Bmw Windscreen wash

tom_tarbucket · 25-04-2014 12:20am #1

I have a 2006 Beemer. I noticed the window was streaking when I used the front wipers. So I thoroughly cleaned the interior window and the exterior window, including lifting up wipers and cleaning under where they rest at bottom of windscreen.

Also took the wipers off and cleaned the blades with a damp cloth. To no avail. Streaking continued.

So I decided to buy new wiper blades and installed them tonight, thing is the old ones were not in too bad condition.

Now after having installed the new wiper blades, ( I haven't used the wipers yet so haven't verified streaking is still an issue ) , I'm thinking maybe it's not the wipers at all and maybe it's the washer fluid.

I've read up and I know there is bmw washer fluid, sounds like the older one was a clear colour and the newer one is a blue colour. I've also read that mixing the bmw washer fluid with a non bmw washer fluid can cause issues, thickens it, causes clogging etc.

Thing is I don't know if the fluid in there at the moment is bmw or just standard stuff. Any way of knowing this ?

Any advice on what washer fluid to use going forward

Sorry for long rambling post.

Noccy_Mondy · 25-04-2014 12:42am

I just use water...... no problems then!

Toyotafanboi · 25-04-2014 1:02am

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

I just use water...... no problems then!

until the winter when the freeze-thaw action cracks a fixing or ruins the blades on your impeller pump :pac:

i highly doubt the screen wash solution is the root of your problem OP. what did you clean the glass with? some things i have found can make it worse, not better. also, cheap aero style wiper blades particularly (or any cheap blade in general) can also be really really **** for causing smears. a good brand name blade like bosch is a must.

Noccy_Mondy · 25-04-2014 1:05am

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

until the winter when the freeze-thaw action cracks a fixing or ruins the blades on your impeller pump :pac:

Either you are wise or I am stupid, good sir :pac: Hasn't happened up until now, probably pushing my luck at this stage! Better luck into something different.

tom_tarbucket · 25-04-2014 1:12am

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

until the winter when the freeze-thaw action cracks a fixing or ruins the blades on your impeller pump :pac:

i highly doubt the screen wash solution is the root of your problem OP. what did you clean the glass with? some things i have found can make it worse, not better. also, cheap aero style wiper blades particularly (or any cheap blade in general) can also be really really **** for causing smears. a good brand name blade like bosch is a must.

Thanks.

I am probably going to get given out to for this ........but I used mr muscle window cleaner and a damp cloth to clean the glass.

But then I was thinking could the mr muscle stuff damage the water jets if it leaked in to them.

biko · 25-04-2014 1:16am

That should work fine. Use something with a lot of vinegar in it, or add some. it'll clear the streaks better.

Toyotafanboi · 25-04-2014 1:21am

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Either you are wise or I am stupid, good sir :pac: Hasn't happened up until now, probably pushing my luck at this stage! Better luck into something different.

i mainly just use water too, or a very weak concentration of screen wash. like yourself, i've been lucky, but you do hear of washer bottles cracking and pumps failing and stuff so it does happen.

a small drop of vodka is a handy if expensive way to stop the water from freezing i believe

visual · 25-04-2014 3:24am

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

, cheap aero style wiper blades particularly (or any cheap blade in general) can also be really really **** for causing smears. a good brand name blade like bosch is a must.

I thought that too but having just put bosch blades on my BMW Im disappointed with there performance and noise. Wasn't expecting that with them being so expensive.

ebay aero are far better and a lot cheaper.

Holts windscreen wash is good but I just buy the big bottle of what ever halfords selling and diluted it myself.

BMW glass and rubber wipers are no different to all the other cars out there. So any fluid should be good just dont use washing up liquid or you'll have a squeaky clean wipe.

The streaks on glass are either the blade not having uniform contact with glass or glass is contaminated with oil, grease or insects remains.

tom_tarbucket · 25-04-2014 11:45am

visual wrote: »

I thought that too but having just put bosch blades on my BMW Im disappointed with there performance and noise. Wasn't expecting that with them being so expensive.

ebay aero are far better and a lot cheaper.

Holts windscreen wash is good but I just buy the big bottle of what ever halfords selling and diluted it myself.

BMW glass and rubber wipers are no different to all the other cars out there. So any fluid should be good just dont use washing up liquid or you'll have a squeaky clean wipe.

The streaks on glass are either the blade not having uniform contact with glass or glass is contaminated with oil, grease or insects remains.

good input.

