[St0rm Tr00per]

Finally ran out of washer fluid and remember seeing something about a BMW specific fluid with specific seasonal mix instructions. I’ve always used good ol’ Rain-X fluid based on winter/summer conditions and call it a day. Any benefits of using the OEM option over simple Rain-X washer fluid?

I will say though, the OEM fluid/mix leads to a really nice scent in the cabin after each use

[arRod1981]

Originally Posted by St0rm Tr00per

Finally ran out of washer fluid and remember seeing something about a BMW specific fluid with specific seasonal mix instructions. I’ve always used good ol’ Rain-X fluid based on winter/summer conditions and call it a day. Any benefits of using the OEM option over simple Rain-X washer fluid?

I will say though, the OEM fluid/mix leads to a really nice scent in the cabin after each use

Besides the fact the manual says to specifically avoid fluids that contain silicone additives because it'll clog the filter and not be covered under warranty?

There are posts where people used Rain-X fluid, the filter got clogged, and the fix wasn't covered by warranty.

Edit: you don't only have to use OEM fluid, just fluid without silicone additives in it.

[Chitown_vroom]

I’ve also heard because of the location of the washer fluid reservoir being totally occluded from light, using the wrong fluid can lead to growth and filter clog. The OEM stuff is pretty cheap TBH.

[St0rm Tr00per]

Thanks arRod1981 and Chitown_vroom !!

I’ll be heading out to get some oem stuff tomorrow…

Def the best owner forum out of all the cars I’ve owned

[DocWho]

If you are out of warranty, BMW service will charge you about $700 to replace the windshield washer filters. Use a non-silicone fluid.

[lfdal54]

Just an adder to the thread. I can't find where I've seen this before, but the regular "blue stuff" is now about $3.75 at Wally World. I bought a 32oz bottle of nextzett Kristall Klar Premium Windshield Washer Fluid Concentrate which makes 55 gallons of fluid. It says it works with tap water, but for $0.99 I bought a gallon of distilled water.

If I did the math right, that scales to about 17ml of fluid per gallon of water. I had some eyedroppers lying around from when I was brewing beer, so not quite 3 6ml eyedroppers full per gallon. Since I paid 22.56 for the bottle, the cost of making my own blend is approx. $1.41 per gallon.

The stuff gets great reviews online. Not sure if it's what the BMW OEM brand is or not.

Now I just have to find out if I can mix it with the blue stuff without causing problems. According to a Google search, it is compatible with all other washer fluids, although it may suffer from reduced performance. I'm 70, so I know about the whole reduced performance stuff.....

One downside is that it's not freeze-rated, they make a product that is. In any event, I've got a few months to figure it out.

[Chitown_vroom]

Originally Posted by lfdal54

Just an adder to the thread. I can't find where I've seen this before, but the regular "blue stuff" is now about $3.75 at Wally World. I bought a 32oz bottle of nextzett Kristall Klar Premium Windshield Washer Fluid Concentrate which makes 55 gallons of fluid. It says it works with tap water, but for $0.99 I bought a gallon of distilled water.

If I did the math right, that scales to about 17ml of fluid per gallon of water. I had some eyedroppers lying around from when I was brewing beer, so not quite 3 6ml eyedroppers full per gallon. Since I paid 22.56 for the bottle, the cost of making my own blend is approx. $1.41 per gallon.

The stuff gets great reviews online. Not sure if it's what the BMW OEM brand is or not.

Now I just have to find out if I can mix it with the blue stuff without causing problems. According to a Google search, it is compatible with all other washer fluids, although it may suffer from reduced performance. I'm 70, so I know about the whole reduced performance stuff.....

One downside is that it's not freeze-rated, they make a product that is. In any event, I've got a few months to figure it out.

Not freeze rated would be a non-starter for me living in the midwest. Yes, it's "usually" above freezing for stretches of the year but crazy things happen and I don't spend time trying to forecast when a freeze may be coming and drain my fluid.

[lfdal54]

Originally Posted by Chitown_vroom

Not freeze rated would be a non-starter for me living in the midwest. Yes, it's "usually" above freezing for stretches of the year but crazy things happen and I don't spend time trying to forecast when a freeze may be coming and drain my fluid.

I live in New England, noted for being somewhat cold. I figure from April to November if it gets cold enough to freeze the washer fluid I've got bigger problems. But looking at the weather we've had for the past few years in the mid-West I get your point. So you must buy the winter-rated -20degF fluid year round?

[Q1968]

Originally Posted by lfdal54

I live in New England, noted for being somewhat cold. I figure from April to November if it gets cold enough to freeze the washer fluid I've got bigger problems. But looking at the weather we've had for the past few years in the mid-West I get your point. So you must buy the winter-rated -20degF fluid year round?

Me too. Do you use enough washer fluid during the non-freezing months to nearly empty the tank before winter? I generally don't; probably 75% or more of my washer usage is in winter when I'm getting salt & sand all over the windshield. The rest of the year it's the occasional bird dropping or obnoxious bug strike, not enough to use much fluid. So non freeze-rated washer fluid is a non-starter for me.

