larrysb

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about discovering the windshield washer tank with microbial goo (algae? who knows) 997.2. This is due to California not allowing winter washer fluid to be sold in most of the state. So, we get water and blue stuff, but no methanol. Methanol is the anti-freeze and being anti-microbial (ie, toxic), is key to preventing such microbial goo build ups in the tank. My window sprayers were pretty much clogged too.

Fortunately, this was pretty easy and reasonably cheap to fix. The spray nozzles are only $25 each from Suncoast. They are heated and have a plug in, but otherwise, just snap into the plastic cowling. The rubber hose just pushes on. I was unable to clear them, so just ordered a pair.

The rest was a matter of:

1. Purging the system to rid it of contamination.
2. killing whatever goo was growing in it.
3. Making sure it doesn't return.

First, I just filed it with warm water and siphoned it out. Lots of nasty crud!!!

Then after a couple of times of doing that, I disconnected the washer hose at the T behind the battery and put on an extension hose. Used the washer pump to purge a couple of gallons of water. Do a bit at a time, so as not to overheat the pump. Make sure it was running nice and clean. A lot more goo came out. Then purged the short hose to each nozzle to make sure there wasn't contamination remaining to clog the new ones up.

The next step was to kill off anything in there. Made a solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach in a gallon of clean water. Filled up the washer with that and drove it around for a day. That is a weak solution, but plenty to sanitize plastic and food containers, without harming anything. Repeated the prior step of purging out the system with lots pure, clean water.

Final steps were installing the nozzles, took about 10 minutes. Pretty darn easy. Then I made sure it isn't coming back. Turns out, it is illegal to sell ready-mixed washer fluid with methanol in it in California, but completely legal to sell *concentrate* as long as the label says to dilute it. Turns out, BMW parts sells concentrate for about $3 a bottle with antifreeze (methanol) in it. Using the table on the bottle, I'd never imagine breaking the rules for California and mixing it to the 20F protection level, which would have been 4 ounces into 28 ounces of water. No, I wouldn't have done that, especially for the anti-microbial and anti-freezing qualities and instead, would have used the 160-1 dilution formula for California, because I'd never, ever break the rules to make sure that goo didn't come back.

Now, all is happy windshield washer land. Sprays nice and wipes clean.

mike cap

larrysb

Goofy, ain't it?

Published for the benefit of others who may find their window washers full of gelatinous goo and the nozzles clogged.

It was actually pretty easy and managed to put in some clear side markers in place of the orange ones while I was fixing it.

Petza914

Nice job solving a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place - some legislation is just ridiculous. Bet you can't get the good dishwasher tablets either.

Glad I live in SC and in a part where we don't even have to do vehicle inspections and can buy high-octane fuel everywhere.

997v2cabrio

Same in Florida. No front license plate, smooth roads, no vehicle inspections.