You hop in your car, fire up the engine and notice a little dirt and grime. So, you hit the windshield washer button and nothing. now your wipers just smudged all that filth across your windshield, leaving your vehicle’s windshield debris-streaked and difficult to see through. It’s time to top off that windshield washer fluid.
When you head to the parts store, half an aisle is dedicated to just windshield washer fluid. Which windshield washer fluid is right for you? We’ve got you covered below.
How To Refill Windshield Washer Fluid
Unlike motor oil and other fluids in your vehicle, windshield washer fluid doesn't break down and never needs changing. Therefore, there’s no specified procedure for changing windshield washer fluid.
That said, if the fluid gets low you can top it off using the following steps:
- Open your vehicle's hood.
- Find the windshield washer reservoir cap. This will be either a screw-on or press-on cap with an image of water spraying on a windshield.
- Pull the cap upward or unscrew it.
- Pour the windshield washer fluid into the reservoir until it reaches the "Full" mark or is at the top of the filler neck.
- Press the windshield washer reservoir cap down until it clicks into place or screw the cap back on.
- Close your vehicle's hood.
When to Refill Your Windshield Washer Fluid
Many vehicles now include warning lights or messages that alert you when the fluid is low. It will either be a light in the shape of a windshield with water spraying on it or a message that reads something like "Windshield washer fluid low."
At this point, top off the windshield washer fluid reservoir using the abovementioned steps.
If your vehicle has no windshield washer fluid light or message, you must proceed with a little more care to avoid damaging the system. If you activate your windshield washer fluid and nothing comes out after a few seconds, stop and refill the fluid reservoir using the abovementioned steps.
Don't continue trying to activate the windshield washer fluid when it's empty as the fluid acts as a lubricant and coolant for the windshield washer fluid pump. If there's no fluid in the reservoir, the pump may overheat and fail, leading to a costly repair.
Windshield Washer Fluid Types
Like so many other automotive fluids, various windshield washer fluid types exist. But instead of each fluid being for specific vehicles, these fluids are for varying environments and climates.
Standard Windshield Washer Fluid
This is the basic, run-of-the-mill blue liquid you can pick up at any auto parts store, discount store, or pay-three-times-as-much-for-it-in-a-pinch gas station. This fluid is generally a mixture of water, methanol, and other glass cleaners and chemicals.
Because of its high concentration of cleaning agents, standard windshield wiper fluid tends to clean more thoroughly, leaving you with a clear view and fewer streaks than household glass cleaners or just water. However, since it has little to no antifreeze chemicals, Canada's extreme winter temperatures can cause it to freeze. When the fluid freezes, it expands and can crack the windshield washer reservoir, damage the pump, or both, leading to pricey repairs.
There’s a wide range of standard windshield washer fluid brands, some popular brands you can choose from include:
- Certified
- Peak
- Prestone
- Store brands
These are some of the least expensive windshield washer fluids on the market. They generally run $2-$3 at your local auto parts store for a 3.78-litre jug.
Bug Remover Windshield Washer Fluid
Bugs are in full force in the summer and spring, coating windshields in their sticky guts. This is when bug remover windshield wiper fluid’s extra cleaning additives come in handy. This fluid type is especially adept at dissolving and washing away bug splatter. However, because there are more cleaning agents, there’s less room for antifreeze, leading to higher freeze points.
Some popular bug-busting washer fluids include:
- Rain-X Bug Remover
- Prestone BugWash
- Peak Premium Bug Cleaner
These are generally pricier than the blue stuff and fall in the $2-$4 range for a 3.78-litre jug.
You can also purchase a windshield washer fluid additive to any type of water fluid that helps bust bug guts, such as Northwest Enterprise’s Windshield Bug & Grime Remover additive.
Water-Beading Windshield Washer Fluid
Sometimes sold as washer fluid and other times as a washer fluid additive you mix with your existing fluid, this water-beading formula uses silicone and other chemicals to force the rain to bead up on your windshield and roll off.
