MKenM

I tried to research other posts but can't seem to find the answer. So here is what the manual says:

Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “MB SummerFit”.

Mix with water for temperatures above freezing point.
Mix with commercially available premixed washer solvent/antifreeze for temperatures below freezing point.

Washer fluid mixing ratio

For temperatures above the freezing point:
1 part “MB SummerFit” to 100 parts water (1.34 fl oz [40 ml] “MB SummerFit” to 1 gal [4.0 l] water)

For temperatures below freezing point:
1 part “MB SummerFit” to 100 parts solvent (1.34 fl oz [40 ml] “MB SummerFit” to 1 gal [4.0 l] solvent)
__________________________________________________ _________________________

I don't change the fluid from summer to winter so I want to use the winter mix ratio year round. Do you? They refer to the mix ratio as 1 part "MB Summer Fit" to 100 parts solvent. I've been told that Rain-X is not a preferred fluid so what is a recommended "Solvent"? And, how is it that 1.34 ounces in a gallon of solvent will do something. The better question is what does it do? Appreciate your replies.

kyoshiro

Get einzett 1z anti freeze solution
Their krystal klarr is oem for mb germany

MBRedux

Here's a copy of a post by *Moviela* from the C-Class Forum on the topic. By the way, you shouldn't use Summer-Fit year round. It will freeze up. Go back and buy Winter-Fit. Here.... read on!
________________________________________
Posted by Moviela on 5/11/06: "It looks like the MB stuff comes in two formulas, Summerfit and Winterfit. Winterfit has an additional antifreeze for protection down to minus 4 degrees F if mixed 1:1. Summerfit is made of Alcohols, C12-14, Ethoxylated, sulfates, & sodium salts for 30 to 60% by weight. The rest is ethanol; ethyl alcohol 10 to 30%. There is a fruity odour according to the data sheet. You mix this little 40ml bottle of clear soapy liquid with 4 liters of water if you read the label, but the WIS says to use 6 liters. You can buy the Mercedes brand in 40ml, 1l, & 20l. If 1l sells for $ 16.00, you get 25 uses at minimum 4l each, makes 100l of product. You could wash from here to Disney World with that!

A very similar product comes from Wurth called "Rapid Windshield Cleaner", (windscreen for our UK friends) it is colored orange and comes 32 ml to the bottle, and you add it after you fill the washer fluid container with water.

http://www.wurthusa.com/project/en/r...21&image2.y=11

I always use distilled water in my washer. A couple of bucks, but it prevents the white powdery minerals from spoiling the nozzles. The hoses in the car have no clamps on the fittings to the pump. Minerals can clog the nozzle and result in higher pressures blowing the hose off the fitting spewing anyplace but the glass. Mercedes even sells a kit of clamps to prevent this.

The blue stuff that sells for a dollar or two is not cost effective. Most list water and blue dye as the number one and two ingredient. The small amount of surfactant in them is usually capable of stripping wax off the paint.

I use the washer frequently, mostly to get the morning mist off my car, or as a tool to repel tailgaters on the road to Vegas. A few drops in the air is quite effective, causes them to brake every time."

gsrjc

Anyone use this stuff before?

P21S Windshield Wash Booster

http://www.detailedimage.com/P21S-M1...294/250-ml-S1/

MKenM

OK so my question still is.....what is "Solvent" as mentioned above. What exactly is the Winter Fit and what does it do to the solvent?

GLKKa2H

I use the MB WinterFit all year around, mostly due to the looong cold season here.

The mixing ratio used is 1 : 1 (tap water), which in accordance with list on the bottle is "-18°C (-.4°F) proof".

Recommended (by MB) is either Daimler SummerFit or WinterFit, the latter mixed 1 : 2 or 1: 1.

After a little sleuthing today, to find data sheets covering documented facts with regard to the solvents - I give up. The closest I got is this one: http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/d/d/de/Spec_371_0.pdf.
which says nothing!

From a South African page, SummerFit: "Concentrated windscreen cleaner, 40 ml, prevents the accumulation of dead insects", and WinterFit: "Concentrated windscreen cleaner, 1 litre, anti-freeze protection". Most likely is the WinterFit based on SummerFit, with anti-freeze protection added.

C43AMG

Stuff works great !

MKenM

OK, I went to my MB dealer today. It seems that there is no WinterFit in the U.S. or so I am told. Reference is made to WinterFit in a manual that I found on line but can't find it for sale in the U.S. Any reference on line I found was outside the U.S.

