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do you guys think I can repair a leak in my windshield wiper fluid reservoir myself :marseyscarfmerchant:

it wasn't squirting so I filled it and then it still wasn't squirting so later I looked in there again and it had all drained out, what an antisemitic waste of a couple shekels :soycry:

I don't have any car cowtools :marseycowtools: and I didn't look under the car but I assume there must be a gaping hole at the bottom for it all to drain so quickly :marseyready:

so do you think I can fix it myself or do I have to get wallet r*ped at mechanic :marseygiveup: it's winter so it's kind of necessary to be able to see ig

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I'm not sure, all I know is I filled it all the way and didn't use any and then it was empty :marseycrayoneater:

can I check just by borrowing a jack and looking underneath? :marsey: i called a mechanic and they said up to $400 and there is no way I'm spending that much :marseyhissing:

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How are you determining that it's empty? Visually inspecting the bottle, or "nothing comes out when I press the button"?

You're in some weird third world country right


https://i.rdrama.net/images/17191743323420358.webp

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nothing was coming out so I lifted the hood and it looks empty now

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Ok. Unfortunately that doesn't tell us much.

If you fill it to the brim, then let it sit overnight without touching anything, does the level go down?

Yes: The reservoir is cracked, or the pump gasket is bad.

No: Your reservoir is intact. When you push the button, washer fluid is being pumped but leaking somewhere else.

There's a couple common failure points, depending on the vehicle: An anti-drainback valve, the T-fitting where it splits between the two nozzles, or the nozzles themselves.

I don't know what year your Mazda is, but I've had this happen on my 2010 Milan and my 2016 Flex. Usually right around the 7-8 year mark, the ethanol in the washer fluid finally degrades the fittings and they begin cracking. It's worth noting that a 2010 Milan is basically an americanized Mazda6.


https://i.rdrama.net/images/17191743323420358.webp

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omg thanks, i'll try to fill it again and leave it alone tonight. I had tried using it several times bc I thought the issue was just that it was empty (it was empty)

it's a 2012, so pretty old and I bought it used this summer

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https://i.rdrama.net/images/17328233705804815.webp https://i.rdrama.net/images/17328233706843278.webp

Ok, so looks like yours has the nozzles in the cowl, and check valves and all that.

It'd be worth seeing if washer fluid is building up in the cowl area when you run the pump. I don't have my Milan anymore, but lemme go snag pictures of my Flex since that's also cowl-nozzled.


https://i.rdrama.net/images/1732823763231933.webp

Blue is reservoir, pink is where it heads into the cowl, yellow is nozzles. A butter knife or flat screwdriver can release the pins holding the cowl on


In the cowl, you can see the fittings and whatnot where it's probably leaking

https://i.rdrama.net/images/17328237658514764.webp


If you've never dealt with them before, these fasteners are in two parts. Lift up the top portion, then the whole body.

https://i.rdrama.net/images/17328238535051658.webp


https://i.rdrama.net/images/17191743323420358.webp

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I filled more fluids and left it overnight and it looks like it drained again :marseygiveup:

https://i.rdrama.net/images/17328944121321774.webp

sorry it's so dirty

maybe the fittings are also cracked though, I didn't check that far :<

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So then we'd have to see about getting to the pump, determine if the bottle is cracked or if the rubber grommet on the pump is leaking.

There's a couple different reservoirs for a 2012 mazda3 -- sedan small, sedan large, and hatchback. This is what the small sedan looks like, the black bit is the pump.

https://i.rdrama.net/images/17329001186961806.webp

Might be accessible from underneath but if you're climbing under the car, NEVER rely on a jack of any sort. They can, and do, fail without warning. Jackstands save lives. Lacking that, you could also find a small overhang/curb/2x4s to drive up, then set the parking brake (if functional) and chock the rear wheels.


I'll trade you, though. I'd rather be diagnosing a plastic bottle than replacing strut mounts. This is what my morning looks like. You can see I have a jackstand, and my tire just as a backup if it slips off the stand somehow -- I'd rather buy a new tire than a new spine.

https://i.rdrama.net/images/17329001188630078.webp


https://i.rdrama.net/images/17191743323420358.webp

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the blue thermometer thing also keeps coming on and off randomly :marseybangfast: idk if it's related

apparently canadian tire lets you borrow cowtools, maybe I will do that and learn to be less r-slurred :marseymechanic:

it's nice you know what you're doing, you probably save thousands from avoiding (((mechanics))) :dizzy:

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omg thank you so much you're the best πŸ’“πŸ’—πŸ’– I have to go out but I'll film what's inside later

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