E34's have inefficient/wasteful windshield washing systems...

[RockJock]

It’s been extremely balmy here over the last few days. The snow has been melting and the roads are sloppy and filthy. These road conditions require lots and lots of windshield washer fluid. However, out of any car I’ve ever owned the E34 is the most inefficient and wasteful when in comes to using up the fluid. I just found that used 2 gallons in the last two days . With other cars I’ve owned I usually got about a month out of a gallon because the systems used the fluid much more sparingly. Anybody here have the same complaint?

[shogun]

no complaint. Others maybe try to save money in installing smaller pumps.
Pre-condition for all is
good wiper blades
wiper correctly installed in the correct angle, there is a special tool for that
wiper nozzles correctly installed/directed, there is a instruction too how to adjust them
wiper nozzles cleaned
good and proper washer fluid

[RockJock]

no complaint. Others maybe try to save money in installing smaller pumps.
Pre-condition for all is
good wiper blades
wiper correctly installed in the correct angle, there is a special tool for that
wiper nozzles correctly installed/directed, there is a instruction too how to adjust them
wiper nozzles cleaned
good and proper washer fluid

Thanks Erich, I'll try a set of new blades. Could you please tell me more about said tool? As for the nozzles, they're aimed correctly and they're very clean. The fluid is also good. They use gravel on the roads here so when the snow starts melting the roads are always dirty/wet and windshields are constantly being coated with filthy water that dries almost immediately....smudging, thus the fluid is crucial.

[Paul in NZ]

intensive clean your freind.....

[shogun]

chattering windshield wipers? How to fix
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/292534/

[RockJock]

intensive clean your freind.....

It doesn't matter what fluid is used. You need to squirt fluid every few minutes/seconds in these conditions because with the traffic there's a constant filthy mist in the air .... anybody else know what I'm talking about??

[RockJock]

chattering windshield wipers? How to fix
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/292534/

Thanks Erich, fortunately they do not chatter, but this is good info for future reference...

[bsell]

It doesn't matter what fluid is used. You need to squirt fluid every few minutes/seconds in these conditions because with the traffic there's a constant filthy mist in the air .... anybody else know what I'm talking about??

You remember the song 'Purple Haze?' I always think of that one but change it to 'White Haze' here in Germay. The salt mixes with the moisture on the roads which turns the tire spray into instantly drying white haze/film as soon as it hits the windshield.

So the driver is faced with the choice of either peering through an ever darkening shield of water drops or sweeping the drops away just to leave an inpenatrable film of white, knowing full well he will be almost continuously blasting away the salt film with a limited supply of washer fluid vs. an unlimited supply of salted tire spray.

It really does get rather ridiculous...I feel the OP's pain,

Brian

[DaveVoorhis]

It doesn't matter what fluid is used. You need to squirt fluid every few minutes/seconds in these conditions because with the traffic there's a constant filthy mist in the air .... anybody else know what I'm talking about??

I'm hearing you. It was a bit better last week, but the week before I was spraying wash every few minutes on the motorway, only to get about sixty seconds worth of clean windshield before visibility was compromised.

[Ross]

I'll bet you follow other cars closely. Staying a further(safe) distance back will keep you out of most of their spray.