two men inspecting the wipers of a car

That rear windshield isn’t washing itself!

How to refill rear windshield washer fluid

You’ll never know the convenience of a rear windshield wiper until you have one. It can be a real hazard when that back window gets covered in much and you can’t just pull over and wipe it down yourself. As you know from your front windshield, it helps to have window cleaner to wipe off grime. For this reason, you might be wondering how to refill your rear windshield washer fluid. Fortunately, it’s not hard. Why? Because there isn’t a separate reservoir.

One tank for all your windshield washer

It’s the little things that confuse us when we buy a car. For those who have never had a rear windshield washer, you might be thinking there is a separate tank to house the washer fluid for your rear windows.

You probably know your main reservoir is under the hood of your car. This same one is going to provide the fluid for all your windshield cleaning needs. That’s both front and back. This is something worth bearing in mind if you’re spritzing both the front and back frequently as it’s going to be used up faster than if you didn’t have the option, right?

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If you came here assuming that the back reservoir is empty (again, there isn’t one) because it isn’t working, then you might have an issue with a clogged tube or spray nozzle. This isn’t a typical experience unless you’re using dirty fluid or water, the latter of which can freeze. Nozzles can, of course, have debris fall on them so you can wipe off any large leaves and twigs with your hands or towels. If you don’t immediately see an issue, it also helps to try using compressed are or an old toothbrush to clean out smaller particles. You can also blow air through the wiper fluid hoses, but we recommend you leave this to the professionals as it can be much more involved.

Do you have any other automotive service questions? Leave us a comment here at the Auto Simple Blog.