Hi
What's has bugged me for a while now is why do, particularly newer cars, smell of windscreen washer when you operate the jets. Presumable it's because the cabin air intake is right at the base of the windscreen, where all the fluid can seep down and evaporate into the car. My mk4 Escort has it's air intake further forward in the bonnet, as do a lot of other older cars.
My question is, did the car manufacturers consider the comfort of the car occupants when they decided to move the air intake to right at the bottom of the windscreen to cut costs? Or have they a contractual agreement with manufacturers of 'lemon fresh' and 'alpine air' washer fluid?
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I read that the Mk5 Golf closes the air vents when you wash the screen to stop the smell getting in. Neat feature
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(lol)
That's one of the funniest things I've heard regarding daft gadgetry on new cars!
How about a muck-spreader detector that closes the vents - now that would be useful for us country-dwellers!
BTW does anyone know the score with the new Vectra rear view mirror? The one I drove didn't have a handbook so I couldn't look it up, but the mirror reacted to the lights from the car behind. Can anyone illuminate me (sorry)
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Paul,
There are called Polychromatic mirrors and are fitted to various models Inc Ford, Jag etc... There have a front and rear sensor and dim the glass through a chemical process induced by electrical control.
Carse
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I read that the Mk5 Golf closes the air vents when you wash the screen to stop the smell getting in. Neat feature
My Saab 9-5 had a similar feature - I was able to programme so that the air came from outside when on the move, but when I stopped (eg traffic lights), it cut off the external supply to keep the fumes out. Nice feature!
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>> I read that the Mk5 Golf closes the air vents when >> you wash the screen to stop the smell getting in. Neat >> feature >> My Saab 9-5 had a similar feature - I was able to programme so that the air came from outside when on the move, but when I stopped (eg traffic lights), it cut off the external supply to keep the fumes out. Nice feature!
It staes in my car manual that you should only cut out the outside air for a minimal time as possible.
In my Mondeo Ghia it is not automatic shut off - so sometimes I forget to turn it back on and as I'm driving along you feel heavy headed and a smell that i can only describe as plasticky - this is the warning to open the air vents again.
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Issue not that new. Thirty years ago Dad's firm used industrial alcohol "liberated" from their lab in screenwash. Good rush through the vents every time the waher ran, car was a Mark one Granada.
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I thought it was just me. So be advised, you get this on a 98/99 Ford Mondeo as well! The trick is just put water in the washer bottle when the weather is warmer = no smell.
BTW: By the time I've managed to turn of the outside air recirculation by turning the control anti clockwise - it's too late. So put bottled water into you windscreen washer bottle.
M
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Why waste good money on bottled water? Remember Dasani - it's >3000 times the price.
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Bottled water is often sold on the benefits of the extra minerals contained therein. So you might expect to use bottled water and get more risk of deposits building up and clogging your jets.
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In view of your comments re bottled water - I will use rain water as Londons's tap water is hard water.
Thanks
M
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Motorwayman, dont let the comments about deposits in bottled water put you off. Heres a tip, use one of the bottled waters that has added taste, you know the type, apple flavour, lemon flavour etc. This will also make the car smell nice and sweet when the odour comes through the air vents.
When the winter comes, dont put up with that horrible smell of adatives, put vodka in with the bottled water, the alchol will stop it freezing and clean the screen.
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RF
I think I will stick with the rain water on the next filling, but will add the vodka next winter.
BTW, how much vodka per litre would I need to add to make certain the water did not freeze up?
Thaks
M
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couple of doubles should do it.
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This all rather begs the question - Why do washer fluid manufacturers make the stuff smell so horrid in the first place?
Whichever make I buy it makes SWMBO want to be sick every time I use the screenwashers.
Roger.
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Hi all,
Am I the only person in backroomland who quite likes the smell
of windscreen wash additive ?
In my view, VW's own brand is far more fruity and fuller
bodied than Saab's, which has a more chemically aromatic edge to
it.
