MP4.2+6.0

Fluid mix varies depending on where you are in the country. It is regulated in some areas by smog agencies. Here in the SF Bay Area and in LA you can't buy it at retail in a mix that has antifreeze type stuff (mostly alcohol) in it. The Audi bottles I have seen also have labelling suggesting it is regulated in at least some of Texas, or at least is nanny stickered. You can smell the alcohol in the good stuff, including when you spray it if your nose is sensitive. The mixes are more of the methanol variety I think.

If I go to Tahoe I can buy "the good old stuff" by the jug like always; rarely freezes by the coast anyway, so more a mountain thing. If you want genuine Audi, you can get it mail order via some places in a concentrate. You can also make your own w/ something like 20/20 for the cleaner part, distilled water and alcohol. Or if you are dealing with an existing nearly full reservoir, don't have the antifreeze type (like a CA coastal car), and want to freeze protect it plus get a little more grease/road grime cutting, top up with some alcohol.

BarryT

The washer fluid in mine was frozen for three days. I parked in the garage to thaw it and used as much of it as I could to refill it with something better. When it did thaw it was coming out somewhat slushy.

MP4.2+6.0

You do want to try to cold protect it, both for the obvious using it reason, but also because if it freezes it can start to crack or damage the components internally. When folks arrive in Tahoe from the Bay Area and aren't familiar with it, we often dump in some treated concentrate or even just a bottle of rubbing alcohol in a pinch and then run enough through the squirters that the freeze protected stuff is all through the lines, any headlight washers, rear window wiper stuff, etc.

Pacific Fisher

I just added some ordinary blue fluid from Oreillys.
Is there some way to purge it or should I just keep it a secret from my Audi Purist friends?

Q5 Bob

Better keep it a secret and delete this post.

JimVonBaden

Seriously? Audi has an exclusive WW fluid and you can't use anything else?

Pacific Fisher

Yes, it appears I have tainted my Audi and lost face on this forum.

JimVonBaden

JimVonBaden

Another related question. We have had our Q5 for two weeks, and though it has been kind of crappy weather, and we have used the washer a bit, it ran out the other day. When I refilled it (with Prestone washer fluid eek) it took the whole gallon. Do these use a lot of fluid, or was mine not fully filled from the factory/dealership?

timlocke

They do use a lot especially when the headlight washers do their thing. IIRC the reservoir holds about 6 litres.