Damn screen wash

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Beer

Limescale. Which is insoluble in alcohol. I suspect the Volvo screen wash is very concentrated alcohol and when added to water it precipitates any salts and or limescale that were dissolved in the water.
If you want to know what’s in your water your local water board will supply you with a full list of the dissolved salts and minerals and concentrations.

Volvo washer fluid is mainly Isopropyl alcohol it doesn't leave deposits. The water you use may of course but it doesn't in my part of the country . blocked jets just don't happen with volvos with the water we use down here .

[Beer]

I think they are all based on isopropanol. Methanol attacks aluminium and is probably too volatile; the next one is ethanol which will be abused by people drinking it, so isopropanol is the best option. The higher alcohols, butanol onwards are too involatile and will not evaporate (and smell horrible). You need a certain strength of alcohol to prevent freezing and stop bacterial growth.
How much are you diluting your fluid and what part of the country are you Clan?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Beer

I think they are all based on isopropanol. Methanol attacks aluminium and is probably too volatile; the next one is ethanol which will be abused by people drinking it, so isopropanol is the best option. The higher alcohols, butanol onwards are too involatile and will not evaporate (and smell horrible). You need a certain strength of alcohol to prevent freezing and stop bacterial growth.
How much are you diluting your fluid and what part of the country are you Clan?

Dilution of volvo wash fluid is:

protection down to :

-10C = 25%
-18C = 33%
-28C = 50%

I live in the south West... I find 25% the best all year round

I have been using it since the 1970's , so well tried.

The only problem dealers have with blocked jets is mainly with the heated ones due to neglect and non-volvo wash fluid . Black bacteria can form in the reservoir too when you only use plain water the pump inlet strainer can get blocked then so the ford pump over revs and burns out.