These are the wipers I bought

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/24-23-BMW-5-series-E60-E61-2003-Specific-Wiper-Blades-Exclusive-Quality-/121114085626?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1c32f648fa

Im probably going to be told they are too cheap and sh1t

jimgoose · 25-04-2014 11:50am

I use Halfords Advanced berry-scented screenwash. Lovely tack. :cool:

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Either you are wise or I am stupid, good sir :pac: Hasn't happened up until now, probably pushing my luck at this stage! Better luck into something different.

I was a tap-water client as well until a few years back, when the 10A fuse for the washer-pump started blowing like clockwork every morning during the Winter.

Eric Cartman · 25-04-2014 12:20pm

jimgoose wrote: »

I use Halfords Advanced berry-scented screenwash. Lovely tack. :cool:

I was a tap-water client as well until a few years back, when the 10A fuse for the washer-pump started blowing like clockwork every morning during the Winter.

i filled up my e38's washer bottle with water just to make the OBC message about it go away in January, left it out one night , it froze and now the washer bottle is cracked and dumps water pours out if you fill it even a little over the 'low washer fluid' warning, its a 15 year old car but still, these things can happen.

tom_tarbucket · 25-04-2014 12:22pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

i filled up my e38's washer bottle with water just to make the OBC message about it go away in January, left it out one night , it froze and now the washer bottle is cracked and dumps water pours out if you fill it even a little over the 'low washer fluid' warning, its a 15 year old car but still, these things can happen.

Can you recommend a screen wash ?

jimgoose · 25-04-2014 12:23pm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

i filled up my e38's washer bottle with water just to make the OBC message about it go away in January, left it out one night , it froze and now the washer bottle is cracked and dumps water pours out if you fill it even a little over the 'low washer fluid' warning, its a 15 year old car but still, these things can happen.

Ugh. What a pain in the arse.

bazz26 · 25-04-2014 12:38pm

From experience the best wiper blades are OEM ones, yes they tend to be made by Bosch or someone similar but some how they are superior with no streaking or noise. Not cheap from main dealers mind you but after pissing around with other inferior makes they are worth the extra money. My current VW is the same, replaced them with OEM back in February and they work perfectly and quietly.

Eric Cartman · 25-04-2014 12:42pm

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Can you recommend a screen wash ?

something with decent anti freeze properties and decent cleaning ability, my e38 has the intensive clean package so it has 2 washer tanks, for the main tank (and for my d-max) i use that holtz stuff you get in applegreen garages, its bright green so you cant miss it , works a treat but im sure theres better washer fluid, the one thing ive learned though is that pre mixed stuff you get in either halfords or tesco is complete crap.

then in the smaller 'cleaner' tank in the e38 i put in a bottle of w5 car glass cleaner from lidl and ive found it works wonders.

tom_tarbucket · 25-04-2014 12:57pm

Is it also an idea to use cool boiled water to top up the water, i.e un boiled water may have lime scale etc

or am I just being pedantic now

Eric Cartman · 25-04-2014 1:01pm

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Is it also an idea to use cool boiled water to top up the water, i.e un boiled water may have lime scale etc

or am I just being pedantic now

most screenwash has anti-corrosives or vinegar in it to stop the lime being an issue, also chances are the worst its going to is clog your washer jets over a long period of time and then you just dump a bottle of vinegar and hot water in the tank to clear that all up and away you go.

_Kaiser_ · 25-04-2014 2:46pm

I just pour in a bit of screenwash (either the big bottles or the small one-use ones they sell in garages if I run out mid-trip) and top up with regular water

Never had any problems myself.

tom_tarbucket · 26-04-2014 1:15am

Couple of votes for the holts screenwash, I might try that.

Think it's this one :

http://www.woodiesdiy.com/mobile/Product/Holts-One-Shot-Screenwash-75ml/5159/4.17

rovoagho · 26-04-2014 9:54am

visual wrote: »

I thought that too but having just put bosch blades on my BMW Im disappointed with there performance and noise.

Where did you get them from? Are they genuine and the correct fitting? BMW OEM blades /are/ Bosch, and they're widely acknowledged by enthusiasts to be the best. They're not that expensive from dealers. I've fitted OEM blades to an E34, an E38 and an E39 and they've been great on all three.

On screenwash, I buy these single-shot bottles by the case from Musgraves, they're great tack and there's no pissing about with massive bottles or dilution.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AEMUNX8

visual · 26-04-2014 2:32pm

rovoagho wrote: »

Where did you get them from? Are they genuine and the correct fitting? BMW OEM blades /are/ Bosch, and they're widely acknowledged by enthusiasts to be the best. They're not that expensive from dealers. I've fitted OEM blades to an E34, an E38 and an E39 and they've been great on all three.

