Windshield Washer fluid

japac1 · 02-20-2008, 11:36 AM

So, I needed to refill the washer fluid tank. I go to the local dealer and they offered me either a small or large bottle. Knowing that the stuff is concentrated, I thought the small bottle would be enough for one good fill and that the larger bottle would last me for a while. I bought the large bottle. After mixing a solution of 5 oz with 32 oz water, I only could make a little over 3 qts. This only half-way fills the tank!! Why would the parts guy even offer me a little bottle?? Crazy....

ezatnova · 02-20-2008, 11:40 AM

I had no idea that bmw washer fluid from the dealer is concentrate. Itneresting! What's wrong with just going and buying a couple of $0.99 gallons of washer fluid at any car/grocery/convenience store? Easier to use (no mixing with water) and probably a heck of a lot cheaper.

200Duece · 02-20-2008, 12:06 PM

You probably should have just gone into the service drive and asked them top off your fluid. It's not part of your warranty but most dealers will do it as good will.

omg516 · 02-20-2008, 12:08 PM

I used the rain-x washer fluid and its the same sh*t. Smells just as good too.

Mr. BMW · 02-20-2008, 12:18 PM

Just use the blue stuff you can get at Target or Walmart.

07-335XI · 02-20-2008, 12:38 PM

would deer park bottled water be fine to mix with their windshield washer fluid? i have the bottle and have been delaying it for three weeks haha

sandyeggo325i · 02-20-2008, 01:03 PM

what's crazy is how big the reservoir is for the washer fluid....

last time i was empty i dumped over 1 gallon in and it wasn't "topped off" yet!!

rje · 02-20-2008, 01:18 PM

I didn't know that washer fluid are now sold either concentrated and/or mixed with water. I thought only coolants are sold that way. Are sure they didn't give you coolant? Washer fluid are normally sold in jugs and easily bought at gas stations, groceries and car parts store. No need to go to the dealer.

BK · 02-20-2008, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by japac1

After mixing a solution of 5 oz with 32 oz water, I only could make a little over 3 qts. This only half-way fills the tank!! Why would the parts guy even offer me a little bottle?? Crazy....

I've found you can dilute the BMW concentrate a lot more than they suggest on the bottle. Their recommended ratio seems very conservative.

nj335i · 02-20-2008, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandyeggo325i

what's crazy is how big the reservoir is for the washer fluid....

last time i was empty i dumped over 1 gallon in and it wasn't "topped off" yet!!

Yeah, I thought the same thing too. I think that they made the reservoir larger for the headlight washers. I find that even though I put a gallon of washer fluid in, it gets used up pretty quickly (driving in northeast winters).

asdflkijd · 02-20-2008, 01:45 PM

I use Rain-x.. I dumped like half of the thing in there... I swear my washer fluid has a leak... I don't even use it, but it says its empty... -_-

Couch · 02-20-2008, 02:09 PM

Rain-X all the way. Cheap as hell and works well.

montreal red · 02-20-2008, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nj335i

Yeah, I thought the same thing too. I think that they made the reservoir larger for the headlight washers. I find that even though I put a gallon of washer fluid in, it gets used up pretty quickly (driving in northeast winters).

mine gets used by very quickly cos i have headlight washers.... waste of fluid in my opinion.. hate it when they headlight washers come on.

japac1 · 02-20-2008, 02:26 PM

I agree with everyone here. The capacity is just over 6 qts!! I tried asking the service guy to top it off and he said "no." I am probably going to use rainx in the future.

07-335XI · 02-20-2008, 04:49 PM

so would diluting the bmw fluid with deer park bottled water work?

STE92VE · 02-20-2008, 05:41 PM

Are you saying that they didn't offer to top you off for free?

japac1 · 02-21-2008, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STE92VE

Are you saying that they didn't offer to top you off for free?

Exactly. Actually what happened was my car was in the shop for something else. They called saying it was ready, I asked them to top off the washer fluid. They said "we charge for this AND your car is out of the shop, on the lot, so they may not want to pull it back in to fill up, but I'll check for you." Of course, no fluid...hence this thread!!

