It's that screenwash thread again

Wig

I have just got my screenwash for this winter and thought I would share with you my findings, I only deal with 5 litre bottles

Halfords
5l Ready to use down to -5° £3.49 Blue
5l Ready to use down to -10° £4.49 Fruity scented purple

B&Q
5l Ready to use -1° £3.00 Blue
5l Ready to use -8° £4.00 ( I think) Pink

Euro Car Parts
5l Ready to use "all season" Yellow £4.80 (approx)
5l Concentrated Blue -8° £3.79 - dilute 25% summer, 50% winter, 100% severe winter
Their webste also has -75° 1 litre for £6.00


I bought the Euro Car Parts Concentrated, although it doesn't say on the label what temperature it goes down to, the ECP website says -8°

Colder is not necessarily better. see my post below

force_ten

I am still using the Lidl screenwash that i bought last year, i bought 20 lts of it and used about half last year so should have enough to see me to the end of winter this year

it is good down to minus 60 deg C so should be good for all that winter has to throw at u< i have been keeping an eye out this year to see if they start selling it again but not seen any yet

redux

Lidl in winter, Sonax in summer.

Wig

force_ten wrote: »

it is good down to minus 60 deg C so should be good for all that winter has to throw at u< i have been keeping an eye out this year to see if they start selling it again but not seen any yet

What about damage to the paint? Euro Car Parts concentrated says "wash off immediately if undiluted product gets onto paintwork"
Which I thought was a bit funny seeing as they condone the use of it at 100%

If Lidl goes down -60° it must be very strong stuff, able to take the paint off.

neilmcl

force_ten wrote: »

I am still using the Lidl screenwash that i bought last year, i bought 20 lts of it and used about half last year so should have enough to see me to the end of winter this year

it is good down to minus 60 deg C so should be good for all that winter has to throw at u< i have been keeping an eye out this year to see if they start selling it again but not seen any yet

I've read somewhere that Lidl won't be getting this in this winter. Sounds credible as they've usually had in stock by now. I'm about to run out of last years supply so I've ordered a bulk order if VW winter screenwash instead.

Wig

I think colder is not necessarily better
http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories/winter-essentials/screenwash-and-frost-protection/concentratescreenwash/?542771210&0&cc5_701

That is -75° stuff, but it only goes down that far because they have added some sort of antifreeze, if you look at the concentrates, it still recommends 25% dilution for summer and it would still not freeze until -10°. and they still recommend 75% winter 100% severe winter

Makes me wonder why severe winter is any different from normal winter in terms of cleaning the glass...? The temperature won't be -26° or -60° or -75° so the product won't be frozen at any of those temps, and I don't see why the severity of the winter has much to do with the amount of cleaning power required.

Surely the label on this bottle should say:

VERY dirty 100%
More dirty 75%
Dirty 50%
Normal 25%

Because it is not about how cold it is, but how much cleaning power there is.

Whereas the "standard" screen washes like those in Halfords and B&Q they are more prone to freezing so you need the colder version for the colder weather.

Money_Grabber13579

neilmcl wrote: »

I've read somewhere that Lidl won't be getting this in this winter. Sounds credible as they've usually had in stock by now. I'm about to run out of last years supply so I've ordered a bulk order if VW winter screenwash instead.

I got some in Lidl NI about a month ago.

patman99

My friend's ex (who I am still friends with on FB) has tried 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts boiled water and says it actually works.

Will be trying this myself once the ice returns.

If it doesn't work, then it will still come in useful as a sanitizing cleaner for the kitchen.

Edwood_Woodwood

Wig wrote: »

Whereas the "standard" screen washes like those in Halfords and B&Q they are more prone to freezing so you need the colder version for the colder weather.

I've never once experienced a screen wash reservoir freezing in 30 years of owning cars no matter what cheapo stuff I use.

Flying-High_2

I used to use Cheap Stuff... Then I started working silly hours and would be knocking off gone Midnight. One Particular year we had that cold spell around Xmas.... The Vectra SRi Workhorse I was running at the time would regularly show -14 on the way home. Cheap Screenwash was !!!!.... End of.


Through the Summer I'd be using Carplan stuff bought in 25 Litre Drums... My GF bought some Lidl stuff as she was in buying some Equine stuff they had on their super duper deal. She was !!!!ed off with frozen Screenwash freezing in her Rangerover whilst doing her rounds of Horses and the Sheep.


Not looked back. Lidls in Winter time 50/50 mix in the Summer car plan drums and Cheap stuff in the Summer.

Ebe_Scrooge

Edwood_Woodwood wrote: »

I've never once experienced a screen wash reservoir freezing in 30 years of owning cars no matter what cheapo stuff I use.

It won't usually freeze in the reservoir, partly because the heat of the engine will keep it warm. But it can often freeze in the nozzle jets - if the temperature is say minus 2, add in the wind-chill as you're driving along, it doesn't take much for the jets to get blocked by a little plug of ice.