You can make your own as cheaply as buying the ready made:

4 liter water - demineralized, distilled or condensate from the clothes dryer is preferable.

1 liter ethanol or isopropanol or mixture of the two.

1 spoonful of dishwashing liquid.

1 spoonful household ammonia

1 teaspoonful of acetic or citric acid or a bit more vinegar -and it does not need to be balsamico either.

OK to - 10°C.

Only 3 liters of water in the mix is OK to -15°C.

Only 2 liters f water is OK to - 30°C

Alternate is just adding ethanol to the pre-mixed, non freeze protected commercial stuff.

The ammonia can be omitted if you don't like the smell. Do not increase the detergent, or you will get a streaky mess.

You can make your own as cheaply as buying the ready made:

4 liter water - demineralized, distilled or condensate from the clothes dryer is preferable.

1 liter ethanol or isopropanol or mixture of the two.

1 spoonful of dishwashing liquid.

1 spoonful household ammonia

1 teaspoonful of acetic or citric acid or a bit more vinegar -and it does not need to be balsamico either.

OK to - 10°C.

Only 3 liters of water in the mix is OK to -15°C.

Only 2 liters f water is OK to - 30°C

Alternate is just adding ethanol to the pre-mixed, non freeze protected commercial stuff.

The ammonia can be omitted if you don't like the smell. Do not increase the detergent, or you will get a streaky mess.

Are you auditioning for a place on the next series of 'Masterchef'?

I don't know if Paul Hollywood or Mary Berry would be happy with that mix. Fine for Heston, not for the traditionalists.

Or just got to your dealer..job done

Hmm, is it really worth the trouble? Trip to Halfords seems slightly easier :yes:

Ii use Skoda /VW genuine stuff.

Having had to have the whole of the rear of my previous Octavia taken to bits at a cost of £175 or thereabouts because of blocked hoses & jets because non VW stuff was used before, I'm not risking it.

It's rated to -40 so it might cope with Croydon in the winter :lol:

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1 liter ethanol or isopropanol or mixture of the two.

I'm sure your recipe makes good sense in Denmark. In the paranoid and safety-mad UK, however, many places will treat you as if you were a terrorist if you ask for ethanol or isopropyl alcohol; and if you do find somewhere that will let you have it, you may well end up paying more for a litre of it than for 5 litres of anti-freeze screenwash.

That's my experience, anyway, as one who buys isopropanol from time to time. I use it as a glass cleaner, at which it is vastly more effective than the branded stuff on sale in the supermarkets. But it is effectively a bomb, so the supermarkets won't stock it in case idiots buy it.

many places will treat you as if you were a terrorist if you ask for ethanol or isopropyl alcohol;

... or an alcoholic, hic

I Don't want MI6 smashing my front door in at 3.17am :no:

I'll stick with Halfords screenwash. I used it last year and had no problems at all.

Skoda say you MUST but their own product or risk damaging your vehicle is just scare tactics as they want more of your money.

The VAG fluid , which I buy in multi-packs via TPS, is very good and works out as reasonable as 'proprietary' brands. That and my heated screen will be a big help this winter. Winter tyres next week I think?

I Don't want MI6 smashing my front door in at 3.17am :no:

I'll stick with Halfords screenwash. I used it last year and had no problems at all.

Skoda say you MUST but their own product or risk damaging your vehicle is just scare tactics as they want more of your money.

re-read my post no. 6 above . Not scare tactics (or tic tacs) My wallet was made much lighter due to not using their stuff........

Just seen ASDA concentrate washer liquid (used neat) which is OK down to minus-5 degrees below freezing, which I think is not low enough by far.??

I think I'll have a word at my local garage along these lines.

LidL's Finest Screen wash.

LidL's Finest Screen wash.

Yeah, somebody recommended that last winter. Concentrated stuff, tiny little bottle lasts forever. I'v had no trouble with it.

re-read my post no. 6 above . Not scare tactics (or tic tacs) My wallet was made much lighter due to not using their stuff........

I think this is probably an issue for those parts of the country where there is hard water, I have been using everything but VAG screenwash for the last twenty years without issue, but then I've never even seen limescale and the like.

I would use the VAG stuff, as per Rockhopper I had problems with my X5 washer system on the headlights. I always used just water preferring not to cover my car with washer fluid as the jets for the lights were really powerful however I eventually noticed that one wasn't working very well and had developed a blockage. Consulted dealer who informed me that if I wasn't using BMW fluid it would not be covered under warranty due to BMW fluid containig an additive to prevent build up in the very fine nozzle (this is a very very common fault). Lesson learned, I stripped the washer system down myself and removed the tank, cleaned and blew the system through with an air-line, problem solved.

