Wiper wash fluid is critical!

[Genie47]

OK its been raining for the past few days and now I got a chance to test out something. Wiper wash fluid.

 

I've been sending my car to the washers in JB and just as I have expected, most car wash shampoos have something what I would call "cheater wax". Now this is not just in wash and wax shampoos. It is also in normal car wash shampoo. This component helps the car dry faster. So whether you like it or not, this cheater wax will be on your windshield. My windshield with its wettable surface thanks to CeO treatment has now become beading. The difference is that this can be restored if I wash it thoroughly with household detergent.

 

Well, I didn't and now the wipers are juddering because of this cheater wax.

 

The last time I used only water. Here is the problem with water only. Water does not have grease cutting power. The other problem is that it does not have lubricity that the wipers need. Water is not wetting when it comes to such a wax treated surface.

 

So I went on to concoct this super strong version made of distilled water, ethanol, household ammonia and a wee bit of dishwashing detergent. Results are fantastic. Wipers moved like ice on ice but here lies the problem. There was plenty of foaming! Surface tension of the liquid was so low that the detergent became super effective. Each squirt brought about lots of foamy stuff. Caused streaking as well. BTW, I used only 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid detergent for 1USGAL of the formulation.

 

So after this ran out, I used Armoall wiper wash additive. Not bad. At Autobaccs, can buy 1 bottle for $6.70 compared to the $7+ elsewhere like Homefix DIY. Lubricity was restored. Herein lies the other factor. Cost. It can be used for 5-6 2.5L wiper wash reservoirs. Now that the rains are here, I use lots of it. Anytime the wipers start to judder, I just squirt and the judder disappears for a while. I wanted cost reduction.

 

OK so here is what I came up with and here are the reasons. Wiper wash fluid is basically a mixture of an alcohol and some window cleaner component like household ammonia with nonionic detergents. I decided to eliminate alcohol. Alcohol prevents freezing. Critical in other places with winter. If your wiper wash fluid freezes, that's the end of your wash pump. This leaves the cleaner component.

 

Going by the way the Amorall wiper wash is diluted. I decided to make it with window cleaner. 2 cups of window cleaner with 1USGAL of water. That is around 5L. So for a 2.5L wash reservoir, 1cup of window cleaner should be sufficient. 1 metric cup is 250mL.

 

So far, it is OK. Low streaking because of the low foaming. Will not harm window tints because the ammonia is very low after dilution. Still maintains lubricity for the wipers.

 

I will try something more concentrated after this runs out. Maybe 1.5cups to a wash reservoir and see. Will keep you all posted.

[Linus]

good info, pal... been wondering y the juddering still occurs despite no longer using rain-X.

[Atlantis_boi]

Thx bro 4 ur info As my windscreen oso has tis streaking phenomenon, I tot it's my wipers tat r causing tis problem. Luckily I havent go & purchase a new pair of wiper else waste my $$ liao..Hee

[Toalson]

I encountered the same as u, only when u squirt a bit of the wiper wash, which contain some cheapo wiper wash solution.

 

But I did realised a trememdrous improvement after I claybar my windscreen. Wipe smoothly even on slight drizzle. Then as mentioned, after washing my ride with autoglym it starts to judder again .

 

Guess I should wash n claybar my windscreen during every wash.

[Genie47]

It's that "cheater wax" in all those shampoo formulations.

 

Darn! Wash car with dishwashing detergent cannot, must use shampoo and in the end, wipers still judder whether it is wash and wax or not.

Edited April 4, 2005 by Genie47

[Toalson]

Agree, it somemore say shampoo n not wash n wax. Wat the diff

[Genie47]

I think normal shampoo the juddering comes much slower and is easier to correct with wiper wash fluid additive.

[Josephtan1234]

Wouldn't detergent strip away the wax on your car ?

I thought I saw many warnings not to use house detergent any where near your car.

[Genie47]

The amount I used in the super strong formulation is very little. That is 1 teaspoon in 5L of ammonia/alcohol/water mix.

 

Window cleaner should not pose a problem.

[Toalson]

At least I know I'm not the only one that squirt wiper wash even when it rains.

[Octopus]

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At least I know I'm not the only one that squirt wiper wash even when it rains.

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Me also doing that. But the judder will minimized or go away if windscreen and wiper blade are clean.

[Toalson]

Agree. Wonder how long would it take for the so-call film by the shampoo to wear out, will it?

[Nerd_on_wheels]

I use to do that also. need to lubricate the surface a bit to improve the sweeping action

[Octopus]

I'd guess it wears out pretty fast, cos I need to squirt it every few minutes or else it will judders.

But if I've just washed the car and the windscreen and wiper blades are very clean, then no judders problem.

[Astina77]

wah... thx for the info man~~ didn't think of the shampoo would cause the juddering.

[Speedblade]

my ride's "squitter" is mounted on the bonnet, and i notice in previous ride if the washer fluid is too strong, will stain the bonnet. (can see the jet stream markings after a while, like water marks....)

 

i notice some cars have those mounted on the black plastic just below the wind screen, i think this is a design.....

[Toalson]

I just discovered tat polyglaze windscreen wiper wash is very effective. After a couple of squirts, the wipers no longer judder bcos of the shampoo.

[Esky]

Time for a DIY Peugeot version where the squirting nozzles are mounted onto the wiper arms!

 

Does anyone know what I can use to make water bead on a new windscreen? My bro's car had its windscreen replaced some time back due to a stone chipping, but the new glass just disperses all the water evenly instead of beading it... I've tried cleaning it with cassette head cleaning alcohol, Autosol, dishwashing detergent, toilet bowl detergent and even facial cleaner, all without success...