Hey everybody,

I did a search for this issue, and I'm not sure what may be the problem; nobody seems to have mentioned it in the past. I hope I'm not the only "lucky one".

Whatever MINI put into the washer fluid reservoir eats into my paint! I already have two nice "water spots" IN the clearcoat - the latest one after the stuff was on the paint for less than an hour! Mild polishing does not remove these marks -- very upsetting to say the least. It's my driver's side washer nozzle that's weeping (I've read posts from others who've had this issue), and now I've got paint damage to prove it.

I've pulled apart my hood liner and disconnected the damned things before they weep more crap on my paint. I'm trying to remove the nozzels so that I can TRY to polish out the damage.

Has anybody tried to pull their windshield washer nozzels out of the hood? If so, how are the fasteners released? Here's a picture of the underside:

 

Can't help with the nozzles, but I would siphon out the stuff from the factory if it's doing damage. Must look bad on the black

 

I figured out how to remove the nozzles (I feel daft for not spelling "nozzle" correctly - sorry). :smile:

I didn't want to just force anything, hence the removal of the underhoood insulation so I could see the fastening mechanics. After figuring out how to do it, the process is painfully simple -- no need to remove anything under the hood.

To remove the washer nozzles (if you'd like to really detail your hood or just clean out all of the old wax around them): simply grasp the nozzle and slide it slightly towards the front of the car. Sliding forward slightly will compress a spring-like piece of plastic at the front bumper-end of the nozzle. Once you've slid the nozzle forward, simply lift the rear end (the end with the nozzles) gently up and out to the rear. There won't be much extra hose, so SECURE THE END OF THE HOSE BEFORE YOU PULL IT OFF OF THE NOZZLE. If you fail to do this and the end falls into the hole in the hood, you'll have to remove the heat insulation under the hood.

EDIT: Refer to the picture at the top of this thread for a better understanding of the removal process. The hose fitting is at the front bumper-end of the nozzle.

 

Well, I siphoned out the stuff in the reservoir. Whatever it is, it sure looked/smelled like plain 'ole washer fluid.

Removing the nozzles allowed me to really go after the stains (or whatever you want to call 'em). After a good hour of polishing with Meguiar's Show Car Glaze (a pretty mild polish, I think) the stains came out -- or I simply removed a large portion of the clearcoat in the area.

I guess I'm the only person that's had this problem (the sound of crickets chirping). I'm still fishing to see if anyone has experienced anything like this problem. I'd like to think I'm just being **** about my paint, but if you could have seen the stains/etching in the hood...

Since washer fluid has never attacked the paint on other cars I've had, I'm trying to determine what could have happened. Besides methanol and colored water, is there anything else in washer fluid? I've heard you can make non-freezing fluid by mixing rubbing alcohol with distilled water... any thoughts on this?

Thanks for any help... It sucks to have the car destroy its own paint.

 

Here's my lame effort to convey what happpened. The drip trail, which can't really be seen in this shot, goes up to the left (near the flash flare). What you CAN see is the area immediately around the nozzle -- this is the clearcoat(!) and not just wax buildup. The fluid was left in contact with the paint surface right around the nozzle and pretty much ate through it.

Enjoy...

 

I have to go through gallons of the stuff, I do get spots around the nozzles, but a detail spray, and their gone.
I use cheap summer bug stuff in the summer. In the winter I use rainx -45F stuff, it really does clear ice off the windshield. It cost a bit more, but it works great.

 

When I first picked up my car I was showing her around and accidently hit the washer fluid handle. It squirted a little and I just wiped it off the windshield. The next day I looked at my hood and I noticed a water mark around the nozzle and a drop trail down the hood and across my bonnet stripe. I tried to wipe it off with cleaner and soap, but nothing took it off.

I went back to the dealer and they took it in while I was at work and they couldln't even get it off the bonnett stripe. They ended up replacing the bonnett stripes and removing the nozzel and buffing out the stain.

They also watered downn the windshield washer solutiong that was in the resevoir. My MA told me that the solution was too potent and actually just stained the stripes and nozzle. Maybe try watering it down a little or as some have said above, just siphon it out and use your own.

Just remember, you're not the only one!!!


PS: I still have a problem getting wate marks off the black bonnett stripes. Any ideas as what to use on them to clean them off? I didn't get a chance to put a coat of wax on before the first rain and have been afraid to use anything too acidic that might cause the stripe to peel or fade.

Thanks!
-Nick

 

Try a little white vinegar diluted with filtered water. Adjust the strength from mild on up until you get the right ratio to remove the water spots. I have a lot of experience with this because we have very hard minerally well water in our area.

