unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

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rutter123
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unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by rutter123 »

I have owned the TGD for about 6 months now and the screenwash reservoir needed filling, looked a bit black on the inside so decided to give it a wash out. Growing around the inside of the reservoir was what only i can describe as an alien green/black slime/bacteria which looked very unfriendly. not the easiest to simply wash out, so i did this, take a small handful of clean gravel(i used fish tank gravel) a small handful of small coins and 1 dishwasher tablet, chuck it all in the reservoir put the filler cap on and fill with hot water thru the pump motor hole, stand it upside down until most of the water has drained out thru the small hole in the cap, with approx half pint of water left hold the cap securely and put your finger over the pump hole and shake vigourously with all the coins and gravel and tablet inside, 5 mins shaking broke down all the slime and reservoir is now like new, rinse thoroughly. anyone come across this in theirs??
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by Dollywobbler »

Yes, especially with the rear washer bottle, which very, very rarely needs topping up. That means the water can sit in there for years at a time.

It's a good habit with a BX to take the washer bottles out every now and then, ditch the old screenwash if it's looking iffy and check for corrosion beneath where the bottles sit. Clear out those leaves and bits of mank!
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by rutter123 »

Dollywobbler wrote:Yes, especially with the rear washer bottle, which very, very rarely needs topping up. That means the water can sit in there for years at a time.

It's a good habit with a BX to take the washer bottles out every now and then, ditch the old screenwash if it's looking iffy and check for corrosion beneath where the bottles sit. Clear out those leaves and bits of mank!
done all that but the car has always been garaged so very little mank or leaves etc, actually very nice and clean and rust free inside both sides much to my surprise.
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by Mickey taker »

wasn't there a rumour a while ago about legionairres disease being carried in dirty windscreen washer bottles
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by Mickey taker »

yup there you go

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10293519" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by rutter123 »

Mickey taker wrote:wasn't there a rumour a while ago about legionairres disease being carried in dirty windscreen washer bottles
yeah vaguely remember i heard somethin bout that but i think wotever was growing in mine had already eaten the legionairres disease for breakfast....it was definately "alive" wotever it was.
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by Birotor »

Not a rumour about Legionares - dont be tempted to syphon out the contents with a tube and starting the flow by sucking. It took me an hour to clear my GS's system and the worst thing you can do is not keep the wash / anti freeing concentration up.....
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by Birotor »

Had an hour spare and decided to do some unscheduled maintenance and have just cleaned the front screen wash system. Total 45 minutes to remove bottle (securing bolt 10 mm), disconnect power supply, disconnect hose at bottle end (leave attached at wiper spindle lower end), disconnect short pipe from spindle to spray bar on arm, remove spray bar, flush tank and pipes. Replace and secure, reconnect piping, fill with -15 C concentration washer fluid, check operation. Taking the tank out to check underneath is good idea and makes the removal/replacement of the hose from the pump easier. I have known similar plastic spigots on pumps to snap.
Would be nice to know of a source of the semi-rigid spray bar tubing?
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by RobC »

I keep meaning to link my two tanks with a length of piping. Presumably 5mm diameter or so would be sufficient. Would double the capacity of the front tank and keep things moving around the rear one!

Has anyone else done this?
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by mat_fenwick »

Vanny has! Keep meaning to but haven't yet...
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by Birotor »

On my rally GS yes some thing similar for the London-Sydney.. As many GS owners doing long rallies do I had already replaced the useless single squirt GS pump by a separately mounted Halfords generic rotary pump the suction of which went into the reservoir top via a purpose modified champagne cork. I fitted a second reservoir and ran a suction line from it into a T in the first reservoir suction line.
With the BX, unfortunately the pump is directly mounted on the wall of the reservoir so you cannot access the suction side and the easiest way would be to connect in a leveling line which would mean drilling both reservoirs and putting in fittings for the leveling hose to push onto. I'm wondering if I wont just stick to the 1 ltr bottle of water I carry in the boot....
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by mat_fenwick »

Birotor wrote:I'm wondering if I wont just stick to the 1 ltr bottle of water I carry in the boot....
With the BX though, it's not so much the extra capacity, but to reduce the possibility of old fluid in one reservoir. Obviously you can remove it to flush it from time to time, but I only remember to do it every year or two. Downside would be if you do run out, you can't just pour the fluid in from the rear reservoir!

I think the spray bars are still available; certainly I bought a new one last year for ~£12.
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by citsncycles »

I've been told that spray bars are available from Malcolm Lockwood, but I've currently fitted a cheaper spray set up from a Merc. Sprinter - about £6 for the nozzle assembly and tube. It doesn't quite have the coverage of the original spray bar but has proved trouble free so far.

If your spray bar is being replaced due to blockage check right through the system, especially the wiper spindle, as any crud floating in there will just block it up again.

On the subject of washer systems, anyone know of a source for the rear washer jet?
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by Dollywobbler »

The wiper spindle is the biggest weakness in the system. It's choked up completely on the Green Tiger, which is why it has a properly Heath Robinson set-up with an normal jet cable tied to the scuttle panel (that was just a 'temporary' fix for the MOT...). The spray bar was knackered on the TXD, but the one on Green Tiger was fairly new. I got it from Citroen.
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Re: unknown alien slime growing in screenwash reservoir

Post by rutter123 »

my old tgd had a similar set up with jets mounted on the scuttle panel and the motors of both pumps wired in together only feeding the front washer jets, and each jet supplied by its own reservoir (as the rear wash wash jet never worked anyway) this doubled the capacity and also when one run dry there was usually enough in the other side to "get you home" and in all fairness is was quite a good system and didnt look too out of place as the jets had been painted to match the scuttle.i dont think ive had a bx with a working rear washer jet they just get blocked and forgotten about, one day maybe i might try and get all mine to work, i said might....maybe....one day.
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