I Can See Clearly Now....

Well I've discovered something I don't like about my Prius.
Or maybe I do like it?
I'm not sure.

But a few days ago, I went to use my windshield wiper misters and discovered the fluid was empty. And yes, The Gen 3 Prius does NOT warn you with a light up icon or otherwise. You discover you are empty, when you are empty. To me? No big deal.

So I went to the local store and bought a gallon of Rain-X windshield fluid. Came home, popped the hood, paranoid I checked my owners manual to make sure I wasn't accidentally pouring the fluid in the wrong reservoir. Even if the the obvious symbol of the Windshield with the arcing spray should of been a clue.

And I start pouring. And I pour, and pour and pour. The whole gallon.

And what is with that plastic dip stick? It's marked Low and Normal....but it's plastic, and we are dealing with windshield wiper fluid, it really tells me nothing. I can't read a level on it.

And it's a bit of bad design. I can't see the reservoir, real visible, so I have no idea what "level" I'm at. I know I poured a whole gallon of fluid in, so I have at least a gallon. But I don't see any fluid, like up in the neck of the filler....so I have no idea how full or unfull a gallon of fluid leaves me.

Actually, I was surprised. I've never had a vehicle that seemingly held so much wiper fluid. Most vehicles I've had before had clearly visible reservoirs, and you could maybe put 1/2 a gallon or a 1/3rd. This baby was thirsty.....and took the whole gallon, and like I said, pull out the plastic dip stick and it tells you very little. The actual net result is "Wet piece of plastic" or "Dry" but trying to read where I'm at with the fill is near impossible.

Anyway, I actually looked underneath the vehicle to see if I had a leak. I was surprised a whole gallon could go into the thing. I saw no puddle.

The mister is working...the wipers front and rear are working.

But I suppose the negative is with The Prius I'm always going to be kind of guessing how much fluid I may or may NOT have left. And when I fill? I'm also just kind of guessing how full the reservoir actually is.

Not the best design, in my opinion.

 

Yeah great.

But my point is the way the windshield fluid reservoir is designed and with the "Dip Stick Of Mystery"....it's pretty hard to know where the fluid level is at.