02-20-2008, 11:36 AM	#1
japac1 Major 21 Rep 1,100 Posts Drives: 2015 M4 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Keller, TX iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 335xi [0.00]	Windshield Washer fluid So, I needed to refill the washer fluid tank. I go to the local dealer and they offered me either a small or large bottle. Knowing that the stuff is concentrated, I thought the small bottle would be enough for one good fill and that the larger bottle would last me for a while. I bought the large bottle. After mixing a solution of 5 oz with 32 oz water, I only could make a little over 3 qts. This only half-way fills the tank!! Why would the parts guy even offer me a little bottle?? Crazy.... __________________ [FONT="Garamond"]2007 E90 335 xi, Monaco Blue, Beige, Prem, Cold, Step, Navi, Sat, iPod
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02-20-2008, 11:40 AM	#2
ezatnova Colonel 97 Rep 2,188 Posts Drives: C63 AMG Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Chester, PA iTrader: (5)	I had no idea that bmw washer fluid from the dealer is concentrate. Itneresting! What's wrong with just going and buying a couple of $0.99 gallons of washer fluid at any car/grocery/convenience store? Easier to use (no mixing with water) and probably a heck of a lot cheaper.
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02-20-2008, 12:06 PM	#3
200Duece Colonel 45 Rep 2,575 Posts Drives: '73 2002,'18 X5 35d,'17 328d T Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: A Whale's Vagina, Ca iTrader: (5)	You probably should have just gone into the service drive and asked them top off your fluid. It's not part of your warranty but most dealers will do it as good will.
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02-20-2008, 12:08 PM	#4
omg516 Lieutenant 18 Rep 572 Posts Drives: 07 e90 335i Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: San Francisco iTrader: (0)	I used the rain-x washer fluid and its the same sh*t. Smells just as good too.
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02-20-2008, 12:18 PM	#5
Mr. BMW Major 262 Rep 1,389 Posts Drives: 2012 E92 M3 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 M3 [0.00] 2006 330i [0.00] 2018 Jeep Grand Che ... [0.00]	Just use the blue stuff you can get at Target or Walmart. __________________ 12 M3 Interlagos Blue/Black 18 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Yeah, it's got a HEMI) 21 X3 Silver/Black(Wife's) 06 330i Monaco Blue/Black (retired) 02 X5 3.0 Topaz Blue/Black (retired)
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02-20-2008, 12:38 PM	#6
07-335XI Second Lieutenant 10 Rep 293 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: bcdefghijklmnopqrstuwxyz iTrader: (5)	would deer park bottled water be fine to mix with their windshield washer fluid? i have the bottle and have been delaying it for three weeks haha
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02-20-2008, 01:03 PM	#7
sandyeggo325i Captain 65 Rep 629 Posts Drives: BMW e90 \| 09 Accord V6 EXL Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: San Diego iTrader: (6)	what's crazy is how big the reservoir is for the washer fluid.... last time i was empty i dumped over 1 gallon in and it wasn't "topped off" yet!! __________________ SG e90 \| Black Dakota Leather \| ZPP \| ZSP \| 19" BBS LM Reps \| Steptronic iDrive \| Aluminum Trim \| Xenon \| CF Roundels \| 15% Tint
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02-20-2008, 01:18 PM	#8
rje RJE 335xi E90 Monaco Blue/Lemon, MB C350 White/Blk 12 Rep 149 Posts Drives: 07-335xi E90, 07 MDX,11 C350-4 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Calgary, Canada iTrader: (0)	I didn't know that washer fluid are now sold either concentrated and/or mixed with water. I thought only coolants are sold that way. Are sure they didn't give you coolant? Washer fluid are normally sold in jugs and easily bought at gas stations, groceries and car parts store. No need to go to the dealer.
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02-20-2008, 01:45 PM	#11
asdflkijd Aberry is a scammer 560 Rep 5,507 Posts Drives: SGM E92 335i, AM E90 335i Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (14) Garage List 2008 E92 335i [10.00] 2007 E90 335i (Reti ... [9.00]	I use Rain-x.. I dumped like half of the thing in there... I swear my washer fluid has a leak... I don't even use it, but it says its empty... -_-
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02-20-2008, 02:09 PM	#12
Couch Colonel 142 Rep 2,900 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Houston iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 E92 335i [0.00]	Rain-X all the way. Cheap as hell and works well.
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02-20-2008, 02:26 PM	#14
japac1 Major 21 Rep 1,100 Posts Drives: 2015 M4 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Keller, TX iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 335xi [0.00]	I agree with everyone here. The capacity is just over 6 qts!! I tried asking the service guy to top it off and he said "no." I am probably going to use rainx in the future. __________________ [FONT="Garamond"]2007 E90 335 xi, Monaco Blue, Beige, Prem, Cold, Step, Navi, Sat, iPod
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02-20-2008, 04:49 PM	#15
07-335XI Second Lieutenant 10 Rep 293 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: bcdefghijklmnopqrstuwxyz iTrader: (5)	so would diluting the bmw fluid with deer park bottled water work?
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02-20-2008, 05:41 PM	#16
STE92VE STEVIL Empire 219 Rep 6,297 Posts Drives: Fast Join Date: May 2006 Location: Long Island, NY iTrader: (0)	Are you saying that they didn't offer to top you off for free? __________________ 2007 E92 328i 6MT-Space Gray/Black Dakota/Gray Poplar w/heated seats-PCD 4/27/07 (SOLD) 2009 E90 328i xDrive 6AT-Space Gray/Oyster Dakota/Dark Burl Walnut w/ZPP,ZCW,Xenons-ED 4/17/09 - Redelivery 5/30/09 (SOLD) 2014 E84 xDrive28i 8AT-Alpine White/Black Nevada/Silver Matte w/ZMV,ZLP,494 - DD 3/14/14 (SOLD)
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