I for one will now always use the BMW or VAG fluid. The BMW fluid is very reasonable on Ebay.

I think this is probably an issue for those parts of the country where there is hard water, I have been using everything but VAG screenwash for the last twenty years without issue, but then I've never even seen limescale and the like.

I agree with this. I live in a nice soft water area and have never had a problem despite using anything but a branded screenwash.

The Lidl concentrate, what I have used for a few years now, is actually meant to be okay with fan jets, I emailed them last year and they confirmed it is okay. Of course they could have just made that up, someone sat bored in an office answering a stupid question........

Clearly this could be another supermarket fuel v premium fuel debate. You pay your money, you make your choice. No one is right or wrong.

Always used motor factors own brand 5 litre blue stuff, just add water.

I never had any issues in 8 years of driving. Dad's never had any problems with it. Ever.

I agree with this. I live in a nice soft water area and have never had a problem despite using anything but a branded screenwash.

The Lidl concentrate, what I have used for a few years now, is actually meant to be okay with fan jets, I emailed them last year and they confirmed it is okay. Of course they could have just made that up, someone sat bored in an office answering a stupid question........

Clearly this could be another supermarket fuel v premium fuel debate. You pay your money, you make your choice. No one is right or wrong.

I know what you are saying however I live in an area that has the softest water in the UK, 0-100mg/l calcium carbonate, so that arguement doesn't stack up. The BMW dealer was also in this area and they were all too familiar with the issue. The problem is not with the windscreen washer jets but the headlight jets as they are much finer to provide better cleaning, they don't have a wiper!

To add to this the water I was using was also through a twin cartridge filter, carbon and sediment but over a period of time a build up still occured. £3 for the BMW washer fluid is a small price to pay believe me.

Fair point and £3 is hardly a rip off.

Since I do have Xenons and thus headlight washer jets I just ordered two bottles of the VAg stuff from eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180738235158

£3,40 plus postage and just under a tenner for two delivered. Can't go wrong with prices like that.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Intensive-Screenwash-Part-No-B83-12-0-410-744-/180723423762?pt=UK_Car_Parts_Vehicles_Automob

It's pretty good stuff in fairness however I notice they are now charging £1.50 postage so its £4.50.

The Lidl concentrate, what I have used for a few years now, is actually meant to be okay with fan jets, I emailed them last year and they confirmed it is okay. Of course they could have just made that up, someone sat bored in an office answering a stupid question........

It states on the Container safe for use with Fan Jets.

I've just bought 10Lts of the stuff, Screenwash not Fan Jets

I know what you are saying however I live in an area that has the softest water in the UK, 0-100mg/l calcium carbonate, so that arguement doesn't stack up. The BMW dealer was also in this area and they were all too familiar with the issue. The problem is not with the windscreen washer jets but the headlight jets as they are much finer to provide better cleaning, they don't have a wiper!

To add to this the water I was using was also through a twin cartridge filter, carbon and sediment but over a period of time a build up still occured. £3 for the BMW washer fluid is a small price to pay believe me.

hmm build up of what exactly? I have had headlight washers on my last 5 Skodas and never had any sort of problem at all. I'm genuinely intrigued as to what on earth could cause such problems, and what on earth VAG put in their screenwash that they claim counteracts this mysterious contaminant. :wonder:

hmm build up of what exactly? I have had headlight washers on my last 5 Skodas and never had any sort of problem at all. I'm genuinely intrigued as to what on earth could cause such problems, and what on earth VAG put in their screenwash that they claim counteracts this mysterious contaminant. :wonder:

Nothing mysterious about it, I'm not sure what additive VAG put in their screenwash however BMW put a de-scaling agent and also a cleaning additive particular to the jets. If anyone has used a de-scaling agent on a coffee machine or similar they will appreciate how effective this is.

also

If you do not have the correct amount of screen wash in your headlight washer system your headlight washer jets may not retract, and you may lose your covers and jets.

The reason these jets may not retract is because the concentration level of fluid in the washer system is too weak for the ambient temperature.

The fluid in the pipe freezes but as there is a greater mass of fluid in the washer reservoir this may remain liquid. The pump runs and pushes the ice through the pipe causing the jets to become displaced.

This is therefore not a Warranty matter as correct concentration levels will prevent this.

Don’t get caught out this winter for headlight washer jets pumps and painted covers. The cost to replace all of this on a 3 Series is in excess of £395.00

From BMW.:no:

I should add, I'm not making this up, Google it, its a big problem for just about every make not just BMW, Merc and VW. If you've not suffered it, its more down to good luck than anything else but for £4 odd I'd call it foolish

Edited 26 October, 201114 yr by servicepoint