Guys I've recently noticed that the screen wash in my car reeks, it's a definite stagnant/drains/eggs sort of smell and I assume it must be in the screen wash reservoir. I've been using the W5 (Lidl) version of the Sonax screen wash and the stuff in the bottle, although about a year old, still smells strongly of detergent and fake apples. The stink wasn't present until I replaced it most recently and I have also recently had my cambelt and water pump replaced, which necessitated a change of coolant. It's not likely there's any contamination of anything that's not supposed to be contaminated is there?

Anybody else had the same stinky problem?

Ta

Sounds like you didn't put enough concentrate in your screenwash. Take a look at this thread where people talk about the best way to flush your screenwash tank.

It can't be a concentration issue, surely. I measured the screen wash concentration as directed on the bottle.

The smell is reminiscent of stink bomb/farts/blocked drains/stagnant water. Has anybody else encountered this? It's only the first refill of screenwash since I've had the car and it didn't stink until this fill up.

I had this on my last car

I drained it, then added a small amount of bleach (Tablespoonful) to the water resevoir and filled it ..Left it overnight

Drained it again and it was back to new again

Change the pollen filter and all will be cured

This is a very common problem. Drain as much fluid out of screen wash tank as you can , Get some bleach , Tesco or Sainsbury "Thin Bleach" , not the thick bleach, Thin bleach is about 5% chlorine so dilute so its about 2% chlorine, Fill up screen wash tank and leave for a couple of hours , flush out with hose pipe , problem cured , you can use Milton bleach but it works out expensive. Changing pollen fiter will not affect the smell if it is from the screen wash tank.

Worth doing. Screenwash tanks without enough chemical in them are known to have Legionella bacteria in them.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/

When I'm out in the car with SWMBO I always blame the screenwash too, just have to remember to wash the screen at the appropriate time

Worth doing. Screenwash tanks without enough chemical in them are known to have Legionella bacteria in them.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/

Yeah, I understood that to be the case too and have always used screenwash, the guy who had the car before me musn't have bothered.

I now have a bottle of Milton - I don't know whether to mix it to the recommended dilution for sterilising babies' bottles or just add a very small drop to the washer bottle.

When I'm out in the car with SWMBO I always blame the screenwash too, just have to remember to wash the screen at the appropriate time

No dog to blame

I bought some screenwash concentrate in Germany last winter, effective down to minus 60 and lemon scented according to the label,1ltr cost me 9 euros from a Shell station.

The smell from this stuff almost made me vomit every time I washed the screen, it smells nothing like lemons. I noticed the same stuff for sale in Lidl recently, and although much cheaper I would not go near it.

Amazed that someone uses their washers so infrequently. Do you live in a desert region? I top up my washers frequently.

And yes, the Lidl stuff smells entirely dissimilar to lemons but it does not freeze and is affordable. Hold your breath for a few seconds.

Edited 29 November, 201114 yr by gregoir

I only tend to top up my washer bottle two or three times a year, I cover approx 25,000 miles and have the headlight washers too...

Just fitted fan jet washer nozels to the MX5 so had to drain the reservoir as it had the kind of washer fluid in it that crystallises. There was all sorts of carp in the bottom of the reservoir and the smell was truly rank! Fortunately you can take the reservoir out of the MX5, so it went in the dishwasher at 60C while she was at work Did run a cleaning cycle through afterwards to make sure there was no evidence

On another note, I'd also check the pollen filter as the last time I had a "pong" that bad in the Octy it turned out to be that! You can also get some vile smells from bacteria living in the aircon system, especially if you don't use it much in the colder months. You can buy stuff over the counter to kill it, but it's a kind of liquid vapour in an aerosol can and it can make a bit of a wet mess in the car! When SWMBO had her Fabia, she didn't use the aircon at all in winter & the smell wasn't good when you put it on on the first hot day!!! I used to take it to a local guy who had the proper stuff to do it, without the wet mess. £20 a time, but wouldn't have been an issue if I could have persuaded her that aircon isn't just for hot days!!!

I only tend to top up my washer bottle two or three times a year, I cover approx 25,000 miles and have the headlight washers too...

Same here but I tend to leave the lights on auto so the headlight washers don't do anything, silly design IMO.

My headlights are usually on "auto" and my washers work fine. They only work when the headlights are on, and activate the first time you wash the screen; then every 5th time.

How do you drain the screenwash then??

I only tend to top up my washer bottle two or three times a year, I cover approx 25,000 miles and have the headlight washers too...

So are you saying that your screen never gets obscured/ grubby? I always use my washers, daily usually, if it is not raining and I need to clean the various 'fall outs' on the screen. And yes I've got headlight washers.

York must be a nice clean place to live.

Just topped my washers up today- got through 2l of fluid in a typical week- hence my puzzlement.

Edited 1 December, 201114 yr by gregoir

I don't use mine everyday, it takes roughly 4 weeks to empty the tank (5l I think). Used 20ml Milton to 5l water, drained it on the way to work and stink appears to have gone. Winner!

I don't use mine everyday, it takes roughly 4 weeks to empty the tank (5l I think). Used 20ml Milton to 5l water, drained it on the way to work and stink appears to have gone. Winner!

OK I got the wrong end of the stick- I thought the stuff in your washer bottle was a year old rather than the concentrate.I do not think that washer concentrate will go off with the high concentration of alcohol.

Washed screen three times going home yesterday. Salty spray from following a truck soon built up a white deposit on the screen.