e.g.,
http://www.sonax.com/sonax-e/katalog_product.php?show_cat=8&show_product=271141
| Quote: | As far as the wiper blades, they are usually long gone before the small
amount of alcohol has any effect on them.
|
But they do tend to go out a bit faster in the winter. I'm *am* aware that
there are factors afecting the degradation and the alcohol is probably a
very small part of it.
--
/"\ Jan Kalin (male, preferred languages: Slovene, English)
\ / http://charm.zag.si/eng/, email: "name dot surname AT zag dot si"
X ASCII ribbon campaign against HTML in mail and postings.
/ \ I'm a .signature virus. Copy me to help me spread. |
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Floyd Rogers
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:28 pm Post subject:
Re: Factory prep question -> window wash liquid |
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"Class-1" <Class1@fastmail.fm> wrote
| Quote: | In any case, it's a standard ready-to-pour alcohol-based washing
solution that I pick up at my local "brand name" gas station.
...
BTW - Some of you use methanol mixtures? Isn't that a touch too
flammable to be spraying around a hot engine - especially if you have
headlamp washers??
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Methanol is no more flammable than alcohol. And since they're
both used in low concentrations in an aqueous solution in window
cleaner, they won't burn anyway.
FloydR |
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Roger Matthews
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Nov 24, 2005 10:23 pm Post subject:
Re: Factory prep question -> window wash liquid |
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"Floyd Rogers" <fbloogyudsr@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:11obn1g9hdbk2d4@corp.supernews.com...
| Quote: | "Class-1" <Class1@fastmail.fm> wrote
In any case, it's a standard ready-to-pour alcohol-based washing
solution that I pick up at my local "brand name" gas station.
...
BTW - Some of you use methanol mixtures? Isn't that a touch too
flammable to be spraying around a hot engine - especially if you have
headlamp washers??
Methanol is no more flammable than alcohol....<snip
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To be a pedant methanol is alcohol! As is ethanol etc!
Roger |
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