Been using RainX for years...zero issues...I do NOT put it in the washer fluid tank...what the heck are you guys doing that for?...geesh...just put that stuff on the windshield and wipe off..it's good for a long time..reply..takes 10 min.

 

Not THAT Rain-X. The one made to put in the washer fluid tank. This one:

 

Me too, but i use it on the side and back glass fwiw...

 

Same experience here on multiple cars. Works great when new - is a nightmare a couple months later and very difficult to completely get off without a windshield stripper. I gave up on the stuff about 10 years ago.

 

Fixed.

Steps:
1) Acquire 1/4" ID, 3/8" OD, 20ft of clear tube from Lowes for $6
2) Take whatever white vinegar you have on hand, I had 1/2 bottle of Heinz. I tried to find a German brand but I am visiting relatives near Pittsburgh so Heinz is the one (they don't like ferners takin jobs).
3) Insert hose down the bung hole fluid filler. I got lucky with that size of tube as it worked perfectly... I think anything thicker is not going to make that long dark bung journey. I suspect the tube coiled up in the tank but I could not be sure... probably was not down deep enough in the tank but what ever.
4) Suck. Yepper, I now know what Rain X tastes like and frankly, unless it is mixed with Vodka, well... never again. What was cool about this experience is I spewed some pretty exotic cuss words I haven't said in about twenty years. Neat.
5) Re-fill will vinegar - no need to remove the hose from the bung.
6) Now blow. Yep, this is starting to get real offensive. I wanted to agitate the vinegar against the sensitive parts in there to get results. Now more sucking.
7) Add about a quart of the blue stuff, blow, and suck again. Man, you can't do this when you get old.
8) Refill to the top with blue stuff.
9) Now run the squirters with wild abandon!!! Woooohooooo!!!!! Yeeeeehaaaa!!! (Turn your headlights ON to activate the headlight jets)
10) Now for a good hosing. The car now smells like vinegar which tells me I didn't have the hose in deep enough for maximum results. No, my hose was plenty long enough, I just can see in the dark. I sprayed the car down with water to ensure I don't have vinigar burning into my finish.
11) Drive around, no dash warning light. I probably have vinegar still in there from not having the hose down in deep enough... so I probably with use the squirters pretty heavily. The manual denotes 7 quarts and I only siphoned off about 2 quarts so I really don't have it all out. But, what is in there worked.... or maybe it was just the agitation from blowing bubbles in there.
12) Brag to your friends on Rennlist.

FYI/FWIW/YMMV/Disclaimer: I have no idea if what I did was the right thing to do. I just did it.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

 

Balsamic vinegar would make it smell better.

all the best....

 

You are going to hate hearing this now, but…. you can create a siphon without sucking by simply filling the tube, lowering it below reservoir level, then letting it flow. Pour water in the tube, plug the end with your thumb, lower the end, remove thumb. Enjoy siphoning without sucking.

A very small amount (a few drops, 1/4 tsp at most) of bleach will prevent bacterial growth, which is what really clogs things up in cars where the washers aren't used a lot.

 

I use a drill pump for non volatile liquids. 1/4 in tube slides right in there to pump out.
Why do I have one?
Best friends wife filled her windshield washer reservoir with oil.
Yup oil. Need oil light came on. Pull whatevercap, add a liter.
Anyway. Pumped out he reservoir, flushed it with hot water for 20 minutes, refill with washer fluid.

 

2009 C2S 122K miles

Update: I am getting the "Refill Washer Fluid" warning now intermittently...... annoying. Tank is full. Why? Well I was down and the light legitimatly came on.... I had a jug of Rain X on the shelf.... hmmm..... should I? Yep... I did..... a few weeks later, the bogus light started coming on.

So I squirted out the bad fluid and filled with some generic blue stuff... then a big bottle of more expensive Prestone fluid. Comes on less now but still comes on. I don't think I will do the big flush with vinegar I did before, but may if it doesn't stop. I really think RAIN X windshield fluid is not good.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

 

 

Hey Bruce - last time I filled up at the gas station I used the 95 RON pump, don't know who RON is or why he only seems to label gas with 91, 93 and 95 but when I started the car voilà!! an extra 22Hp magically appeared (as measured by my calibrated butt dyno).
:-)

 

Just wait for the reaction of the passive aggressive poster on post #3 above.