This beading action can help improve visibility in heavy rain, but the water-repellent chemicals tend to cause more streaking as your wiper blades age. You'll see various beading windshield washer fluids, but Rain-X is one of the most popular.
Rain-X offers a wide range of water-beading fluids, including those with bug-cleaning additives and even de-icing additives. You can also buy the Rain-X additive and add it to your existing fluid.
These fluids generally run in the $5-$6 range per 3.78-litre jug for the higher-quality Rain-X brand. You can get other brands for less (in the $2-$4 range), but some have spotty reviews.
De-Icing Windshield Washer Fluid
Sometimes sold as washer fluid and other times as a washer fluid additive you mix with your existing fluid, this water-beading formula uses silicone and other chemicals to force the rain to bead up on your windshield and roll off.
This beading action can help improve visibility in heavy rain, but the water-repellent chemicals tend to cause more streaking as your wiper blades age. You'll see various beading windshield washer fluids, but Rain-X is one of the most popular.
Rain-X offers a wide range of water-beading fluids, including those with bug-cleaning additives and even de-icing additives. You can also buy the Rain-X additive and add it to your existing fluid.
These fluids generally run in the $5-$6 range per 3.78-litre jug for the higher-quality Rain-X brand. You can get other brands for less (in the $2-$4 range), but some have spotty reviews.
All-Season Windshield Washer Fluid
Can't decide which windshield washer fluid is best for you? You can meet in the middle with an all-season windshield washer fluid.
This year-round formulation generally endures relatively low temperatures — sometimes as low as -45 degrees C — without freezing. It includes additives to remove bugs and enough cleaning agents to wash away road grime.
There’s a broad range of brands offering these year-round washer fluids, including:
- Rain-X All Season
- Rain-X All Season ClearView
- Reflex
All-season windshield washer fluid typically costs $3-$6 for a 3.78-litre jug.
Windshield Washer Fluids in Canadian Winters
In Canada, our winters are not for the faint-hearted. Even in the warmest provinces, wintertime is frigid and snowy. However, in some areas across the country, the summers are mild and sunny, giving us dramatic shifts in high and low temperatures as the seasons change.
This range of temperatures may lead you to believe you need to rotate your windshield washer fluid — just like replacing your summer tires with winter tires — when the temperature drops. Fortunately, most all-season washer fluids offer all the protection you need.
Not only do all-season washer fluids have freeze points as low as -45 degrees Celsius, but they also have a good balance of detergents to help keep your windshield clean and streak-free.
If you do a lot of highway driving and deal with a windshield full of bugs, you may want to consider switching to a bug wash in the summertime or adding some bug wash additive to increase its gut-cleaning properties.
Skip the Water
You can choose from a wide range of windshield washer fluids, but one option is 100% off the table: water.
Some drivers assume they can put water in their washer fluid reservoir and be on their way, but doing so will only lead to problems.
First, in the summertime, you’re missing out on the detergents that help wash away the dirt and grime. You can technically clean your dishes with plain water, but that’s pretty gross, right? The same concept applies to cleaning your windshield — you need some cleaning agents in there to do the job right.
What’s even riskier is that water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius. Frozen water expands and can potentially break the washer fluid reservoir, the hoses, and even the washer fluid pump.
Enjoy Year-Round Clarity With the Right Windshield Washer Fluid
Owning a vehicle means understanding the fluids it needs. This sometimes means changing the fluid type with the seasons, which many Canadians must do.
Using the right washer fluid starts with knowing the five key types of windshield washer fluid:
- Standard windshield washer fluid
- Bug remover windshield washer fluid
- De-icer windshield washer fluid
- Water-beading windshield washer fluid
- All-season windshield washer fluid
With an understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of these fluid types and how they interact with the frigid Canadian winters, you're now ready to pick the right washer fluid for the job. (And just so you know, every Clutch vehicle is topped off with windshield fluid.)
