Distilled Water

[h3xme]

One of the first things I did after picking up my Pilot was to replace the water in the windshield washer reservoir with distilled water. I've found, in the past, that doing so reduced waterspotting on my windshield/hood and no clogging of the spray nozzle.

If you have a full tank of water it'll take several minutes of 'misting' both the front and rear window to drain the tank. You might want to give the pump motor a break a couple of times, to cool down, when doing so. It'll take about a gallon and a quarter of water to refill the tank.

I've also used distilled water for mixing with anti-freeze and a final rinse after washing out the engine compartment (spray bottle set at stream); no water-spotting. The final point may be moot since the introduction of the Mr Clean car washing system. I'll get the kit when it's time to wash out my engine bay.

[MG Pilot]

Here in the Cont. 48, most people use windshield washer fluid, not water. In fact, I have not heard of people using just plain water in the windshield washer tank.

[jay]

I use Rain-X Bug Remover fluid in the warmer months, and the Rain-X de-icer fluid in the colder months. I'd never run just distilled water; with my luck and memory, a day or two below 32 degrees F and that'd be that for the reservoir. At least it would be easy to install a tow package, because it looks like you have to remove the front bumper to replace the reservoir.

[MG Pilot]

Originally posted by jay
I use Rain-X Bug Remover fluid in the warmer months, and the Rain-X de-icer fluid in the colder months. I'd never run just distilled water; with my luck and memory, a day or two below 32 degrees F and that'd be that for the reservoir. At least it would be easy to install a tow package, because it looks like you have to remove the front bumper to replace the reservoir.

jay,

How's the 330 treating you?

[john802]

Originally posted by jay
I use Rain-X Bug Remover fluid in the warmer months, and the Rain-X de-icer fluid in the colder months. I'd never run just distilled water; with my luck and memory, a day or two below 32 degrees F and that'd be that for the reservoir. At least it would be easy to install a tow package, because it looks like you have to remove the front bumper to replace the reservoir.

How do you drain the washer fluid? Do you siphon it? All my car, I just use regular washer fluid with no problems. My Pilot's washer fluid never even freeze when I went to Alaska on a job assignment last winter.

-john

[jay]

Originally posted by MG Pilot


jay,

How's the 330 treating you?

Very well, thanks. And while I realize you pay more for service, my Lexus dealer treats customers the way they should be treated.

[h3xme]

Originally posted by john802


How do you drain the washer fluid? Do you siphon it? All my car, I just use regular washer fluid with no problems. My Pilot's washer fluid never even freeze when I went to Alaska on a job assignment last winter.

-john

john802,
I 'drained' the washer fluid by running both the front and rear window washers, pausing a couple of times to 'rest' the pump motors. It'll take several minutes to drain. The washer tanks on my previous two Accord's were easy to remove and thoroughly drain. The Pilot's tank, as you might well know, is buried.

John and others.
I could use water from my kitchen sink's "Pur" water filter but prefer using bottled distilled water instead as I know it's, no pun intended, pure. Considering the length of the tubing from the reservour to the rear washer, and rarely using the rear window washer, I think it wise to have pure water in that charged line rather than chancing some 'funk' to grow and build up in it. Another plus is that the local water bottler, "Menehune Water", uses heavy grade plastic for their gallon bottles and I can re-use the empties for a multitude of uses!

Sorry that I didn't think of freezing weather. Not to sound sarcastic but I guess that those doing so you may be stuck with having some water spotting by using additives. I think I should mention too that I Rain-X my windows; doing so may alleviate spotting, even with additives.

[Stevie B]

Originally posted by jay
Rain-X de-icer

Ice? What the heck is ice? What the hell, I'll give the distilled water a shot on the next fluid fill up. Thanks for the tip.

[jay]

Originally posted by Stevie B


Ice? What the heck is ice?

...snip

It's that stuff you pour the scotch and soda over.

[Stevie B]

Originally posted by jay
It's that stuff you pour the scotch and soda over.

Indeed!!