Ok, so I'm a big bonehead and was out of Washer fluid, checked the garage and found a non labeled blue bottle which assumed it was washer fluid.

It was about 1 degree here with windchill and I hurredly poured it in both mine and my wifes cars. I tested hers to find it wasn't what I thought and seems to be a oily based fuel additive. I bleed her car by buying a gallon of fluid, but seems it still has a foaminess to the solution after cycling through. I am not about to attempt the same on my car.

Fortunately I haven't pumped it through my system yet. I am off work(contractor) and can't bring to dealer for resevoir removal.

What are my options? My wifes windshield after bringing to the carwash and bleeding most of the resevoir through one cycle still has a film on windshield.

What will be strong enough to remove the oilly residue in the resevoir and system?

As for mine, is there an easy way to remove washer tank? Agian it is below freezing temps can't really access the car in normal fashion have to do this DIY due economics.

Any knowledgeable advice appreciated.

Thanks

 

I don't think you really need to worry that much. Try cycling through some soapy water. You'll probably keep seeing film for a long time, I don't think you'll *damage* anything from the fuel additive. Worst case, it might dissolve some of the elastomers that are in the windshield system.

 

My wifes 08 sebring had a build up of fungus in the washer fluid bottle. I used dawn dish soap and it cleared everything out nicely. Just a suggestion. If it cuts cooking grease it will cut a fuel additive.

 

No, this stuff is strong. It's pretty oily, and who knows what else. But the molecules aren't easily dispersed. I figured a high alcohol content would cut the oil, but the film fog residue on the windshield and wipers was very difficult to remove. Even though the system is cleansed mostly there is enough to cloud the windshield with residue.

I am not going to run the same stuff on my car and spray it all over to bleed it and still have residue. I figure removal of the reservoir and clean by hand. Just don't know how to cleanly get to it.

 

Take the bumper off, unbolt the reservoir. Review the installation instructions for swapping to the IPL bumper or installing Injen cold air intakes as they both require washer reservoir removal.

 

Is there anyway to remover the reservoir without removing bumper? Can you go in through the wheel well?

 

Possible, but you'll have way more room to work with the bumper off. It'll be hard to take the whole reservoir off through the wheel well.

 

crap.....

 

Does anyone know if there is a drain plug to the Reservoir?

 

I don't think there is. It's just a bottle. You might try just buying a new one, idk how much they are.

 

I want to avoid removing the bumper or getting to involved with it.

I googled and someone had a youtube vid flushing their car with water then vinegar to cleanse the system. I don't know if that would work with the oily substance in my case.

 

Siphon off as much as possible, then dilute with water and siphon off again. Putting any chemicals in without knowing how they might react together might be a bad idea.

 

Use a short length of garden hose as a siphon, or go to Walmart, PepBoys, AutoZone, etc and pick up a fluid transfer pump. They are cheap, just shove one hose to the bottom of the reservoir, the other in a bucket and pump it all out.

As TVD said, wash rinse repeat (pun fully intended).

 

probably what i'll do.. Hope it gets it all. I found the label and it has nitromethane which im sure is petroleum based.

 

Nitro itself is alcohol-based, I think.

Did it happen to be RC car fuel? The nitro is a carrier for the oil in the fuel, so it could be a little oily but not really oily unless it was combusted. My RC car fuel doesnt feel oily in the bottle, feels dry and cold (like alcohol), so what you had might not be RC fuel.