All about Wiper Fluid Not Spraying After a Refill

Driving a car without a proper windscreen washer is very dangerous, especially in the rainy season with wet roads. A car with a working water fluid spray is easier to drive as it clears the windshield from smearing, smudge and other outside elements. But if the wiper fluid is not spraying after refill it could be due to a number of reasons such as a cracked wiper fluid reservoir, a malfunctioning wiper fluid pump or a clogged wiper fluid nozzle. 

Reasons Why Wiper Fluid Is Not Spraying After a Refill

Let’s go through the causes of wiper fluid not spraying after a refill.  

Unused Washers 

A car washer fluid is necessary to keep the windshield clean. However, there are many potential causes for a car wiper fluid not spraying after refill, all possible if the washers haven’t been used for a couple of weeks or months. That said, if the wiper fluid stopped spraying even though you refilled it, the only two causes could be that you either put the wiper fluid into the wrong reservoir or the hoses are frozen because of colder temperatures. 

Cracks in The Wiper Fluid Reservoir

Older wiper fluid reservoirs or those with a missing wheel arch or wing lining usually crack. Because of a crack in the reservoir, the wiper fluid refilled in it drains out quickly forming a puddle under the car. With a cracked or damaged wiper fluid reservoir, the fluid may spray for a couple of minutes after refill – this depends on the size of the hole or crack. 

To check if the wiper fluid is not spraying after refill because of a reservoir problem refill it and leave the car to sit for half an hour. If there is a puddle underneath, the reservoir problem persists. You can also diagnose this problem by checking the reservoir level. 

You Put Wiper Fluid in the Wrong Reservoir

Another reason for a wiper fluid not spraying after refill is if you put wiper fluid in the wrong reservoir instead of the wiper fluid reservoir. Usually, inexperienced drivers add the wiper fluid to the coolant reservoir. To check if the wiper fluid is in the wrong reservoir:

• Open the owner’s manual
• Go through the instructions and illustrations for wiper fluid and coolant refill

It will then get convenient to identify if you put the wiper fluid in the coolant expansion tank or not.

Frozen Wiper Fluid Hoses

Causes of wiper fluid not spraying after refill also include frozen wiper fluid hoses. Much like the engine coolant, wiper fluids also have freeze levels. It’s common for wiper fluid hoses to freeze when the temperature get colder.

In such a scenario, the wiper fluid doesn’t spray as it is not able to travel through the hoses that have frozen fluid inside them. If your car wiper fluid is not spraying after a refill in colder temperatures frozen hoses can be the reason. 

Clogged Wiper Fluid Nozzles

The wiper fluid hoses are really wide, making clogging difficult. That said, the wiper fluid nozzles on the hood have a small, roughly a millimetre-wide hole. The nozzle size makes it more susceptible to clogging. When this happens the wiper fluid pump cannot build enough pressure to unclog them. Moreover, if the wiper fluid is coming out just on one side it may be because of a clogged nozzle.

Wiper Fluid Pump is Not Working

The wiper fluid might also not spray after a refill because of a malfunctioning pump. To check if the pump is broken, make someone pull the wiper fluid stalk, meanwhile, listen to carefully for a whirring or buzzing sound from the wiper fluid reservoir. If you don’t hear the sound, it means the pump is either broken or there is a blown pump fuse problem. 

Broken Wiper Fluid Hoses

With time wiper fluid hoses and plastic conjunctions become stiff and break. In such a scenario, the wiper fluid escapes through the cracks because it requires less pressure than it would to go through the windshield washer nozzle. Moreover, with broken hoses, you won’t find a puddle under the car. This is because the fluid for the wiper will only leak upon pulling the stalk.

To check if this is the problem for wiper fluid not spraying after refill, make someone pull the wiper fluid stalk. Meanwhile, look for leaks in the engine bay. With broken hoses, there will be high-pressure wiper fluid squirting making it very hard to miss. 

Fixes For Wiper Fluid That Is Not Spraying After a Refill

After discussing the causes of water fluid not spraying after refill, along with their symptoms and diagnostics, let’s go through the fixes in detail. 

Fixes For Cracked Wiper Fluid Reservoir Problem

The wiper fluid is among essential fluids for your car. If the fluid is not spraying because of a cracked wiper fluid reservoir, you can either get it fixed or have it replaced. For a replacement, buy a new one from an auto shop and get it fixed. If you want to do it yourself, here is how to replace the windshield water reservoir. 

Fixes For Wiper Fluid in Wrong Reservoir

If you’ve added the wiper fluid to the coolant reservoir, immediately stop driving the car. If that’s not possible, stop by the nearest auto repair shop. The auto professionals will flush the coolant and replace it with a new one. Wiper fluid evaporates easier than coolant. This can air-lock the cooling system resulting in an overheating engine or, worse, a destroyed engine.

Fixes For Frozen Wiper Fluid Hoses

Usually after a long drive, the wiper fluid hoses thaw because of engine heat. This is common during a longer city drive with a lot of stop-and-go traffic. Moreover, there is no harm in leaving the hoses frozen and wait for a warm day for the fluid hoses to defrost.

That said, if you are in a hurry try using a hair dryer to thaw the frozen fluid. Cover all the hoses. The process might take an hour. Check the freezing temperature on the new wiper fluid after the frozen fluid thaws to make sure it’s not higher than the lowest temperatures in your area.F

Fixes For Clogged Wiper Fluid Nozzle Problem

Visit a nearby auto shop to unclog the nozzles. The auto professionals at the repair store can unclog wiper fluid nozzles in just a few minutes. That said, if you want to fix it yourself, you need an air compressor at home. An air compressor or air blow gun blows into each nozzle. 

Fixes For A Malfunctioning Wiper Fluid Pump Problem

If there isn’t a buzzing or whirring from the wiper fluid reservoir check the fuses. Find the fuse diagram in the owner’s manual and look for the wiper fluid fuse. If the wiper fluid pump is blown, replace it. 

Fixes For Broken Wiper Fluid Hose Problem

This is the easiest fix. Just remove the broken hose, take it to a hardware store and get a new one. 

Those were the common reasons and fixes for wiper fluid not spraying after refill. Make sure you always drive a car which is fully maintained. Here is a checklist of car maintenance.

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