Jeff Ostroff

I am going to be buying some new windshield washer fluid and I wanted to first check to see if anybody has any recommendations of a particular brand or type of washer fluid that you like and also if you have any recommendations on what to avoid, for example does one brand cause streaking while another 1 doesn't?

I was also thinking of just putting in some of my Amway LOC window cleaner diluted appropriately and see if that works. Has anybody tried that?

larrypmyers

The Operator's Manual is very specific concerning using only M-B washer fluid. Not sure how important using a particular brand of washer fluid really is but the parts dept. honcho gave me a gallon of undiluted M-B fluid that seems to work well. And after two years, am just now using the last of it.

Am thinking there are many owners that have successfully used fluid other than the M-B brand. If we were talking about engine or gearbox oil, now that would be a different story.

Mud

Others can verify but I seem to remember owners using the basic blue stuff available in gallon containers almost anywhere.
Advisement was not to use other green/orange fluid as it affected the sensor.
Just from memory though.

KEY08

raja777m

I go with basic blue or rainX (if it rains heavily or it is the season).
if you have the regular one, just add rainx additive as recommended.

thefisch

I recall threads where folks shared that rainx affected the sensor and they got reading that washer fluid was low when it wasn't. Haven't tried it myself.

Sunnyslope48

I use the MB concentrate and add cheap blue stuff instead of water. The concentrate is a little too sudsy for me, so about 1/2 bottle to a fill up is about right. Now, remember that you would have no to little freeza protection with this. Overall, this combo works very well.

Sunnyslope48

I use the MB concentrate and add cheap blue stuff instead of water. The concentrate is a little too sudsy for me, so about 1/2 bottle to a fill up is about right. Now, remember that you would have no to little freeza protection with this. Overall, this combo works very well.

raja777m

Luckily I did not got that notification since May 2017..! But I used additive only, did use the orange fluid yet.
Usually Mercedes dealer tops-up on each service.

Firestopper0383

I remember reading a thread about Rain X being used in MB's. It supposedly gums up the pump in the windshield washer and ultimately requires a pump replacement. I've never used Rain X so I don't know for sure. If you search, you will probably find that thread and the member that wrote it.

Tump43

True. I used one gallon of Rain X by mistake. It killed the center jet/nozzle under the hood. Luckily it was replaced under warranty. Wouldn't use it again. I only use the cheap blue stuff or MB concentrate. No problems with that.

larrypmyers

Spoke with the service manager concerning windscreen washer fluid for M-B vehicles. His response was they use the standard blue fluid. He did say there was guidance from M-B not to use RainX because it fouls the tank sensor.

Later, upon returning home, last resort, RTFM. Turns out M-B specifies two concentrates, MB Summerfit and MB Winterfit. So in the interest of doing things by the book I ordered a bottle of Summerfit. I'm now the proud owner of one gallon of M-B spec. windscreen washer fluid. costing but only $8.00.

It seems M-Bs concern with using something other than what's called out is damage to headlight lens. Not sure this concern is valid as otherwise there would be many many owners complaining loudly about damaged lens.

Jeff Ostroff

Do they sell this at the dealer or is it a special order?

larrypmyers

Jeff, When at the dealer didn't ask as was not aware the stuff even existed. Would think the dealer stocks it. And if not, would be amenable to ordering it.

I ordered from Amazon, cost $8.21. Comes in a 4 ml bottle. Makes four liters of beautiful blue M-B spec. fluid.

Correction: Comes in a 4 mil. bottle, not a 0.4 mil bottle.

Ungarisch

This is what I use, it's compatible with all MB gaskets, hoses and headlight plastics. I live in socal thought which means that the bottle I bought in 2011 is still half full

kajtek1

When I was in Poland, with mild winters at Baltic Sea I could use 6l of fluid DAILY.
The detergent fluids were pretty expensive at the time, but tap water worked just fine.
In CA and NV the MB 5l tank is like 3-5 years supply for me, so I am more worry about algae.
I just use blue stuff and distillate water, so on those rare occasions when I spray the fluid, I don't have white spots on the glass.
What I experienced in my skiing years the 0F fluid is having easy to evaporate ingredients (alcohol ?) so when I put it in - it was dropping the level in just days without using it.
Now I use 32F stuff and drive for years without worry about it.

DFWdude

New York City is at 40° N. Latitude. So if the MB concentrate offers little freeze protection, those poor Berliners much further North (52° N. Latitude) must have real issues dealing with a lack of freeze protection on Mercedes-Benz's home turf..

I've used the MB concentrate for 17 years in my two MBs, diluted with water (as prescribed) in a 4L bottle. It works great, even on those trips to the frosty middle US latitudes where it sometimes get below zero F. Never had an issue with freeze protection.

KEY08

Oh man, that got a huge chuckle going. ha!

Jeff Ostroff

Larry, thanks for the tip on Amazon, I just ordered one through my Amazon Prime account. Did not cost me a cent either, I used points from one of my VISA credit cards, that gets sucked into amazon's shopping cart, to reduce the amount you owe at checkout time, a cool feature I like to use a lot by connecting this one particular card to my Amazon account. At checkout it simply allows me to use whatever reward points I want to use that I have stored up on the card. It's one of those cards that pays double points on gas and food and groceries, so I let it accumulate twice as fast, then use the points to make all my amazon purchases.

Jabberwock

^ was that a Visa card ad?

thefisch

Priceless.

mikemargolis

Simple answer: use the cheap blue stuff. DO NOT USE the orange Rain-X stuff. Greatest windshield washer fluid ever, and I use it in all our other cars. But in the M-B it causes the tank sensor to read EMPTY when the tank is not empty. Something about the electrical conduction of the orange fluid.

Anyway, buy the cheap stuff, straight out of the bottle from Wal-mart.

Oda112

Sugar, spice and everything nice; those were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect MB windshield washer fluid. Keep the ChemicalX, or Rain-X, as it's better known as.