Windshield Washer Resevoir

[jim0266]

I have a 2004 RX330. I live in Northeast Ohio, which just got slammed with a big snow-storm before the Christmas holiday. Just as I was ready to embark on a road-trip on Christmas Eve, I noticed my warning light for my washer fluid was on, and I was out of fluid. Figuring that I had just used an awful lot of fluid because of the bad weather and road conditions, I bought some fluid and attempted to fill up the receptacle. While I was doing so, I noticed the fluid was coming out of the bottom of the car, which indicated that I had a leak somewhere. I took my car to the dealership today for service and was told that the resevoir was indeed cracked, but that it must have been the result of me hitting something like a snow bank. The body of my car is fine, and I do not recall "hitting" a snowbank, though many of the roads I had to go on in the past few days were pretty rought if they had not been plowed. I find it hard to believe that a snowbank would have done this type of damage and not damaged the rest of the car. Has anyone else had any experience with this?

[4482]

I have a 2004 RX330.  I live in Northeast Ohio, which just got slammed with a big snow-storm before the Christmas holiday.  Just as I was ready to embark on a road-trip on Christmas Eve, I noticed my warning light for my washer fluid was on, and I was out of fluid.  Figuring that I had just used an awful lot of fluid because of the bad weather and road conditions, I bought some fluid and attempted to fill up the receptacle.  While I was doing so, I noticed the fluid was coming out of the bottom of the car, which indicated that I had a leak somewhere.  I took my car to the dealership today for service and was told that the reservoir was indeed cracked, but that it must have been the result of me hitting something like a snow bank.  The body of my car is fine, and I do not recall "hitting" a snowbank, though many of the roads I had to go on in the past few days were pretty rough if they had not been plowed.  I find it hard to believe that a snowbank would have done this type of damage and not damaged the rest of the car.  Has anyone else had any experience with this?

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I live in NE Ohio also and went through the same weather you just did. A good

reason the reservoir might crack is if there was insufficient antifreeze in the washer fluid. I know one recent night it went down to -4 degrees here and I think even colder further south where you are located. I wonder if the dealer fills the reservoir or if you do it yourself with a product you know has the antifreeze?

Other then that, I can think of no other logical reason.