How to Top Up Windshield Washer Fluid

Steps to top up Windshield Washer Fluid

1. Have your windshield washer fluid ready

Windshield washer fluid can usually be purchased at most gas stations, grocery stores or your local dealership and costs $5 or less for a gallon.
It’s worth noting that windshield washer fluid contains methanol and is toxic if swallowed. Contact poison control if you suspect consumption. Keep away from children and animals. Looks a little like blue juice!

Photo: Charles Roderick/Flickr

2. Pop the hood

Locate the hood latch release and pop open the hood. Hood latch releases are typically a pull type lever on the driver side footwell somewhere with a hood open logo.

You’ll then need to go to the hood itself and release the latch between the hood and the front bumper. This latch is usually in the middle and requires being moved to the side. Check your owners manual if you can’t find it (sometimes those latches are a game of hide and seek)

Hood latch release on driver side below steering wheel.

3. Locate windshield washer bottle

In your engine bay, look for a bottle top that has a windshield washer logo. The top of the cap may be yellow or clear. The washer bottle itself may also be clear or colored. Be sure to not get it mixed up with the coolant reservoir!

The cap should pop up and open pretty easily.

Windshield washer bottle top

4. Pour in the windshield washer fluid

Top up your windshield washer fluid by pouring into your washer fluid tank. There is a fill line. You know, like the same as microwave rice.

Do not fill beyond that fill line!

Topping up washer fluid

5. Skoosh away!

Pull or press the lever and feel the relief as you skoosh your way to a clear view ahead. ahhh.

And no there isn’t a separate tank for the rear window, it all comes out of the same tank.

Photo: Devon Janse van Rensburg

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This post was last modified on %s = human-readable time difference 8:39 am

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