2009 Dodge Viper SRT10: Paying It Forward

tmanz, nope, I wouldn't touch the stuff either.

My Caddy CTS-V takes over 1 gallon of fluid. Crazy!

I would think it's piss from some homeless that had been drinking gatorade for a week...

^^^^ +1

I was just thinking the same thing. The gas station probably called the bomb squad out to dispose of "a quantity of an unknown liquid left by someone who left very quickly."

Although, in a Viper, I'm sure you leave everywhere very quickly.

Could have used plain tap water in your environment.

In some places like northern Europe people blow through a gallon of winshield cleaner every single winter day.

All my current cars take about 2.5 gallons of this stuff.

My Jeep and BMW also take the full gallon container when the washer fluid has run dry.
Which is really handy as there is no waste, and I'm sure is intentional by design.

Slightly OT question:

When I got my VW and BMW new, they were filled with this awesome clear fluid that had a very strong odor (some sort of solvent smell). It worked much, much better than the standard blue stuff. I've never been able to find anything like that OEM fluid - anyone have a recommendation?

I live in LA, btw, so no need for a low-temp fluid.

It's a called a quart, not a quarter of a gallon. :)

@vvk:

That's a good way to get Legionnaires' Disease.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/15/report-water-as-windshield-wiper-fluid-causes-20-of-legionnair

JK; thanx for the kind gesture. Hopefully karma will remember your deeds the next time you play the lottery....;-p

That said; most people won't simply pick up a bottle of wiper fluid left out like that without some red flags and alarms going off in their head (myself included.....)

Same thing happened to me, someone left some spare motor oil in a gallon milk jug, many thanks kind stranger. Unfortunately my engine overheated the next week in a completely unrelated event.

"I'm a 'clean windshield' guy. Any hint of grime and I'm on the squirters -- provided nobody's behind me, of course. "

This is the phrase that caught my attention. Thank you Jason. Nothing irritates me more than when I'm driving down the road with a clean windshield and someone in front of me hits the sprayers, dousing my car. Its even more irritating after I've just washed the car.

Please people, hit the windshield sprayers at the stoplight, or at least make sure no one is within 10 or so car lengths behind you.

On the request for info on wiper fluid from bds231, here in California wiper fluid does not contain much if any methanol anymore. I believe it has been prohibited due to environmental concerns (stupid California eco-weenies). Methanol is useful as a cleaning agent and removing it basically makes Cali wiper fluid water with color - IMO. Also means you can't buy wiper fluid and use it for methanol injection as some folks due in other states.

Its pretty incredible to me that you couldn't find room for that jug. Just throw it in the passenger footwell, I'm sure they'll survive.

"I'm a 'clean windshield' guy. Any hint of grime and I'm on the squirters -- provided nobody's behind me, of course. "

This shows that you don't have your squirters aimed right as they shouldn't be wasting any fluid shooting for the guy behind you.

Even if they're aimed right, if you're moving more than 10-15 mph you're going to have a nice mist coming off the windshield when you hit the sprayers. Although, the cars that use nozzles as part of the wiper (my Tahoe for example) as opposed to on or under the hood, seem to do better since the spray doesn't seem to be at as a high a pressure or have as much time to disperse.

"I'm a 'clean windshield' guy. Any hint of grime and I'm on the squirters -- provided nobody's behind me, of course. "

I am so pissed off from drivers that use the squirters on the highway messing my car when its freshly washed that I was thinking of pointing one of them sideways and use it when I am right next to them...