BMW Washer Fluid Sucks!

I believe you have to use BMW washer fluid, and it must be installed at the dealer, or else they can void your warranty!

Originally Posted by tunachris

I believe you have to use BMW washer fluid, and it must be installed at the dealer, or else they can void your warranty!

dj

Originally Posted by tunachris

I believe you have to use BMW washer fluid, and it must be installed at the dealer, or else they can void your warranty!

I like the thought of "installing" washer fluid. Probably requires specialized tool that only an authorized BMW service center has. LOL


Sent from my iPad using BimmerApp

Originally Posted by djfitter

dj

Don't laugh. Special equipment and techniques are required for installation.

Originally Posted by furby076

Just so you know, you had me at "make someone slightly high" and cinched it with "wont affect judgement". My pants are now down.

Cmon furb, so you're saying that after using washer fluid on your windshield, your judgment gets affected? The only thing cleaning your windshield will do is make your judgment BETTER now that it's clean and easier to see out.

Originally Posted by zerbitini

I'm relieved to read that I'm not the only one who thinks BMW washer fluid smells great!

Toking the washer fluid, heh? How many hits a week?

Originally Posted by pointandgo

Don't laugh. Special equipment and techniques are required for installation.

I didn't know Rube Goldberg designed for BMW.

dj

Originally Posted by tunachris

I believe you have to use BMW washer fluid, and it must be installed at the dealer, or else they can void your warranty!

Lol you guys are having way to much fun sniffing this washer fluid thread.

Originally Posted by 3284me

Lol you guys are having way to much fun sniffing this washer fluid thread.

It tends to make us less aware of the runflat and dip stick issues...gives us antisocial personality disorders that makes us less tolerant of other car models...more tolerant of BMW's design changes. I sense a wicked corporate conspiracy here. Timothy Leary would fully understand...I wake up at night LOVING my runflat tires and lack of a dip stick, but am always fighting it in my mind. It's the washer fluid, I'm sure.

Can I put air in my tires, or is a special tool required? If I stop at a service station to top off the tires, will I void my warranty?

Note that if you live in California, what you can buy depends on where you live and what time of year it is. As you walk down the aisle in the grocery or drug store, pay attention to what blue jug of cheap fluid says on the label. If it says "Protects to 32 degrees", it's basically just blue water with a VERY SMALL amount of alcohol in it, and it means you live in a "non-mountainous" area and/or it's "summer", both as defined by state law. If you see on the label "Protects to 22 degrees (or some lower number)", then it's blue water with a bit more alcohol in it and you must either live in a "mountainous" area or it's "winter".

The reason for this are the state laws on VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions. And don't think this applies only to grocery store products, all resellers and distributors have to abide by these laws as well. Personally, in the past I've made it a point to stock up on the "good stuff" whenever I see it on the shelves because much of the year in the LA area you can't get anything but the blue water.

Get the orange Rain-X from walmart. $2.50 and it is amazing compared to the BMW crap that they give us.

Originally Posted by cwinter

I'd second that. Seems like any ole washer fluid to me, though BMW says it is, indeed, specially formulated. Oooooh....

I don't know about the "special formulation" but is sure smells great.

Originally Posted by 3284me

Only happens at speed. Guess it is the aerodynamics of the car. Sitting still it hits the windshield only and is not an issue.

This is actually a useful characteristic. When someone is riding your rear bumper you just put the washers on and spray his windshield. They usually back off. Of course it gets them pissed off too.

Originally Posted by RBinDC

This is actually a useful characteristic. When someone is riding your rear bumper you just put the washers on and spray his windshield. They usually back off. Of course it gets them pissed off too.

True. I had had this happen to me right after I washed my car. I pickup was comming down the street and he waited until he was next to me to use his washer fluid which sprayed all over my hood.

On another note I stopped by my dealer yesterday to buy OEM fluid to see if maybe mine was mixed wrong. The bottle said SMB and its blue? My OEM fluid sprays out white??? So now I am wondering if this is why I am getting soap spots? Is anyones OEM fluid spraying out white?

Originally Posted by 3284me

...On another note I stopped by my dealer yesterday to buy OEM fluid to see if maybe mine was mixed wrong. The bottle said SMB and its blue? My OEM fluid sprays out white??? So now I am wondering if this is why I am getting soap spots? Is anyones OEM fluid spraying out white?

My guess is that the washer fluid line ends in a spray nozzle. Nozzles are used for three purposes: to distribute a liquid over an area, to increase liquid surface area, and create impact force on a solid surface. Spray nozzles can cause atomization-the breakup of the fluid into drops (paraphrased from Wikipedia).

Therefore, what your seeing is the blue mixture breaking up into drops/mist & bubbly soap, & looking whitish.

g/l

Originally Posted by 3284me

On another note I stopped by my dealer yesterday to buy OEM fluid to see if maybe mine was mixed wrong. The bottle said SMB and its blue? My OEM fluid sprays out white??? So now I am wondering if this is why I am getting soap spots? Is anyones OEM fluid spraying out white?

The concentrate I just purchased at the Tischer BMW parts counter (list price $3.99 for a 500 ml /16.9 fl oz bottle) is pretty colorless and does not have "SMB" on the bottle. When mixed with water, it is a very pale blue but seems to spray out white. The label says "Windshield Washer Antifreeze" and "Original BMW CareProducts" as well as "Made in Germany", and that 8 oz of the concentrate mixed with 1 gallon of water will protect down to 27oF and 32 oz mixed with 1 gallon of water will protect down to 10oF. While a smaller 3 oz bottle was also available, it contains no freezing protection.

And it cleans quite well and smells very nice.

Tom

Originally Posted by Eclipse689

On my recently purchased 328xi I've had an issue with the nozzles being aimed fairly high on the windshield, my rooftop gets a nice speckling of blue when I use the fluid. I called the dealer and he said they can still be adjusted with a safety pin. I'm nervous to try though, the heated nozzles on the winter package are $80 parts (plus labor) to fix.

Maybe I'll have them re-aimed next time im in. I'd hate to pay for something like this!

My experience has been that re-aiming yourself is fairly difficult. I recommend letting the dealer do it. The TIS describes precisely where the spray should land. The E39 version was clearly some engineer's pet project

Also the almost useless "Interior Cleaner" smells good too, but in a serious note, I DO like the BMW cleaner since is ethanol based.

Originally Posted by 3284me

Is anyones OEM fluid spraying out white?

Yep. Every since I was 12.

Originally Posted by AutoUnion

Get the orange Rain-X from walmart. $2.50 and it is amazing compared to the BMW crap that they give us.

+1 on Rain-X

Originally Posted by farq

Yep. Every since I was 12.

Until 50 when it turns to a dribble.

I partially agree - The washer fluid my dealer puts in is a weak orange color and does seem much too concentrated and yes; it's soapy and dries leaving a stain. I mentioned it the last time I was in for an oil change, and the service guy stated that other people had mentioned it - but it's genuine BMW washer fluid; so that's what they are sticking with.

As far as the overspray; I don't have that problem - I'd say it's an adjustment issue.

Yet another example and proof that time does not exist within the Internet.

In fact, time travel is an established dimension in forums and other domains. I myself travel to times long past, discussing certain issues....Tron.

Originally Posted by pony_trekker

Until 50 when it turns to a dribble.

that's when you switch over to the "blue stuff" in concentrated pill form.