SummerFit is nothing more than concentrated detergent that you mix with a gallon of windshield washer fluid. He gave me a bottle of the SummerFit ($2.75) it is 1.34 ounces. It is used to help clean bugs off the windshield. Hence SummerFit or Fit for Summer when bugs are out.

Based on what I have found about these 2 "Fit" products are not worth the time or effort.

As far as what kind of washer fluid to use during the winter he also gave me a gallon of windshield washer fluid also. It is blue, it's called Splash and it protects down to -20 F. He says they use it in all their cars. This may not make it right and I know that there may be some afficianado out there that will have a different view but those were my findings. Didn't seem to be anything special other than you need to make sure that the fluid is OK to use on plastic lenses if you have headlight washers.

gsrjc

I got the winterfit but it wasn't a mercedes brand. The summerfit is a mercedes brand though. The winterfit came in a 16oz blue bottle and had instructions on it for cold and very cold weather. I don't think it was called Splash though.

MKenM

Where did you get it, how much did it cost and most importantly what does it do? Is it a concentrated anti-freeze for the windshield?

gsrjc

I got it from my dealership when i went to have them fix my cracked fluid container. they refilled everything and i asked them for some fluid just to have and they gave me the summerfit and winterfit for no charge. yes, the winterfit has concentrated anti-freeze in it.

gaiser

I am currently using Mercedes branded WinterFit; the part is listed as A 002 986 14 71 10. I have found, depending on the dealer, that the parts department staff is either ignorant of what Mercedes parts are available, or tries to sell me a different product.

MKenM

Summer Fit is a detergent that gets added to the washer fluid. Is the Winter Fit also a detergent. Googled it and found out about it outside the US nothing in the US though. Do you see an advantage with it?

gaiser

I'm not certain if WinterFit has a different detergent package than what's in SummerFit, however, I do know it performs very well, foams up when refilling the bottle, and the label indicates it contains anionic tensides. Before I was able to get WinterFit, I was told by a dealer service writer to add a bottle of SummerFit to any commercially available, blue washer fluid. I don't know if that is "correct," as both the SummerFit and WinterFit labels say to only mix the two with each other, however it worked well too.

dgiturbo

Curious as to what you are trying to achieve, clean windshield or anti freeze? For me, we get really cold winters, and my headlamp washers (only) will freeze. I have been fighting this issue since new. The only way I get around this is to use a product called Purple Power Deicer
It claims to protect down to -35, but it has frozen in the headlamp washers at +5. I add a little rubbing alcohol, (about 16 ounces of 90%) and that seems to help down to -15. For cleaning, it works like a champ, and will "peel" the snow and ice from your windshield.
I use it year round.
Also, I noticed that the GLK has heated washers, nozzles and lines, so freezing up should not be an issue for you.
As for summer fit, I tried it, but the results were just like adding a little car wash to the reservoir. I have never been able to buy winter fit.
Hope this helps.

GLK350AMG

Just googled Summerfit and this article came up.

I just called Mercedes in Vancouver Canada for some info and the parts guy quoted me the following in Canadian dollars:

$4.81 Summerfit
$9.95 Winterfit
$2.83 15A Fuse (the blue one)

I remember paying less for Summerfit when I was taking my vehicle to the downtown San Francisco Mercedes shop (even after taking currency exchange into account). I think it was around $2.50. Those guys even replaced my batteries on my Keyless Go for free.

bop11

The level sensor on many newer cars relies on the conduction of a small current through the liquid. ( Not sure on MB) When the level is high the fluid is between the electrodes, when low it is not. When there is no conduction, the system reports that you are out of fluid. As many aftermarket windshield solutions were not very conductive, I guess,

MB adds a conductive chemistry to activate the level sensor.
On older Range Rovers I owned, this was a problem as back then most aftermarket solutions were purposely not conductive. However, I haven't noticed this problem on my GLK, with most of the washer fluids sold currently.

John Athens

I just bought a one litre bottle of the winter mix. How much water do I need to mix? My friend said 1 gallon of distilled w/ 1 litre winter mix.
Is this right?

Thanks for your time. I'm a newbie to Mercedes & this forum. I have owned Volvo & Sabbs, but this is my first MB.
I added blue washer fluid & got low washer light. Previous owner said that it happens if I used non MB washer fluid. I plan on pumping the blue washer fluid out & replacing w/MB

itapple

I am going to use BMW Windshield washer concentrate. It is combination of MB SummerFit & WinterFit. It should work the same.