It eventually happens: the windshield gets dirty, the driver activates the wipers and depresses the button for windshield wiper fluid but nothing comes out. Now the once comparatively small blemish has been wiped across the majority of the windshield and it is virtually impossible to see where one is going. This situation has an uncanny way of happening at just the wrong times too: whenever one is in a hurry, whenever they do not have a bottle of water to use to try to fix the problem, or whenever the weather outside is particularly nasty. So the question is: how can one check their windshield wiper fluid and avoid these problems?

While every car is different, what follows is a general guide to know when and how to replace the windshield wiper fluid. For exact directions and perhaps even a visual guide for the specific model one owns, consider looking in the owner’s manual or failing that, purchasing a guide book at a local auto supply store.

If one is lucky they will find that their automobile has an indicator light that will activate to signal that their windshield wiper fluid level is low. Failing that, one will probably need to pop the hood on their car and locate the windshield wiper fluid storage reservoir. Opening the hood on the car is different depending on the make, model and year but the most common methods to open the hood are to locate a button or lever inside the vehicle or find a latch or lever under the front portion of the hood. Again, reference the owner’s manual for specific directions if a brief search turns up no results. Be careful to find the right reservoir as there are often multiple fluid reservoirs to be found in any given automobile; there are reservoirs for transmission fluids, anti-freeze/radiator fluid, oil and other fluids may be present. Until one can identify the correct reservoir, do not touch or open anything. This is especially true if the vehicle is running now or has been running recently; the entire engine compartment might be quite hot and liquids tend to build up pressure and become dangerous. Locating the windshield wiper fluid is usually a process of looking for some sort of icon or even writing that indicates that a given reservoir is intended to hold windshield wiper fluid.

If the reservoir is not empty, there may be another problem and one should consult a mechanic. Most reservoirs in the engine compartment have a ‘fill line’ which lets one see how full or empty a given fluid type is. Add as much windshield wiper fluid as necessary to reach the full line without exceeding it and remember to replace the top before closing the hood. If the windshield wiper fluid mechanism still does not function or if it only works for a short period of time, consider taking the vehicle for an inspection.