Screen Wash Bottle Smells

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I have a 4 year old Yaris, which developed an unpleasant smell from the screenwash water about 8 months ago. When the screenwash/wipers were used, the smell entered the car via the air intake/heater vents.

I had the local garage pump the old water out of the reservoir and replenished the screenwash water bottle reservoir with fresh water. I was told that 'screenwash' additives cause this problem.

Anyway, some months down the line and the smell has returned. I have used the car's windscreen wiper and wash system to empty the reservoir, twice, added a small amount of bicarbonate of soda (thoroughly dissolved) to warm water, and then cleaned and flushed the reservoir and tubes clean, and the smell has gone, for now!

I'm loathe to only use water, for fear of it freezing. The screenwash additives contain some anti-freeze.

What can I do to stop this happening again? :(

[T600]

What screenwash are you using?

I've never had this with any screenwash. Yes some certainly have a strong chemical smell, but I've never known them go off and cause the kind of smell I think you're describing. Try a different brand perhaps?

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What screenwash are you using?

I've never had this with any screenwash. Yes some certainly have a strong chemical smell, but I've never known them go off and cause the kind of smell I think you're describing. Try a different brand perhaps?

Thanks for the quick reply. I use Carplan which I buy from places like Aldi, Tesco, etc. It is a cheap product. I tend to buy a large container and gradually use it over 12 months or so. Perhaps it 'goes off' over time. The smell from the reservoir is like rotten eggs.

We had the same problem with my wife's Saxo last year. Using Carplan and also having to have that reservoir flushed out as well. Now I've put my mind to it I think that a change of product is the better course of action.

[Karma Supra]

I used to not use screen wash as It is slightly corrosive. When my supra was in the garage in bits the washer reservoir water went stagnant and stunk to high heaven.

Screen wash stops this happening lol.

[sotal]

On one of our previous cars when we bought it, it had been standing for a while, and when we first used the screen wash it was disgusting, the water came out green, and it stunk like an old pond.

I just pulled the pipe off the bottom of the reservoir and let it all pee out, reconnected pipe and filled with screen wash, it was fine for as long as we owned the car after that