 

(Yes I'm grinning as I choose a title for this reply ).

First let me lead off by saying THANKS for the detailed information about the nozzles - my sig notwithstanding () I do appreciate it greatly.

I have had similar results as you, where polishing (or QD solutions for that matter) just will not remove those blasted spots. I wonder - if they put washer fluid in the paint itself would that increase resistance to spots .

Unsolicited advice: have someone HIDE your credit card for your own safety, before you venture there, but where you need to check is the Detailing 101 forum - those guys have seen pretty much everything that can go wrong with the MINI's finish.

Solutions:
1) clay the hood, to remove this spotting. it worked for me. if you see my car around town you will know it by the DUSTY windshield. I so can't stand this spotting, i have been known to let my windshield "go commando" for extended periods!! After using the claybar, find your hidden credit card, get some ZAINO and seal that spot-free puppy up (the bonnet).

caveat: at this point, you should never clean your windshield with a gas station squeegee or by using your washer jets ever again... just learn to live with the crusty glass - it will be worth it (and i'm only HALF kidding) knowing that you will not have spots on the bonnet.

2) invent some way to make windshields spotlessly clean without washer fluid, without gas station squeegees, etc. Once you come up with an idea how to do this, contact me I'll make us a MINT!

One last thing, and this is not meant as a hijack - NEVER let the dealership "wash" your car for you. They snuck and pulled that one on me recently, and as a result I have to make an extra trip so they can "buff out" the humongous scratches they inflicted on the bonnet. I am grateful, i guess, that they are willing to try to keep me a happy customer.

Good Luck, (go to Detailing 101 forum on NAM and look for "water spots" and such - you'll find lots of info),
Tatt

 

Damn
that sucks real bad.
Wish u the best fixing that nasty looking damage..

By the way, how do you drain out the washer ?? do you suck it up with your mouth?

or..?

 

Sears has a siphon "kit" for a couple bucks which may be useful for this application. For use with lawnmowers, 'though I haven't polluted mine with used oil/gas just yet, I bet it would do a nice job if you absolutely have to change out your windshield washer fluid.

I don't blame the washer fluid (too "concentrated"??). ANYthing wet, when droplets are left to "dry" on the bonnet, seems to be capable of leaving water spots and they are ALL difficult to remove.

I bought the siphon kit since I couldn't find (tho' i have found it since) the owner's manual for the mower, to confirm that yes, you do have to tip the sucker OVER to change the oil (the mower, not the MINI).

That is actually another funny story, probably needs to be in Off Topic - I used the detailing stuff I bought especially for my MINI, to "detail" my Craftsman mower (6 hp, one of those green ones, NOT self-propelled mind you), back in the Spring. Well actually a little brake cleaner helped make the motor shiny too, before that first mowing , yeah I cheated a bit but hey the sucker starts on the first pull, after 6 seasons.

two (more) cents,
Tatt

 

When you do use a detailing spray to try and lift those spots, do it when the metal is cool and not in direct sunlight. Also, let it work for awhile, and keep it wet with the QD. Give it 5 minutes or so to float/lift the stain. Then don't rub it hard,dab at it, and keep it wet with more QD.
Once it looks like the stain is gone, then you can buff it up.

Using a good quality auto glass cleaner will help with having to use less washer fluid.

Good luck:smile:

 

I got back from a drive today and found the same kind of corrosive spots on my trunk (boot) as I had on my hood (bonnet).

Before you consider me nuts, I have to point out that I failed to clear out the original fluid from the rear wiper supply line. Although the hood nozzle lines have nothin' but air in 'em (and consequently don't weep on the hood), the rear line must have still been full of the "killer wiper fluid". Since the rear wiper also weeps, the Killer Fluid left its mark.

This fluid (whatever it is) still amazes me -- get just a little on the paint/trim/plastic and it leaves a perma-waterspot that must be polished out. After excersizing the rear wiper fluid pump pretty well, I can't smell the stuff any more (it's got a serious alcohol stink). I've been replacing the Killer Fluid with distilled water as I go, so whatever is left in the system has got to be diluted like crazy.

Believe me, I was rinsing the rear of the car as I sprayed the wiper, expecting to see bubbling and sizzling as the fluid was being dispensed. Hopefully this will solve this problem once and for all.

Sorry to bore you all with this obsession, but I'd hate to see this happen to another MINI owner.

