Tesla Windshield Wiper Fluid: What to Use & How to Refill It, by Teslamonial WI on YouTube. 4 min 58 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 58 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Park on level ground and switch the car off. Opening the hood on a slope can let fluid spill, and you want the reservoir sitting flat so the level reads correctly.
Open the front hood from the touchscreen or the Tesla app. The washer filler sits in the front storage area, not under a rear hatch.
Find the filler cap: a blue cap marked with a windshield and spray symbol, near the base of the windshield. Do not open the coolant or brake fluid caps.
Wipe around the cap with a cloth before you open it, so no dirt or grit drops into the reservoir and blocks the jets.
Pick a ready-mixed washer fluid rated for your climate. In freezing weather choose one with an antifreeze rating below your coldest expected temperature.
Avoid fluids with heavy water-repellent or bug-removal additives. They can smear the glass in front of the Tesla cameras and interfere with the driver assist view.
Push the funnel into the filler neck and pour slowly until the fluid reaches the top of the neck. Stop before it overflows.
Pull out the funnel, screw the cap back on firmly and wipe up any spills on paint or plastic straight away.
Close the hood and test the spray using the wiper controls. Check that both jets hit the glass and that the camera view stays clear.
Tips and common mistakes
Never fill with plain water alone. It freezes in winter, grows bacteria in summer and cleans poorly.
Keep a spare bottle in the trunk so you are not caught out by a muddy windshield on a long drive.
Do not mix different brands and colours in the same reservoir if you can avoid it.
If the spray looks weak, clean the jets with a pin before assuming the pump has failed.
Questions
How often do I need to refill the washer fluid?
It depends on how much you use the spray. Check the level every few weeks in winter, when road salt means you use it far more often.
Can I use household glass cleaner instead?
No. Screen cleaner and dish soap can damage the reservoir and seals and may leave streaks. Use fluid made for car washer systems.
Does washer fluid really affect the Tesla cameras?
It can. Streaky or greasy fluid leaves a film on the glass in front of the cameras, so use a clean, correctly rated fluid and keep the glass wiped.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
