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Thread: Oily substance in my wiper fluid reservoir.

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    Senior Member Dirk Diggler's Avatar
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    Oily substance in my wiper fluid reservoir.

    Hi everyone. So this evening while driving, I used my wiper fluid and it sprayed out an oily residue, almost blinding me when the wipers smudged it all around. I later cleaned my front windshield with Ajax and hot water and I believe it's clean. I drained the reservoir and poured in fresh wiper fluid. Still traces of an oily substance. I think the dude that did my last oil change poured coolant in my wiper fluid tank. ****in'n hell....



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    Senior Member klroger's Avatar
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    Yeah, if someone put Coolant in the washer reservoir, it will make a mess... Rinse it out a couple times with hot water & use an Alcohol wipe pad to clean the wipers.. (or just replace them)... I hope this wasn't a dealer??? Sorry, it can be a scary situation...
    I didn't know what to do, so I didn't do anything

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage GT 1.2 automatic: 37.3 mpg (US) ... 15.9 km/L ... 6.3 L/100 km ... 44.8 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member AtomicPunk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by klroger View Post
    Yeah, if someone put Coolant in the washer reservoir, it will make a mess... Rinse it out a couple times with hot water & use an Alcohol wipe pad to clean the wipers.. (or just replace them)... I hope this wasn't a dealer??? Sorry, it can be a scary situation...

    This is what it sounds like. Good advice from Klroger. Should be fine.

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    Dirk Diggler (12-03-2021)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler View Post
    Hi everyone. So this evening while driving, I used my wiper fluid and it sprayed out an oily residue, almost blinding me when the wipers smudged it all around. I later cleaned my front windshield with Ajax and hot water and I believe it's clean. I drained the reservoir and poured in fresh wiper fluid. Still traces of an oily substance. I think the dude that did my last oil change poured coolant in my wiper fluid tank. ****in'n hell....
    I think you are trying to make those of us that service our own car feel better about ourselves!

    Does sound like someone make a big goof! Sad part is they didn't correct it, or they weren't smart enough to realize it.

    My factory washer fluid froze up really bad the first winter I owned my Mirage. They apparently watered it down. When a warm spell came, I emptied it by using the pump itself to squirt everything out of the tank and lines. I added some -20F rated stuff, & let that pump into the lines, too.

    Actually, the line to the rear stayed frozen for several weeks longer. I couldn't really change that until it thawed out. I can live with the rear one not working.

    I am not sure how you drained the reservoir, but it make take a couple flushes to get the oil out residue out. I wonder if something like Dawn dish soap would help clean it out?

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    Dirk Diggler (12-03-2021)

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    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    That is an unbelievable story Dirk.

    Hope it all works out cleaning out the system.

    I can't believe your Mirage has to do some sort of fasting ritual. You should take your car to the one reputable mechanic that you know. And just take it there, because if some Bozo putting the wrong stuff in the wrong fluid, what else is he tampering with.
    Last edited by dspace9; 12-03-2021 at 08:26 AM.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member Dirk Diggler's Avatar
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    I drained it by simply spraying till the tank ran dry and then poured in fresh wiper fluid. I'm probably going to have to do this a couple more times. I didn't use dawn to clean out the reservoir, just Ajax dish soap and hot water to clean off the windshield. It's a cheaper version of Dawn.

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    Senior Member AtomicPunk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler View Post
    I drained it by simply spraying till the tank ran dry and then poured in fresh wiper fluid. I'm probably going to have to do this a couple more times. I didn't use dawn to clean out the reservoir, just Ajax dish soap and hot water to clean off the windshield. It's a cheaper version of Dawn.
    "Dawn takes grease out of your way"...its why they use it on the birds caught in the oil slicks. I thought of that, too, but wasn't sure how long your wiper nozzles would be blowing bubbles, lol. As if these cars aren't Fisher-Price enough already! Seems to be a common problem

    https://www.cartalk.com/content/can-...sher-reservoir

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    Whoever done that was probably smoking some fun-herb.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Dirk Diggler (12-04-2021)

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    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 7milesout View Post
    Whoever done that was probably smoking some fun-herb.
    I bought some legal stuff yesterday at my local store. Experience still has a novelty to it for me. Had to pay taxes on it. Super expensive, but a classy joint. Way less sleazy process now.

    Plus the regulation is there. Liquor too is highly controlled in Ontario, with our government stores from the post prohibition days still in practice. LCBOs, go to your local LCBO for your bourbon. Liquor Control Board of Ontario. Nobody knows it that way now of course. Weed stores outnumber liquor stores 2:1 so the market is like the tulip craze, bit of a bubble gonna go up in smoke.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


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    Dirk Diggler (12-04-2021)

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    Senior Member AtomicPunk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 7milesout View Post
    Whoever done that was probably smoking some fun-herb.
    Which may or may not have come from Dirk's glove box.



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    Dirk Diggler (12-04-2021)

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