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More on Unpleasant Smell

Laurence Brown

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Aug 30, 2021
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Location
Malvern
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MG ZS EV
Going back to our previous conversations, I have just discovered what the smelly socks stink is all about...
It starts at start up and goes away within a few minutes.
It's the Screen Washer liquid - cheap B&Q. Simple as that!
So now that the temperatures are rising again, I can begin to use just normal diluted screen-washer without the stink.
 
I've had this problem on another car. Decent fluid is a good investment.
 
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They do sell scented variations of screen wash fluid.
I just put a dash a methylated spirits in the washer bottle. The proper washer fluid smells terrible. Metho is cheaper, keeps the algae away and helps with washing glass.
Back in the 70s, I used to use a solution of meths and water in my screen wash, spray it on a frosted windscreen at -5 deg and it melted the ice. The only problem was that it stained the washer pipes purple. I don't know what it does to paint but in those days I was driving old bangers anyway.
 
Purple metho? Have been using the clear stuff for 20yrs and no ill effects
I didn't know they sold it without the dye to stop alcoholics drinking it.
Mind you it must be 25-30 years since I last bought some.

I once bought some Army surplus windscreen washer fluid at an autojumble, which turned out to be Methanol, the same stuff as model aircraft fuel but much cheaper, it stank foul.
 
In New Zealand we call clear meths Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA). it used to be difficult to get because it is used by drug manufacturers but when covid hit the rules suddenly changed because it's an effective sanitising agent so we can now buy it by the litre at hardware outlets. Unlike meths it is clear and fairly neutral smelling, and an effective glass cleaner. I use it 50/50 with filtered water to spray onto car glass to get rid of water spots, particularly from wash 'n wax type carwash. I'm a bit reluctant to use it in the car's windscreen washer bottle as I am not sure that it would be safe on things like wiper rubbers and windscreen surrounds - probably it would be OK but I'm just not sure.
 
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