Should Windshield Washer Fluid Be Diluted with Water?
3 Answers
Windshield washer fluid needs to be diluted with water. Small bottle packaging is generally called wiper concentrate, and the method of use is to first pour the wiper concentrate into the car's windshield washer fluid reservoir, then add an appropriate amount of purified water to dilute it. Taking Cheyong wiper concentrate as an example, the ratio of concentrate to water is 1:50 to 80, which means one bottle of wiper concentrate can fill a whole tank of windshield washer fluid, making it convenient and practical. Windshield washer fluid comes in concentrated and non-concentrated forms. Non-concentrated windshield washer fluid is usually packaged in large bottles and is already pre-mixed, so it does not need to be diluted with water. The functions of windshield washer fluid include: cleaning and removing dirt, antifreeze and antifog properties, anti-static performance, lubrication, and corrosion resistance.
It's really not necessary to dilute windshield washer fluid with water, I learned this the hard way! I once bought bulk windshield washer fluid to save money, but it froze in winter and couldn't be sprayed out. Actually, proper windshield washer fluid contains cleaning agents and antifreeze. Diluting it not only reduces cleaning effectiveness but also risks freezing due to insufficient concentration, which can damage the washer tank. Especially in sub-zero winter conditions, you must buy low-temperature antifreeze windshield washer fluid - the freezing point temperature will be marked on the bottle. Using purified water occasionally in summer emergencies is okay, but long-term use of tap water can clog the nozzles, and mineral deposits can corrode rubber seals. Now I always buy from major brands - they provide strong cleaning power while protecting wiper rubber blades.
I specifically asked an experienced auto repair master about this. The master said that concentrated windshield washer fluid should be diluted with distilled water according to the instructions, and you really shouldn't randomly mix regular windshield washer fluid with water. The minerals in tap water can easily clog the tiny spray nozzles, and the labor cost to clean the nozzles once is enough to buy several bottles of windshield washer fluid. Some people adding dish soap is even more dangerous—the alkaline components can accelerate the aging of wiper rubber strips. It might work in summer, but in winter it will freeze into solid ice. If the washer pump burns out, the loss outweighs the gain—replacing a pump costs as much as two cases of windshield washer fluid! In emergencies, it's recommended to use purified water and replace it with proper products as soon as possible.