AI
'Ignorance is not knowing but 'not wanting to know'
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I have no problem with the smell of windscreen washer either - only the exorbitant cost of the VW stuff.Mind you I do like the smell of creosote & Islay malts - other people just hate them.
I usually use Decosol at under a fiver per gallon.Not had the blocked nozzle syndrome as yet.
I think it is advisable to use some solvent; after all how are you going to get rid of the usual traffic film and dead insects en route.
Make your own with your favourite fragrance.
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Doesn't some of the screen wash products contain amonia? Used to help break down any grease and road traffic film on the glass. Perhaps this is what you're smelling?
Try changing brands.
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Not sure it is ammonia Dave, you cannot mistake that stuff for anything else. Also I don't think it will break down grease. I think a common constituent is isopropyl alcohol, that's the stuff I liberate from the lab. where I work and it seems to smell like most of the commercial preparations.
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second vote for "i like the smell"
The halfords ready mixed (no need to dilute) lacks a bit of body but has a young fresh smell. In its price band its the Nouveaux screenwash Appellation Contrôlée
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No taff, you're not alone. In fact I happily pay Citroen double the going rate just to sniff their bespoke washer fluid.
Cheers Bill
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mfarrow
You can hardly blame the manufacturers for this 'problem'. It's always worse in winter because a stronger concentrate of washer solution is used in to stop it freezing up.
A simple remedy is to dilute it now the weather is getting milder and/or, if your car has it, switch the air recirculation on before operating the washers...
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May I caution against the purchase of "bargain" screenwash from Lidl.
In exchange for about £1.75, a small tanker arrives at your place to offload several gallons of screenwash. WHat it has in volume, it lacks in all other areas.
1) It smells like something has died.
2) There are more smears on my screen than on a lazy hospital lab technicians' desk
3) It really does smell like something has died.
Apart from that, highly recommended.
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Good afternoon to the fully-fledged members, and the read only visitors here!!
Having read all the above posts I have reached an informative decision. I will use will rain water in the warm/warmer weather. In the colder weather, I will add a couple of doubles of vodka as recommended by one of our friends here.
I?m aware that I will need to squirt a bit of extra water to clean the screen in the summer when there is going to be no additive to the rain water. However, this should not be a problem as my screen wash reservoir holds quite a bit of water therefore no regular top ups!!
M
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Try Zoflora: 2 drops are enough. A medicated and fragrant disinfectant for toilets: a lovely smell.
Small 50cl bottle in a yellow and green package from supermarkets...
madf
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I love the smell of washer fluid, especially Halfords double concentrate Apple or Original!! Have some Holts at the moment, a bit to chemically, and a very dark dye.
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Madf
Will this harm my panther black paint job?
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A medicated and fragrant disinfectant for toilets
Wont that makes it smell like the gents down at the Rose and Crown?
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I bought some orange scented screenwash in a French supermarket (for SWMBOs car of course...)
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Deja vu?
Ever get the feeling that this thread is gonna turn into a car mat type thread?
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Ever get the feeling that this thread is gonna turn into a car mat type thread?
I never intended that to happen :-S
I was merely trying to ascertain whether car manufacturers consider where the fluid runs-off to, instead of just down the air vent and evaporating into the cabin.
Oh well :-)
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I love the smell of the stuff they put in at my VW garage. I'm thinking of getting a gallon of it and using it to fill the air fresheners in the house.
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"Ever get the feeling that this thread is gonna turn intoa car mat type thread?"
Strangely enough, I like the smell of Carplan screen washer so much that I wash my rubber mats in it but I do find that they dry out quickly and the smell soon goes. Which type of car mats would retain the smell the longest........
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I like the Halfords screen wash-you get it in nice 'summer fresh' and 'meadow dew' type smells etc. Lovely!
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i've never seen a 'new car essence' air freshner, ideal for the classic/concours brigade
great idea needs inventing!
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For those who don't like the smell, look around for that clothes peg that used to hold the choke out in the old days and place on the nose before operating the washers. Works every time.
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