I have noticed that when filling up the screen wash on gen2 the container cannot be filled to the top because of an air lock in top. To gain a useful increase in capacity if you pierce a small holes, (not drill) with a sharp pointed tool or soldering iron in the top of the baffles near the top of the filler neck the container can be filled to the top, adding about one pint to the capacity. The holes should not be drilled because plastic particles will end up in the container risking damage to the pump or blockages.
Wouldn't increasing the duration between fillups actually increase the liklihood of running out? It would be easier to forget. .
I do a lot of miles 80,000 in three years and find with our UK weather on long motorway runs it all to easy to run out of screen wash and that is an offence here.
Just an idle thought: post-mod are you filling up into the neck region, and might there be splices in the neck that aren't watertight? I've no idea if that's the case, just speculating that the air lock might be purposeful.
The container is a one piece plastic moulding no splices and a tight fitting lid. The internal baffles could just be to make the container more ridged.
I believe that air space is to allow for expansion of the fluid in hot weather conditions. I would leave it as designed.
Water does not expand that much with normal temp changes and the lid has a breather hole in it, further you still cannot fill higher than the point at witch you make the holes.
I believe that air space is to allow for the fluid freezing and expanding, if the owner does not use washer fluid rated to 0 degrees F.
The washer bottle may be different in the US version, In the UK version it is mounted by the bonnet (sorry hud) hinge to the left of the ICE in front of your passenger our driver.
Same location in the North American Prius. When facing the engine compartment, the washer bottle is on the left (or passenger-side) fender, adjacent to the engine.
Forgive my ignorance of US terminology is a fender what we call a bumper, if so is your bottle mounted in the fender ours is mounted just below the screen.
No one here would put in stuff only good to 0 F... the standard stuff is good to about - 40 F. Even in the summer we put that stuff in since we may not empty it before winter. And no, it doesn't get that cold around here, but even at freezing when driving down the road and you squirt the windshield the stuff will freeze due to some fraction evapourating and the rest freezing. Not very safe. It's nice to talk about this when we have a heat wave going.
A fender is the sheet metal part that covers a tire. I'm sure that the washer fluid container is mounted in the same location. I live in an area where the summer high temps are around 110 degrees F while the winter low temps are generally above 32 degrees F, so windshield washer fluid rated to 0 degrees F is as low as I've personally seen...
Thanks for the education re fender our mud garde. Not sure about the 110degree part of your weather but I am envious, our temperatures this year have gone from -23.5degrees C to 30degrees C (-10F/86F).
UK quarter panel = metal between rear door and tail lamp, the metal between headlight and front door = wing
