Hi

Our Octy 4x4 now is coming up to 5000km on the clock in 7wks. In fact it will be over 6000km by wed. Octy running great !! We have only screen and rear window to keep clean, but we are using 3lts diluted ( - 30 ) wash per 1000km motorway trips. To understand that, like many others on this forum, we have to wash the car outside almost every day, even if that is just by using a bucket and sponge over the number plates and doors. The water washing is not the real issue, its the screen wash, its costing min 1 pound sterling a liter ( vag stuff haven't found yet in any garage) that's a average extra 9 pounds sterling a month, is that normal in winter ?? the amount used I mean, not so the price, as cost may differ from country to country. Is there some tricks to cut down the amount ???,:confused: told wife not to use at stops, as liquid goes over the roof most of it anyway. Thank you .

There is mention in the UK owners handbook of using water/methyl alcohol (methylated spirits) mixture for srceen wash.

I think the concentration was 15% meths by volume, but I would check.

The downside (remembering your pics of the snow) is this is only suitable to -5C. I think the purpose made stuff has some glycol in as antifreeze.

TBH if you put 2 bottles of screenwash to 3 bottles of water in the 5L tank that should be plenty good enough for a UK winter.

If you can get it SONAX winter screen wash quite clearly states on the front of the bottle "Fan Jet safe".

It looks and smells like the VAG stuff too.

Do avoid the sonax 100:1 lemon wash (and only the lemon one) as I found this contains salt of all things according to the ingredients on the bottle.

Thanks to both of you for your interest, its really the amount of liquid used, diluted or not, 3 ltrs every day trip of 1000km. ours only holds 3 lts as no lights get washed. That means a complete fill up last night, and tonight when wife comes home. In the last 7 day period we have to do 3000+km and that's 9 lts of liquid, !!! Is it the new wash system that's doing it ??

Where abouts are you?

I do fairly high milaeage and don't get through anything like that amount.

It might be worth trying to get hold of some aquapel for the front screen as this is a rain-x type treatment which i also find stops the dirty water sticking so much.

To be honest you can probably fit a 5L tank to it as per the furby but it would be a case of finding out how. That would then reduce your need for fill up.

HTH

Balkans, wet snow ice - temps. Wife is at this moment returning from Belgrade to Zagreb, 4.5 hrs each way left this morning, meetings then returns. This week is 3 trips of the same. Now its fog so she tells me. Even other Octy uses same amount, that's also 3 ltr tank. Thank you.

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Octy 2, 1.9 TDI PD Ambiant 4x4 Estate and Nissan Sunny 2.0 DLX, Company Octy 1.9 TDI Tor Estate.

Also cheezemonkhai we go to Vienna once to twice a month, that also is 1000km round trip, HR to SLO, to Austria, snow, sleet, rain. Last time I went it rained for over 24hrs really hard stuff, wipers never stopped, and of course we nearly always have two drivers. That trip took 6hrs just for the return section.

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Octy 2, 1.9 TDI PD Ambiant 4x4 Estate and Nissan Sunny 2.0 DLX, Company Octy 1.9 TDI Tor Estate.

I think your only option is to look at fitting the 5L tank into the car.

This will at least allow you to complete a journey without running out of wash.

Hi cheezemonkhai

Well checked washers today after yesterdays 1000km trip, and guess what ? only used 1lt instead of 3 !!!. Wife said she was more careful, never using washers when stopped, hence liquid never went over the top of the car !!! Off again tomorrow so will check again on her return. Thank you for your ideas on this subject.

I found I was using a lot when i first got a skoda, but I don't have the same issue now

Hi, i think as you have just proved it is very much down to driving style, yes it is very easy to be using the washers most of the time.

If you don't use them when you approach a truck or bus, just wipe them, then wash if really needed when you are past them, a large vehicle will spay your windscreen all the time, but if you wipe it immediately (before it has chance to dry) normally that is enough.

Another thing is if you have the air con on (to dry the damp air out, so prevent the windscreen from misting up) you can turn the heat away from the windscreen a bit, preventing the spray drying so quick.

Finally where possible pass a large vehicle in the 3rd lane (when there is one) to reduce the spray even more.