On screenwash, I buy these single-shot bottles by the case from Musgraves, they're great tack and there's no pissing about with massive bottles or dilution.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AEMUNX8

Bosch blades bought in halfords
of course they are genuine bosch with trade mark included. Are you saying bosch make a special blade just for BMW dealers.

rovoagho · 26-04-2014 2:38pm

Nope, I'm saying Bosch make the blades for BMW. I've no idea whether they differ from the retail packs or not.

Mycroft H · 26-04-2014 2:49pm

Soapy water works for me.

Johnny Utah · 26-04-2014 3:24pm

I use the big 5 litre bottle of windscreen cleaner available in Halfords. I use the blue bottle as it's slightly better value. I've used this particular winscreen cleaner for years without issue; even during the very cold winters we had a few years ago and the liquid never froze, which is important.

Don't use water on its own as stagnant water could pose a health risk and if it freezes during a cold night, it could crack the washer fluid bottle.

Also, make sure that your winscreen is perfectly clean. Every few weeks, I will clean the exterior and interior windows with a good quality window cleaner and using streak-free microfibre cloths. These cloths by Turtle Wax are quite good and are specifically designed for cleaning glass:

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_248620_langId_-1_categoryId_212444

Then, I will follow up with Autoglym Glass Polish for a perfect finish:

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_172001_langId_-1_categoryId_212511

If you are still having streaking on your windscreen, then it can only be either:
(a) the wiper blades are worn or else not sitting right on the windscreen; or
(b) the windscreen washer fluid is contaminated.

I find that the older style wiper blades do not sit correctly on some types of windscreens. In my own car, for example, if I use the traditional wiper blade, then the passenger blade never seems to fully press against the windscreen, which can cause streaking.

The fact that you have replaced the wiper blades and you can still see streaking on the windscreen makes me inclined to think that this is your problem.

Also, is it possible that you or a previous owner may have applied Rain-X to the windscreen. I had this on a previous car, where the owner before me had applied Rain-X to all of the car's window. I noticed straight away and it certainly didn't help with the wiper blades streaking. The windows would kind of repel water, but using the wiper blades would leave a bit of streaking on the windscreen, which was annoying. It took me ages to get the product fully removed from the car's glass, but it may be another explanation as to why your experiencing the streaking on your ow windscreen.

tom_tarbucket · 26-04-2014 6:51pm

Johnny Utah wrote: »

I use the big 5 litre bottle of windscreen cleaner available in Halfords. I use the blue bottle as it's slightly better value. I've used this particular winscreen cleaner for years without issue; even during the very cold winters we had a few years ago and the liquid never froze, which is important.

Don't use water on its own as stagnant water could pose a health risk and if it freezes during a cold night, it could crack the washer fluid bottle.

Also, make sure that your winscreen is perfectly clean. Every few weeks, I will clean the exterior and interior windows with a good quality window cleaner and using streak-free microfibre cloths. These cloths by Turtle Wax are quite good and are specifically designed for cleaning glass:

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_248620_langId_-1_categoryId_212444

Then, I will follow up with Autoglym Glass Polish for a perfect finish:

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_172001_langId_-1_categoryId_212511

If you are still having streaking on your windscreen, then it can only be either:
(a) the wiper blades are worn or else not sitting right on the windscreen; or
(b) the windscreen washer fluid is contaminated.

I find that the older style wiper blades do not sit correctly on some types of windscreens. In my own car, for example, if I use the traditional wiper blade, then the passenger blade never seems to fully press against the windscreen, which can cause streaking.

The fact that you have replaced the wiper blades and you can still see streaking on the windscreen makes me inclined to think that this is your problem.

Also, is it possible that you or a previous owner may have applied Rain-X to the windscreen. I had this on a previous car, where the owner before me had applied Rain-X to all of the car's window. I noticed straight away and it certainly didn't help with the wiper blades streaking. The windows would kind of repel water, but using the wiper blades would leave a bit of streaking on the windscreen, which was annoying. It took me ages to get the product fully removed from the car's glass, but it may be another explanation as to why your experiencing the streaking on your ow windscreen.

Thanks for reply Johnny, some good info and links.

from my OP

" Now after having installed the new wiper blades, ( I haven't used the wipers yet so haven't verified streaking is still an issue ) , I'm thinking maybe it's not the wipers at all and maybe it's the washer fluid. "

I still haven't used the new wipers since I installed them

)

Am kinda thinking to wait to use them until I buy a decent screen wash

Also, I haven't used rain x, not sure if previous owner did.

jimgoose · 26-04-2014 11:23pm

visual wrote: »

Bosch blades bought in halfords
of course they are genuine bosch with trade mark included. Are you saying bosch make a special blade just for BMW dealers.

Wouldn"t be unheard-of. Happens all the time with tyres.

Bmw Windscreen wash

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