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so I was a little distracted...

newyorkin

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...And added about 6oz of windsield bug wash to my radiator. I caught myswelf right as I started pouring, and reached for the other bottle, which was actually antifreeze.
Should I worry about any potential chem reactions, or accelerated corrosion?

I'm working out of state and live in hotels during the week, just home on weekends, so I want to avoid a flush if I can...
Y'all think I'm safe?
 
Since you're asking this question you probably already know what you "should" do. If it were me I would drain the cooling system and flush it then add the proper amount of coolant. Besides, most people overlook the cooling system flush each year so it wouldn't be a bad idea anyways.
 
Six ounces probably won't hurt anything, but I agree that it would be a good idea to flush it.
My wife added some "anti-freeze" to her car one time and told me about it a day or two later. I asked where she got the anti freeze from and she told me "the jug on the shelf in the shed". It was a gallon of degreaser I'd brought home from work. :doah: It took me two hours to get all the soap flushed out of that thing, but it was clean!! :haha:
 
Check the bottle and see what it has in it. If its just soap than it might be ok.

If it is the premixed kind, they are so dilute that you might get away with it no matter what it has.
If you are like me and run straight Windex, then not so good.

Other than a foaming problem, the worst thing is that a lot of them had Ammonia in them and that might be hard on copper and brass.

But your antifreeze has a lot of anticorrisive properties, and would protect things somewhat.

One thing that is VERY important is to never ever put antifreeze in the washer bottle.
That could get you killed.

Years ago, Ford had a combination radiator overflow/windshield washer bottle with a divider down the middle.
The two fill holes were side by side.

Maybe useful in cold country because the coolant expansion would help warm the wash and help keep it from freezing on the windshield.

Anyway, somehow some idiot, not me, filled the washer with antifreeze in my service truck.
Driving along in traffic at speed, a light mist of rain hit the windshield.
I hit the wipers, they smeared. I hit the wash, which sprayed the fluid and turned on the wipers.

INSTANT blindness!!

The antifreeze coated the windshield and smeared beyond belief. It was like trying to see through that distortion glass they put in bathroom windows so no one can see in.

Of course, I kept hitting the button, which made it worse. Finally I stuck my head out the window and eased over to the shoulder.
Took every paper towel I had and my shirt to get it clear enough to drive again.

J.
 
Hey weird my wife put antifreeze in our cars windsheild wiper reservoir once, yes instant blindness!

Also just so you know she is pretty sure she put windshield wiper fluid in the radiator ( she is actually pretty smart about cars but I had them in very similar not orginal jugs) Not a little either like a gallon and she never told me about it till later that year. Flushed it myself and didn't seem to hurt anything.
 
Don't feel bad, I did the same thing once.

It's not such an emergency that you can't drive it. It should just be flushed out sometime soon.
 
Hmmm.distracted huh??..someone nearby have bigger jugs than the windsheild wash was in by chance?..:D

If you just put in a small amount I wouldn't sweat it...back when I was a teen and had a '56 Chevy pickup with a porus radiator and I couldn't afford real preston,I used a 160 degree thermostat and ran windsheild washer fluid for 75 cents a gallon,or used coolant from gas stations --it didn't seem to mind the combo at all,and it had a old brass/copper radiator..I did eventually get it soldered up and put good fresh coolant in it,but I ran it all winter that way..
 
may want to see what it does, may keep the bugs from sticking to the radiator now and help keep the inside cleaned up some... :p: :D
 
My uncle's car started to over heat one time in the desert... No water or coolant to be had for miles...

Well, him and his buddy pissed in the radiator, capped it and off they went...

He had to sell the car for really cheap a month or so later because they couldn't flush out the urine smell...:haha:

They tried putting dawn dish washing soap in it... Suds for days...:doah:

My dad still laughs every time he tells that story...:D

Feel lucky it was just windshield wash you put in...
 

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