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Overfilled screenwash

483 Views 8 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  Paladin1
ok don't joke please but I accidentally overfilled the screenwash. I thought it was almost empty so I poured a good half a litre of diluted screenwash. It was noisy around me, so I didn't hear it was leaking out right under the car. When I stopped pouring it the leak stopped. Both screens wash fine

It's a new car so I'm a bit paranoid. Anything to worry?
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No, if you open your hood, you will see that the design essentially has a built-in overfill valve. It takes about 3 gallons of washer fluid as I completely used it up on a long road trip and filled it up when I got home with 3x 1 gallon jugs.
ah good to know. So basically excess water is simply thrown away, not damaging the reservoir?

I quickly checked the manual which says I shouldn't mix up different products and I effectively added autoglym screenwash diluted water to whatever came with the car, but I assume it's fine
Autoglym should be fine, but BMW washer fluid reservoirs are notoriously adverse to washer fluid with additives like water-repellant or de-icers (think Rain-X).
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Just had my IX into BMW dealer as windscreen wash had stopped coming out of wiper blades. Dealer found that the reservoir washer bottle was blocked and washer fluid congealed due to incorrect mix. Was told this is not covered under warranty but they fixed it as a goodwill gesture. Had my IX a year and have always used supermarket pre-mixed windscreen wash. Told must use BMW washer fluid. Can't see anything about this in user manual and never had a problem with any other car I've owned when using supermarket pre-mix.
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Just had my IX into BMW dealer as windscreen wash had stopped coming out of wiper blades. Dealer found that the reservoir washer bottle was blocked and washer fluid congealed due to incorrect mix. Was told this is not covered under warranty but they fixed it as a goodwill gesture. Had my IX a year and have always used supermarket pre-mixed windscreen wash. Told must use BMW washer fluid. Can't see anything about this in user manual and never had a problem with any other car I've owned when using supermarket pre-mix.
This is a common issue and equally common response from BMW service departments in the UK. It is true that some “inferior” products can emulsify or get a syrupy consistency over time, especially if mixed with competitors products. That can clog the washer bottle.

I tend to use “quality” screen wash and never get issues as you describe (years and years with BMW/Audi/Merc).

As others have said, Autoglym is good, as is Sonax, and genuine VAG additives, including Porsche, work well.

I tend to get 5l BMW concentrate from a popular auction site for a fair price and mix it to summer and winter containers, but I have the luxury of having storage space to keep it in my garage. I like the BMW stuff because it covers both winter and summer in one product and you mix it as you need.

The Porsche and Sonax products are useful that they come in a small bottle with integral measure , and I have either product in my car for occasions where I run out of washer fluid on the road/long trips. Simply squirt a couple of measures into the fill cap and top up with water on the go…

I have had no issues mixing any of the above products with each other but I try to avoid that generally. They also last in storage without deteriorating.
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Just had my IX into BMW dealer as windscreen wash had stopped coming out of wiper blades. Dealer found that the reservoir washer bottle was blocked and washer fluid congealed due to incorrect mix. Was told this is not covered under warranty but they fixed it as a goodwill gesture. Had my IX a year and have always used supermarket pre-mixed windscreen wash. Told must use BMW washer fluid. Can't see anything about this in user manual and never had a problem with any other car I've owned when using supermarket pre-mix.
I had the same problem earlier this year on my M5, although that was after a couple of years of using some Halfords screen wash (that itself was probably a few years old). That clean out was at my cost, so lesson learnt...
I kind of wish that the filling port wasn't so accessible by anyone. I can see malicious folks pouring stuff in there just to be jerks.
When the car is locked it doesn't open, so there's that, but anyone can get into anything if they want, with enough determination and power tools, so not really a criticism.... :)
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