 

Just bumping this back up.....I just found a stain on my hatch. I used the rear window washer twice last week, now there's a brown stain from the rear wiper down to and around the MINI logo, and down to the chrome bar above the license plate. I used Meguiar's glaze and it didn't budge. The car is pepper white so it's easy to notice this rusty looking stain on the back. Any idea if this might be fixed under warranty? Hate to have a 2 month old stained car.

 

Sorry to hear about your stain. My advice would be to try a more agressive polish like Meguiar's Scratch-X (available at most auto parts stores). You may want to try using this on the stain before going to the dealer, as the dealer might not be very careful with your car's paint.

The main things to remember while using a more agressive polish like Scratch-X are to start with a very clean surface and be gentle while polishing. I was able to get my stains off by using glaze and Scratch-X... it just took a while.

Hope this helps. :smile:

 

Did you have discoloration? Mine doesn't appear to be bubbling up or corroded, just a nasty brown color and some goo around the emblem. I sure hope this isn't gonna require a repaint of the hatch.

 

You are not alone!
I got my MCS on May 31st and the first time I used the washer fluids I too thought they looked funky. Almost chalky. I was thinking, "Maybe in England they have some strange washer solution or just very bad water." I also noticed the chalky buildup under the back wiper which left a trail down to the MINI wings... It came off after my first real handwash.
I'm tempted to drain (or siphon), flush them and then replace with the good ol' blue stuff that you buy at the supermarket/gas station. Never had a problem with it.

 

Sorry about the confusion, but I had no corrosion - I was trying to be funny/dramatic when I described "bubbling and sizzling" in my previous post.

My washer fluid left what looked like water spots. The problem was that the "water spots" were actually IN the clearcoat. Whatever the OEM fluid was, it actually etched the clearcoat almost instantly (nasty stuff). Nothing short of polishing down the affected clearcoat would remove the marks.

I siphoned the the stuff out of the reservoir and then used the rear wiper pump to purge the line that feeds the rear wiper. Currently I'm using plain old distilled water while the weather's warm. I'll switch to the blue gas station stuff in a while.

Sorry to hear about the stains.

 

yep.. i thought i cleared my fluid but i also have a drip stain on the boot from the wiper reseviour. :( 3 weeks of ownership and counting.

 

Interesting thread.

Never noticed the problem with my black '03 MCS, but immediately noticed it on my two week old BR green JCW MCS. I first noticed the stream from the rear nozzle. It took a bit of effort, but came off w/out problems.

Now I need to get out and empty & replace the resevoirs w/the basic "blue stuff."

 

Dimini, i noticed this immediately on my front wiper nozels. Had to flush the system twice to get the stuff out. diluting it simply isnt enough. the stuff is extremely potent.

 

My reservoir actually came empty, so I bought some plain blue stuff from auto zone. I guess it was a good thing after reading this thread.

 

I don't get it! I've had my PW/B MCS since 4/05 and I've never had the bonnet etching nor have I had the rear weep/discoloration. I spray front and back screens as needed with Industrial strength juice. I wash it (touchless) 2-3x per week and my MINI looks great!!! I guess I better go look closely (as in a >than 3 sec glance) to see if I have damage!

Point is; I respect the (and I wont even call them obsessive) careful detailer and I admire a highly detailed vehicle. I also enjoy my MINI and keep it shiny clean. I also realize that if someone looks closely at a given area that there may be a less than perfect reflection but I know this: You gotta look for it! It wont be apparent from a casual glance which I think, is the standard of review for the general public.
Thats my opinion and I'm sticking to it! That's alright, go ahead; I got my nomex on.

 

What you're experincing is leftover Cosmoline from the transoceanic shipping process, the VDC sometimes doesn't get it all out, esp. from the washer fluid nozzles--yes it gets in there and it's very concentrated and mixes with the fluid. That's why you're having these problems. It also can stay in other places like the badges and the chrome trim. It's a ***** but try bug and tar remover lightly for the exterior, followed by a good wax, and multiple washes and rain will take care of (most) of it.

Your nozzles will clean out on their own; it IS NOT THE FLUID.

Also, there's Cosmoline in your engine compartment; check in the nooks and crannies and you'll see it. It's put on all BMW products to prevent salt air corrosion. I had this same problem with my 05 S and it went away after a couple thousand miles.

Sometimes Cosmoline works too well and you're experiencing this. Jimbo

 

Jimbo,

i am familiar w/the use of cosmoline on guns for preserving them, but what might this cosmoline look like? what color might it be?

is there anything that can be added to the washer fluid to help remove this stuff?