WELCOME TO OUR Checking your windscreen washer fluid level PROJECT
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Summary: In this guide you will learn how to identify your cars windscreen washer tank and check the level.
How to check your windscreen washer levels
Please note that this is only a general guide and is not specific to any one make or model of vehicle. For more detailed information on your own particular car, please consult a workshop manual specific to your own make and model!
Please read this first
If you have recently driven your vehicle, please leave it for at least an hour for the engine and other components to cool down. If you do not you may risk injury!
Required Tools:
1. Old rag or several pieces of newspaper (to clean up any spillages)
2. A container of windscreen washer fluid
3. Funnel (to top up fluid if needed)
4. An empty soft-drinks bottle (preferably 2ltr)
5. A litre of water
Step 1 – Open the bonnet
Open the bonnet of your vehicle via the release catch normally located just under the dash board on either the driver or passenger’s side, walk to the front of the car and slide your hand under the bonnet and squeeze the latch. When the latch releases prop the bonnet up using the provided support.
Step 2 – Locate the windscreen washer fluid tank
Before you can fill the tank you have to locate it. As with many aspects of car maintenance this depends on the make and model but generally they tend to be located in either corner of the engine bay NOTE: Do not get this confused with the radiator overflow tank. This could be a costly mistake!
The screen washer fluid tank should appear as a large, clear plastic tank with either a blue or clear plastic lid. The lid should also be labeled with either words saying "Screen Wash" (or similar) or a symbol of a windscreen with two spurts of water. If you are unsure of the correct location of your screen washer tank consult your car's user manual for further details and the actual location.
Step 3 – Check your fluid levels
Whereas with other fluid levels in your vehicle you generally have to adhere to a certain fill level, in this case the fuller the better! Some vehicles may feature a "fill level line" and if they do it might be for a reason so work with these guide lines. If there is a fill level indicator it should either appear as a "Horizontal Line" or the word "MAX".
Being that the tank is generally transparent it should be easy to see the level (if blue screen washer fluid has been previously used. If only water has been used in the past this may be a little more difficult).
If you are finding it difficult to judge how much fluid there is in the tank, if you are strong enough (if not ask for help) push down on the top of the wing of your car (to slightly compress the suspension) and then let go. The motion of the car should be sufficient to disturb the water level and cause it to slosh about, giving an indicator of how much fluid there is in the tank.
If your fluid levels are fine proceed to step 5
Step 4 – Topping up fluid levels
If you have found that your fluid levels are low then you will need to top them up.
Take your soft-drinks bottle and using the funnel, roughly fill half way with water. Top up the rest of the bottle with your screen wash (you can use neat screen wash to top up your levels or just plain water but by using a 50/50 mix of screen wash fluid and water you still get the cleaning benefits of the washer fluid plus you make a container last twice as long!). Screw the top on the bottle and give it a good shake to mix it up (by using a bottle with a screw cap, what you don't use now you can use another time!).
Now, remove the cap on the top of the screen washer tank and insert the funnel. Pour in your mixture and fill to the desired level. Once you are happy with this remove the funnel and put the top back on the tank, pushing it down firmly and making sure that it is closed correctly.
Step 5 – Testing
To test your handy work pop your keys in the ignition and turn on. Now clean your windscreen, using the wipers (depending on your make and model the wipers may come on automatically when you use the washers, but you will probably know this). If all is well you should now have a nice clean windscreen, but if you have found that your washer jets are not working or only partially working then they may be blocked. To resolve this take a pin and insert it into each nozzle of the washer jets (normally located on top of the bonnet or just under the windscreen). If this has still not solved your problem then it may be something more serious.
You can also adjust the spray angle by tilting them up or down.
All that is left to do now is clean up and close the bonnet securely.
TIP: Whilst carrying out this task it may also be a good idea to check on the condition of your wiper blades. If they are split then they will need to be replaced (if you don't replace them you may end up scratching and damaging your windscreen).
NOTE: Not many people know that it is illegal to drive a car with an empty windscreen washer tank. Although unlikely that you will be stopped and have it checked, you should still bear this in mind and keep yours topped up.
You have now successfully completed this project.
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