My washer fluid smells of Dog Poo !

[SAABPILOT]

The other day I was unblocking the headlight washers and fixing a headlight wiper motor. During this time both the wife and I noticed a dog poo smell.
Whilst I continued to fiddle with my pride and joy the wife searched the front garden armed with a trowl in hope of finding the offending poo, but to no avail.
It later transpired that the smell was actually coming from the washer fluid this being proved by smelling inside the bottle.
Unless someone has decided to play a joke by sneaking a stealthy poo into the washer bottle there must be some sort of bacteria building up in the system.
The only place the car has been for any servicing is for a new windscreen maybe they hate saabs and their owners or I am just paranoid.
I have been using only water in the system.
Has anyone else experienced a similar thing.

[gassy]

What sort of dog?

[Toby Mack]

mine stank (more mildew than poo!) when I got it. Flush it through a few times with clean water and then always put a decent screen wash in. That eventually got rid of the smell on mine. Also makes cleaning the screen easier!

[john]

A tip from a Saab friend who has restored and rebuilt Saabs is to remove bottle and place in water with those sterilising tablets you get for babies stuff (I'm not a father so I do not know the correct jargon).

Soak the bottle overnight in the sterilising solution and it comes out looking like new.

[gassy]

I use Decosol windscreen washer fluid. It's the dogs bo**ocks !

[WindyH]

sure its not a 'Rover'

[sgould]

Halford's do (did) washer fluid in Apple and lemon 'flavours' a well as the standard .

A year or two ago my wife had a Metro with Halfords normal washer fluid in. The Rover dealer topped up with Rover brand stuff and the contents of the washer bottle turned to a sticky gel . Maybe someone has mixed fluids with a different effect.

[ylee coyote]

sterilising tablets = bleach
watch your paint/wipers /seals etc etc
best to use decosol or other windscreen additive..
they are usually alcohol based so have a disinfectant effect and should kill off your dog poo bacteria..andd it is better at cleaning your screen and it doesn't freeze in winter...

[john]

ylee

the key words were "remove bottle". Of course, you would rinse this before replacement, wouldn't you?

[Paul D]

I imagine the 'sterilising' fluid tablets must be very mild for use with baby bottles, etc. Although rinsing would definately be wise!

Having used Halfords/Carplan type alcohhol based washer bottle fluid over the years, my washer bottle has built up a blue coating, which flakes off and can clog jet's etc.

Anyone any suggestions for an additive which will disolve the blue coating, but not damage the pipes/valves/paintwork, etc?

Or is it a removal and 'sterilising tablet' jobby?

[ylee coyote]

sorry /john missed that
btw its busy down your way...2 hours to do 40 miles !!

[pva]

Never heard of babies losing their paint/wipers/seals after having the bottles sterilised!!

The chlorine, once released, is quite unstable and easily rinsed away .................................. Agree about the alcohol-based wswasher fluids. I've had the gunge on the inside of the reservoir block the pump. (Not on my SAAB, of course.)

[9000CS23T]

The Halfords standard screen wash (in blue bottles) does not jellify. If you don't use a screenwash you will always get a buildup of scum eventually.

HTH

Neil

[john]

btw its busy down your way...2 hours to do 40 miles !! *[/b]

Yeah, it get's worse the hotter the weather gets! Luckily I know a few routes that the visiting Londoners don't!