303 Washer Fluid Tablets

Status
Not open for further replies.
The Critic

The Critic

Joined
Aug 30, 2004
Messages
31,971
Location
CA
I could not find a washer fluid section so I am posting it here.

Normally I use the Rain-X stuff or Prestone Bug wash, but the price has recently gone up and $2.50/gal for washer fluid seems steep.

The 303 tablets are $16 for 25. Each tablet makes one gallon of washer fluid. It is advertised to be a super-duper premium washer fluid concentrate.

Cost-wise, this stuff is a winner, as it is even cheaper than the generic blue stuff. However, I am curious if it lives up to the advertisement of being better than most washer fluids on the market today?
 
I used dynotab washer pellets recently in the Caprice, and it wasn't happy, after the first few uses, whining and not spraying.

Back "flush" with my new compressor, and it runs great on Bars Bugs, just like I've been using for 25 years.
 
I use the winter stuff all year long. My yearly cost for WW fluid is under $5 for 2 vehicles. Its mostly used in the winter around upstate NY. I just don't want to get to winter with my WW fluid reservoir mostly full with summer WW fluid.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Huh, never heard of the stuff. Will have to look into that.


Same here. I just buy Super-Tech from WalMart or Rain-X if it's on sale.... $2.50 for a gallon is way less than what you pay in the great white north.. that stuff is $4-4.50 a jug here.
 
I bought a few packages from Canadian Tire a few years ago, they haven't stocked them for almost 2 years. They worked alright, certainly much better than the cheapo blue stuff.
 
Those tablets are very interesting and I might give them a try.

But, they might not be such a great choice, depending on where you live. Where I live, we have a significant part of the year where you need the low-temp washer fluid with freeze protection. That's something these tablets won't do, from what I see.

Not a concern where the OP lives, but definitely a concern where I live.
 
Originally Posted By: 55
I bought a few packages from Canadian Tire a few years ago, they haven't stocked them for almost 2 years. They worked alright, certainly much better than the cheapo blue stuff.


I wonder if you could use the tablet and the Rain-X additive to make cheap Rain-X? Walmart sells a generic Rain-X additive that you are supposed to add to the blue stuff. I'm going to have to look into this
 
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Those tablets are very interesting and I might give them a try.

But, they might not be such a great choice, depending on where you live. Where I live, we have a significant part of the year where you need the low-temp washer fluid with freeze protection. That's something these tablets won't do, from what I see.

Not a concern where the OP lives, but definitely a concern where I live.

How much does a gallon of ethyl or isopropyl alcohol cost? They both have freezing points below -100°F, so I'd think a mix of 3/4 water and 1/4 alcohol, plus the tablet, would offer good freeze protection.
 
I am surprised that Critic considers $2.50 for a gallon of washer fluid "expensive". How many gallons of fluid does he go through per week? For $16, you could buy 6 bottles of the "expensive" solution. I go through a bottle may be once a year on my both cars. And I am really picky about filling it up before visiting my mechanic because he has a habit of topping it up with the cheap stuff. I see no reason to shell out $16 up front cost at all. Economics just does not make sense when time value of money or "storeability" of the tablets (e.g. will you find it in five years when you have probably moved through couple of houses?) or would it still be potent after 6 years?

What if the tablet content don't completely dissolve in the water and clog up the washer jet?

- Vikas
 
Last edited:
Could save a bottle of washer fluid, and disolve the tablets in that.

Seems like most/all washer fluid tanks have a screen on them. I would not be shocked if it wasn't fine enough to catch "too-big" chunks--but perhaps the OEM's did size it properly. Would be nice to think so.

Is isopropyl ok for paint? I'm not sure which one is "bad" for paint. Or wax, for the matter.
 
Cheap blue winter washer fluid is methanol. I have to assume it's the cheapest alcohol they can make, and that the 70% distillation is cheaper than distilling to 99% then watering it back down again.

California bans (in places) alcohol based washer fluid because of its VOCs.
crazy.gif


When you pay for summer fluid, you pay for shipping water. These tabs sound like a soap. Let us know how it works.
 
Nope, methanol is usually a "synthetic", made from Natural Gas (and coal used to be a biggie, but not anymore).

I'd reckon a tablet and a half bottle of methylated spirits would be OK, just adjust the alcohol to your local conditions.

Here's the brand tablt I used, that appeared not to make it through the screen on the pump.

http://www.dynotab.com/82641.html

Their fuel tablets DO dissolve in petrol or diesel, and do what they say. (the additive test reported recently gives about the right concentration too).
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Cost-wise, this stuff is a winner, as it is even cheaper than the generic blue stuff. However, I am curious if it lives up to the advertisement of being better than most washer fluids on the market today?


I've tried them, Critic, having got some when I ordered some buffer pads and so forth. I had originally planned on using them to fortify the low detergent cheap winter washer fluid. However, there's a lot of better stuff up here these days that I've been using.

I can't say I've noticed a difference, but I haven't been able to do a reasonable test. My car is always washed and I use "high end" washer fluid anyhow. Perhaps this summer, when it runs low, I'll use some water and the tablet and see how it goes. I'm sure we'll have enough bugs that I'll have some idea.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I am surprised that Critic considers $2.50 for a gallon of washer fluid "expensive". How many gallons of fluid does he go through per week? For $16, you could buy 6 bottles of the "expensive" solution. I go through a bottle may be once a year on my both cars. And I am really picky about filling it up before visiting my mechanic because he has a habit of topping it up with the cheap stuff. I see no reason to shell out $16 up front cost at all. Economics just does not make sense when time value of money or "storeability" of the tablets (e.g. will you find it in five years when you have probably moved through couple of houses?) or would it still be potent after 6 years?

What if the tablet content don't completely dissolve in the water and clog up the washer jet?

- Vikas


I go through a gallon about every 3 months. The reason I am looking for a new washer fluid is because the Rain-X stuff smears and does not provide adequate cleaning power.

However, I just filled my reservoir with Prestone Bug Wash. This stuff seems to do exactly what I am looking for.
 
Thinking I was low at 50k miles on the original reservoir fill -- not much left on the dipstick -- I bought a gallon of winter stuff. I didn't want to mix the old with the new, so I sprayed a lot, over and over, and it still took over a week of constant spraying (I could have done it faster, but didn't want to put added stress on the pump.)

I don't go through excessively muddy or dusty areas often, but even when I do, it doesn't take much spraying to clean the windshield. Is there a reason why some people seem to go through washer fluid so quickly?
 
Bugs. I washed my car at 7pm yesterday within 30 minutes I had 4 or 5 bug splotches on my windshield.
Then in the winter, at least up north, it freezes, so I go though a lot of the ice melt stuff.
We go though a 4-5 gallons/year I'd guess. Never really kept track. If I could find this stuff, and it did as advertised, I'd be all over it.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

T
Windshield Washer Fluid Tablets
Replies
11
Views
4K
BMWTurboDzl
Owen Lucas
Active Ingredient for Windshield Bug Wash?
Replies
17
Views
5K
Braapdaddy
92saturnsl2
Windshield washer fluid additive to depress freezing point?
2 3 4
Replies
60
Views
14K
Silver
B
Windshield washer fluid - DYI mix?
2 3
Replies
41
Views
8K
BHopkins
T
Bulk washer fluid at gas station
2 3
Replies
57
Views
5K
supton
Back
Top