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How do you refill car wiper water?
I’m on a road trip to California with my friends, and halfway through New Mexico, we started hitting a lot of bugs on our windshield. We tried using the windshield wipers but it only made streaks across the windshield—and I tried using the wiper water, but I guess it's empty. I’ve never needed to refill it before—so how can I refill my car wiper water?
Chloe Jenkins · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Bugs on the windshield can be super gross, and a little dangerous if it begins to obstruct your vision—but luckily, replacing wiper fluid is a very common and simple process. To refill car wiper water, you’ll need to pick up a jug of wiper fluid.
Wiper fluid is easy to find at a local auto parts store, or even a gas station, and typically costs about three dollars. Once you have the wiper fluid, be sure to
check the wiper fluid levels
and check your owner’s manual for any specific instructions on refilling wiper fluid before beginning.When you’ve located the wiper fluid container (usually somewhere under the hood), you’ll typically see a large, brightly-colored plastic cap with an image of a windshield on it. Remove the lid and place it somewhere it won’t get lost.
Using a funnel or some very steady hands, pour the fluid into the container until it reaches the fill line. If you don’t see a fill line, leave a couple of inches of space at the top of the container.
Replace the lid and lower the hood. When you turn on your vehicle, you should be able to press the windshield wiper fluid level and fluid should
spray your windshield clean
.In some situations, you can use plain water, but you’ll want to be careful only to do this where the weather is warm. Wiper fluid cannot freeze, but water can, and if it does you may end up with a frozen washer fluid pump or broken reservoir. This can be dangerous if you end up driving in inclement weather, or if you don’t have the right
type of coverage
.If you want to make sure you’re covered for any eventuality, check out the
Jerry
app. We’ll get you customized quotes from top insurers, so that all you need to do is pick the plan that works best for you. And once you find one you like, we’ll even help you switch over!Best of luck—and hopefully the rest of your road trip runs smoothly!
View full answer
- Gregory R.
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