Put coolant antifreeze in sceen wash by mistake

[Rich6688]

Hi all,

Hope you can help. I have put coolant antifreeze instead of screen wash antifreeze in screen wash tube by mistake. Will this affect anything?

Thanks
Rich

[GrandadMonkey]

You shouldn't use engine antifreeze in the windscreen washer system as can damage the vehicle paintwork.

[Rich6688]

Thanks.

I am going to buy a tube to syphon it out.
I wont use it on my window, but do you think it will damage the windscreen washer system, while im waiting for the tube to arrive?

Thanks

[GrandadMonkey]

No, it won't damage your windscreen washer system.

As for any corrective action you need to take, it depends how much you have put in the washer reservoir and how strong the antifreeze mix you now have in there.

If the washer bottle was , say, 2/3rds full and you topped it up with dilute antifreeze solution then you'd probably get away with it, but I personally wouldn't risk it.

However, if your washer bottle was nearly empty and you filled it with antifreeze solution then I'd definitely empty it out and refill with new readymixed washer fluid. I normally get the readymixed washer solution from my local Wilkinsons store, or from the Tesco superstore. Some other places charge the earth for it.

Be careful if syphoning it out because coolant antifreeze is poisonous, so you don't want to get any in your mouth.

An alternative to syphoning it out would be to stick a garden hose in the reservoir as far as it will go then flush it for a couple of minutes with clear water. The action of flushing it will dilute the mixture in the reservoir as it comes out so that it should do no harm. That is what I would do, rather than syphon it out, but it is up to you.

Let us know how you get on.

[Rich6688]

Thats great advise.

Will let you know how things go.

[Rich6688]

Flushed it out with hosepipe. Everything worked well. Thanks for the advise.

[GrandadMonkey]

Well done Rich. Glad you got it sorted ok.