Windshield Washer Fluid Loss

[RX in NC]

I check all fluid levels weekly and over the past month or so, my wife's 2004 RX330 has suffered from windshield washer fluid loss beyond normal fluid usage. The plastic holding tank can be down anywhere from a couple of ounces to perhaps six ounces in just a week. She rarely uses her washer system intentionally so I'm sure there's a small leak somewhere. When I top off the tank each weekend I've watched and waited for as long as 10 or 15 minutes and the fluid level remains steady at the top of the tank for that period of time. No visible puddles of any fluid under the vehicle, even after it sits overnight. Possibilities include pinhole leaks in the hoses, at the connections, in the washer fluid motor, or perhaps the plastic holding tank itself. The plastic tank lid stays closed so I don't believe that I have an evaporation problem....

Has anyone else experienced this and managed to find the source of the leak? I don't want to start pulling hose connections apart until I have a good idea on where the leak is mostly likely to occur....

Thanks in advance for any assistance if you've already dealt with this problem before....

[blk_on_blk]

It sounds like you've tracked it down to the few things it could be... leakage somewhere or exposure/evaporation. But, you know what it could be, it could be that you have a leak somewhere in your line. When you use the rear window washer, that fluid has to charge the entire tube all the way back to the rear of the vehicle before you actually 'use' the fluid. If you have a leak somewhere back in the line, then that fluid will leak out, and each time one uses the rear washer the line will have to reload, which could show up as using more than you actually see coming out onto the window.

If I were you, I would have the vehicle somewhere nice and dry, then use the windshield squirters for both the front and back, then wait and look for any signs of leaking on the path to the squirters. If it's not leaking out of the reservoir, and your reservoir is capped, and you are confident you are seeing excessive usage, then it's got to be leaking out somewhere in the tubing along the path to the actual squirt tip.

[RX in NC]

Found the leaky culprit this morning. Filled up the washer tank with water and waited for the leak to begin on the driveway - took only about 3 minutes this time. It was a hard plastic hose connector about 2 inches long, tucked up underneath the vehicle's grill. The plastic had deteriorated and cracked and had obviously grown worse just since last weekend when I last topped off the washer fluid tank. This connector serves the purpose of joining two 3/8" washer hoses. Had to get to it by removing the bolts that hold the front underside plastic molding panels in place and then pulling two of the panels down and out of the way. Went to NAPA and bought a much better-quality 3/8" hose connector, then put it in place using screw-tight clamps instead of the original lousy crimp-type clamps, and the problem appears to be fixed. Hasn't leaked on the driveway since I finished up about 4 hours ago. I tested the washer system and everything works normally. I'll keep an eye on it over the next couple of days, but I believe the problem is indeed solved....

Total cost of repair: $2.67.

Total time to repair, including the trip to and from NAPA: about 2 hours.

A better-quality 3/8" hose connector is the solution. I wonder how many more of these original hard-plastic hose connectors are placed elsewhere in the washer system of this vehicle....