Ok, this blog started out as how to fill my car’s washer fluid reservoir, but instead it slowly turned into the squirrel’s nest blog. Surprisingly, my car was out of windshield washer fluid. Please note my new car is only five months old, so I’m thinking I should have lots of fluid left in it. Unless, it was not totally filled up at the dealership. One never knows about these things.
So, I watched an online video about it but the English gal was talking about opening the “bonnet” and also adding water to the fluid. No, that was not happening here in the USA. I only use washer fluid which has an additive to give me protection from freezing in cold weather.
How to Fill the Windshield Washer’s Reservoir
The first thing is to pop the hood or “bonnet” open. My particular car has the latch inside near the driver’s door.
Whoops, looks like the flooring in my car is a little muddy. I tried to edit that out of the photograph.
Next unlatch the hood and pull the rod down to hold up the hood. There is an arrow showing the proper notch to place the rod in. Please note, I liked it better when the rod was located on the car’s body and not up on the hood. It was easier to put up.
Lastly locate the washer fluid holding tank and add the windshield washer fluid until full.
The Squirrel’s Nest
Well, here is when things go off on a tangent because that’s when I noted a pile of mulch in an area under my car’s hood. There are always squirrels around my car, so I’m thinking that mulch was the start of the makings of a squirrel’s nest under my hood.
Call of the Wild
You would think that living in a busy urban area I would never encounter any wild animals, not true. Over the years, I had deer munch my hosta plants and also jump a seven foot tall fence, I’ve been stung five times by ground wasps, and had a snake fall on my head from a tree. I’ve also had baby bunnies get trapped in a window well, baby bunnies build a nest in my herb garden, and a bunny chew the roots and kill a large boxwood shrub. Not to mention, a giant lizard appear on my bathroom floor at 2 a.m., egrets eat the fish in my fish pond, rats eat my fish food, and, of course, those squirrels in my trees and garden. Lastly, I had birds eating my strawberries, a red fox, and a nasty tempered snapping turtle stuck in my yard.
I love nature, but it seems enough is enough.
Ending Notes on the Squirrel’s Nest
I didn’t see anywhere where the squirrel chewed on the wiring in the car. Everything is working OK. I’ll take another look under the hood in the near future to make sure that squirrel doesn’t come back.
Until then, check the level of your Washer Fluid in your car and, hopefully, you will not get any surprise squirrel nests!
Resource Site: YouTube, How to fill a water reservoir on a 2024 Toyota.