[Lady Jane]

I've always used the BMW grape juice. Good for -40. They always leave a container in my vehicle.

[lfdal54]

Originally Posted by Q1968

Me too. Do you use enough washer fluid during the non-freezing months to nearly empty the tank before winter? I generally don't; probably 75% or more of my washer usage is in winter when I'm getting salt & sand all over the windshield. The rest of the year it's the occasional bird dropping or obnoxious bug strike, not enough to use much fluid. So non freeze-rated washer fluid is a non-starter for me.

Definitely a YMMV situation. Between my wife's Audi and my X3 we usually run a case of 6 from April to November. Lots of road throw around here in the wet weather and I'd rather not use the wipers to scrape off the crud without giving them some assistance.

[lfdal54]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

I've always used the BMW grape juice. Good for -40. They always leave a container in my vehicle.


Attachment 3436554

I've seen a lot of your posts where you describe your relationship with your dealer and you have a much better dealer than I do. They use the regular blue stuff and believe me, offer nothing for free. Sadly, my dealership is one of the better in my area. Even my selling dealership in Portland ME uses the blue stuff.

[TXGrey]

I don’t use the washer unless I absolutely have to… so we only need to top off about once a year-ish on both cars. But I clean our windshields almost daily, so there’s that. I keep buying the blue stuff from Autozone that’s right in the middle for temps… good down to -20. Has worked well thus far.

[lfdal54]

Originally Posted by TXGrey

I don’t use the washer unless I absolutely have to… so we only need to top off about once a year-ish on both cars. But I clean our windshields almost daily, so there’s that. I keep buying the blue stuff from Autozone that’s right in the middle for temps… good down to -20. Has worked well thus far.

I typically do my windshield right before we leave on a trip, especially on the inside since the dash is still out-gassing. A lot of our problems around here, and especially where I travel north is the amount of crud that gets thrown onto the windshield is way more than you'd want to scrape off with the blades alone, even in the wet weather. At that, I typically change the blades annually on both vehicles. We're coming up on mud season up north. On my last trip by the time I got home my Brooklyn Grey was Brooklyn Brown. Thank goodness for ceramic coating.

When I take it to the do-it-yourself car wash the younger people are always looking at the old geezer blasting off the undercarriage before I even start on the rest of the car. Seems like they haven't mastered the "road salt" syndrome we have here.

[Blacktemplar]

Best to stick with the OEM juice, as anything containing silicone can clog the washer bottle filter - it did that to mine, and the inaccessibility of the washer bottle means it's difficult for an amateur (like me) to clear it, so a nice bill from the dealer.

[Leem40i]

I never understood the concept behind rainx in windshield washer fluid. That stuff only works when you apply Rain-X directly to the windshield, allow it to dry, and then polish it off. Squirting it on your window while it's raining does nothing so paying extra money to have that stuff in the washer fluid i's a waste.

[nyalpine90]

which ones are the good ones to use?

[Chitown_vroom]

Originally Posted by Leem40i

I never understood the concept behind rainx in windshield washer fluid. That stuff only works when you apply Rain-X directly to the windshield, allow it to dry, and then polish it off. Squirting it on your window while it's raining does nothing so paying extra money to have that stuff in the washer fluid i's a waste.

That wasn't my prior experience with other cars. the Rain-X stuff did treat the windshield effectively to make water bead off similar to the Aquapel treatment I just did on my X3.

[Chitown_vroom]

Originally Posted by lfdal54

I live in New England, noted for being somewhat cold. I figure from April to November if it gets cold enough to freeze the washer fluid I've got bigger problems. But looking at the weather we've had for the past few years in the mid-West I get your point. So you must buy the winter-rated -20degF fluid year round?

I bought the concentrate so I will mix down to relatively diluted in the summer and go for heavier antifreeze rating as winter comes.

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by lfdal54

I've seen a lot of your posts where you describe your relationship with your dealer and you have a much better dealer than I do. They use the regular blue stuff and believe me, offer nothing for free. Sadly, my dealership is one of the better in my area. Even my selling dealership in Portland ME uses the blue stuff.

Yes, I am fortunate. I'm on my 3rd BMW and never had to buy any. The wholesale cost for the dealership is probably minimal. Coffee, croissant and a jug of fluid.

[chhappy7]

BMW OEM stuff or just good old blue stuff from Walmart or pretty much anywhere works fine. None of that rain x stuff though. That stuff has never played nice with any BMW that me or my family has had.

I keep a little thing of BMW concentrate but they always top me off when I go in for service, so I never really have had to refill on my own.

[rob175]

Just the cheapest "blue stuff" that's rated for minus temps is the best. No additives is how they keep it cheap. I seldom use the sprayer so I'm still using the OEM stuff. My dealer threw in a few bottles of the BMW stuff when I bought my car in 2020.