Objective To develop a new type of highly efficient water-based aluminum alloy surface treatment agent. Methods Several kinds of surface active agents and mix acids were used as the main materials, and the aluminum alloy surface oil removal and Al₂ O₃ film removal capability were used as quantitative factors for performance evaluation. The components of the pretreatment agent were finalized through orthogal test, and the integrated performance of the surface treatment solution was tested. Results The best formula of the treatment agent was as following: fatty alcohol ethoxylates 4. 8 g / L( AEO-7 4. 0 g / L, AEO-9 0. 8 g / L) , alkyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether ( OP-10) 1. 0 g / L, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate( SDBS) 0. 6 g / L, sulfuric Acid ( H₂ SO₄ ) 4. 0 g / L, phosphoric acid ( H₃ PO₄ ) 6. 0 g / L, soaking 20 ~ 30 min. The experimental result showed that the new surface pretreatment agent was with good stability. It could successfully remove the oil and Al₂ O₃ film on the surface. Conclusion Since the components of this surface treatment solution are cheap and readily available, and there is no special requirement for equipments during industrial processing, this agent can be widely used in the pretreatment of aluminum materials and components. The highly efficient pretreatment agent will have great potential in industry.