"Disappearing" Windshield Wiper Fluid [Update: passenger side wiper hose was not connected]

[marco33]

Thanks all and for the pictures.

taking off the panel was easy. My passenger water hose was disconnected and the driver was half on. Reconnect the passenger hose and tightened the driver side and it all works.

 

[buyehara]

Sure no problem, pictures are easy to understand vs having to read a long description. I'm just surprised it's happening to other owners. It's just bothers me that these simple last steps of QA testing is overlooked. Obviously with one of the hoses disconnected there won't be enough water pressure to produce adequate washer fluid, should be an easy fix!

 

[marco33]

Yea. I you just run the wipers once you can immediately see the problem. Most of the fluid runs out the disconnected port, so little goes to the window. Quick QA step.

I saw a YouTube video from a guy who had the problem, he showed how easy it was to remove the panel and put it back. Gave me the confidence. what was interesting was that he had a lot of washer fluid running from the right side of the panel down the top front right side of the frunk. Exactly like what I had.

but I agree that there seems to be number of people out there that had the problem.

 

[PianoAl]

Adding photos to the windshield wiper fluid issue. This is where Tesla failed to connect the passenger wiper blade hose.

Thanks! Your photos made it easy to fix on our car. The driver's side was working, then stopped, and I found that the tube was disconnected.

 

[buyehara]

Thanks! Your photos made it easy to fix on our car. The driver's side was working, then stopped, and I found that the tube was disconnected.

thanks! glad I could help, we kept wondering why our washer fluid was running out so frequently! Hopefully it's not a defect in the design. So far the hose is staying in place so I think Tesla just didn't attach the passenger wiper hose.

 

[SigNC]

it's very hard to see the actual reservoir. my tubes are connected but my fluid is disappearing. I guess i need to fill it in my garage and just see if it runs out in the floor over time.

 

[SeanM]

100 ml per month = 3.3ml per 24 hrs
= 0.13 ml/hr.

There must be a needle hole somewhere.

100 ml is a rough estimate, it can be + -. There is no hole in the pipes, didn't see any fluid in & around the pipes nor there is any fluid on the garage floor where the car's parked most of the time, especially now that am not driving it much due to COVID, thanks.

 

[jsmay311]

I ran into a similar problem today with no fluid coming out of the sprayers. Turned out both hoses were disconnected.

Full story:
Earlier in the day I had tried spraying the windshield and had gotten just a little bit of fluid out of the sprayer before it stopped spraying altogether, at which point I tried refilling the tank, to no avail. After doing some research, I popped off the cover under the frunk to find both hoses detached and fluid all over the place. So I guess the fact that I got a little bit of fluid out at first means one of the hoses was connected loosely before falling off completely.(?)

Anyway... my Model 3 had been in the local Service Center last week to get both front upper control arms replaced. I wonder if they disconnected these hoses by accident when removing the frunk liner during this repair.

 

[SigNC]

i forgot to circle back on mine, mine was a cracked reservoir tank which mobile replaced.

 

[Shueybubbles]

I ran into a similar problem today with no fluid coming out of the sprayers. Turned out both hoses were disconnected.

View attachment 663892

Full story:
Earlier in the day I had tried spraying the windshield and had gotten just a little bit of fluid out of the sprayer before it stopped spraying altogether, at which point I tried refilling the tank, to no avail. After doing some research, I popped off the cover under the frunk to find both hoses detached and fluid all over the place. So I guess the fact that I got a little bit of fluid out at first means one of the hoses was connected loosely before falling off completely.(?)

Anyway... my Model 3 had been in the local Service Center last week to get both front upper control arms replaced. I wonder if they disconnected these hoses by accident when removing the frunk liner during this repair.

In my case the y adapter has popped out of the source. Not sure how easy it will be to push it back in, I can't reach the source tube.

 

[linux-works]

there's only one input but two things both make use of that input. wiper fluid is actually the same as blinker fluid, so there's only 1 thing to fill.

maybe the blinker fluid is leaking. have you checked?

I usually almost don't use the wiper fluid as I hand clean the windshield glass regularly. Still the fluid level goes down, I must be topping it off by around 100 mls (give or take a few mls every time, doesn't matter any season). Also, there is no fluid on the ground where the car is parked, so leaks are out of question.

 

[jsmay311]

there's only one input but two things both make use of that input. wiper fluid is actually the same as blinker fluid, so there's only 1 thing to fill.

maybe the blinker fluid is leaking. have you checked?

You got me to Google "blinker fluid". Thanks.

 

[forso]

i forgot to circle back on mine, mine was a cracked reservoir tank which mobile replaced.

Yep, it got me too, two weeks old 2022 MYP & notice an alert “Windshield washer fluid low (VCFRONT_a361)” when I try refill the liquid just leak thru to floor Currently at Tesla Service Center in Walnut, CA to replace the washer reservoir under warranty.

 

[forso]

Yep, it got me too, two weeks old 2022 MYP & notice an alert “Windshield washer fluid low (VCFRONT_a361)” when I try refill the liquid just leak thru to floor Currently at Tesla Service Center in Walnut, CA to replace the washer reservoir under warranty.

Replaced!