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Wiper Fluid Reservoir 3

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BadgerPE

BadgerPE

Structural
Jan 27, 2010
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Can anyone explain to me why vehicles are designed with a windshield wiper reservoir capacity of about 3/4 of a gallon when the standard unit of fluid for sale is 1 gallon? I think all the vehicles I have owned, with the exception of my 2015 F-150 (maybe), only hold 3/4-7/8 of a jug of fluid. I fully realize that there are serious space concerns, but looking at my current vehicles (Odyssey & Yukon XL) it would appear by simply enlarging the neck of the tank, a full jug could be used at one time. I can't possibly imagine that the fluid suppliers are providing more than a gallon in a jug.

While this isn't a "real" engineering question, it is a practical issue that bugs the heck out of me every winter when I am filling up the reservoir frequently and then have a 1/8 of jug rolling around for a week or so.
 
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Another such question from me is... when there is an MPG gauge, why does it always show the best mpg when the car is idling and would get 0 mpg while doing so?
By the way, my X5 will take a full gallon of wiper fluid.

"Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively."
-Dalai Lama XIV
 
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Wouldn't the better question be why don't fluid mfgs. bottle them in 3/4 gal bottles?!

Available space under the hood and it is an inconsequential afterthought would be my best guesses.

Plus, you always have 1/4 of a gal to top off when you expectantly empty the reservoir this way.

Andrew H.
 
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One should not wait for the reservoir to be completely empty anyway.
Worse - whey are there cars that take 4 and 1/2 quarts of oil when oil is sold in 1 quart increments? Not so bad now that it can be bought in resealable plastic bottles but when it was in cans that was a rotten thing to do.
 
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Doesn't it seem like 1 gallon is a pretty standard unit of fluid measurement (US or Liberia of course) to be using? I put this one on the automakers....100% agreed on the buns though.
 
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Both of my Toyota's (Avalon and Sienna) hold more than 1 gal of washer fluid.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
 
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Toyotas have spoiled me on that. Dawns on me I own three of them..

The windshield tanks are the size of a small carryon. They fake you out because the filler is about an inch in diameter but you find yourself returning over and over to get another 1/2 gallon as you fill them. I live on a dusty street and park on it so every single time I drive I use the washer. I usually have to refill once a year.

Then my F350.. :/ Room probably for 2 gallons but they put a dinky maybe one quart I have to refill every five times I drive it.

Keith Cress
kcress -
 
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BadgerPE said:
While this isn't a "real" engineering question, it is a practical issue that bugs the heck out of me every winter when I am filling up the reservoir frequently and then have a 1/8 of jug rolling around for a week or so.
Click to expand...
Who leaves the partial jug in their vehicle? It goes back in the garage/workshop/shed until next time or you put the remainder in your other vehicle.

First world problems.

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The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.
 
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Simple solution to this problem - move to a warm climate. I have never needed anti-freeze in my windshield washer. Just water (plus a bit of cleaning solution if I can find some).

je suis charlie
 
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Oh, a wise guy eh?
Moe_Magnet_563x_sf8ccw.jpg


"Schiefgehen wird, was schiefgehen kann" - das Murphygesetz
 
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My daughter uses this stuff by the jug in south FL trying to get the bugs off of the windshield.
Water literally doesn't cut it.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
 
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That particular stupidity in manufacturing seems to mostly land on the North American manufacturers. My GM is the same way, lots of room for a bigger tank under the hood but it still won't quite fit a whole jug. I probably end up with 1-2 cups of fluid left if I fill it from empty.
 
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Over the years the size of the reservoir has increased. In those parts of the world where there are quite a lot of vehicles nearby on the road the need for using the windscreen washer (and headlamp washer) will occur more frequently. It would be difficult to design the reservoir for a specific size because the usually are made in such a way that they just fit over/under/between other components under the hood. In Europe you usually can buy the stuff you need either in 1, 2 or 5 litre cans and for trucks sometimes in 10 litres. None of those match exactly the size of the reservoir. That reservoir should never be fully emptied because that could damage the pump...

The fluid usually is supplied in standard size canisters, either in litres of whatever gallon size you come prefer. None of those standard sizes will exactly match with the reservoir size on the vehicle, trying to do so would be not be very cost effective. Even now with a small number of standard sizes produced in very large quantities, the cost of the canister will be equal or bigger then the cost of the fluid it contains.
 
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Still not uncommon to have 2 engine options and full size pickups these days may have 4.

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The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.
 
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