Washer Fluid Warning

[EDI GTI]

Another post, another issue...

I suspect the answer to this will just be "Take it to a dealer" but thought I would check here first just in case anyone had some other options on how to fix this issue.

Last week the Windscreen Washer Fluid Level warning came on warning me that the reservoir was low. The sensor was correct and shortly after it appeared the reservoir was empty. I went straight to halfords and topped it up right to the top, thing glugged down a whole 5L bottle of windscreen wash like it was nothing. Anyway now with a full reservoir I hoped the car would be all happy... however the sensor now seems to have taken the huff and refuses to turn off.

Every time I turn the car on I get the warning "Fill up Windscreen Fluid" or something along those lines, with a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. I have shown the car that the system is full by using the windscreen washers but its still adamant the reservoir is empty. Its pretty obvious that its a faulty sensor, but after looking elsewhere it looks like that will mean replacing the whole reservoir - that I'm not too bothered about as the car is covered by a 3 year warranty but my local garage can't take it until the 2nd of March and it means a whole day without the car. Its not causing any issues but it is annoying me, especially as the car is just over a year old...

Does anyone know of any ways to reset the sensor (for a beginner) or is it literally just wait until the 2nd of March and get them to change it?

Thanks in advance!

[benzinkopf]

u can take out just the sensor from the rubber oring n clean with hot water. it may get coated (mostly due to usage of rainx sort of etc)-which means it cant get the current flow through the water . At least thats happened to me last time


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[RUM4MO]

There used to be a lot of reports of this years ago, but if it is once again a faulty or sensor that needs cleaning/descaling then that is bad on a car that is only a year old!

Sorry it was the coolant reservoir that used to cause these issues.

One good thing, so the washer fluid tank has a level sensor in it, that is a change, my wife's 2002 Polo that had headlight washers did not have one, progress at last, now I will need to see if her Polo with LED headlights and washers does have one!

My 2000 Passat with HID did have one though.

[ciclo]

One good thing, so the washer fluid tank has a level sensor in it, that is a change, my wife's 2002 Polo that had headlight washers did not have one, progress at last, now I will need to see if her Polo with LED headlights and washers does have one!

I don't want to steal you the charm of checking if your 6C with LED headlights has the wiper fluid level sensor, I'll only tell you that you will find positive results.




A faithful follower of your conversations in the forum. Thanks for that!

[RUM4MO]

Thank you, you have saved me looking or playing dangerously and running out of washer fluid to prove it.

One thing though, I never checked this with the old Passat, but I'd think that this low level fluid warning sensor data is fed into the headlight washer pump control line to stop washing the headlights after the washer fluid level has reached this level?

[ciclo]

It's a very good question ... I'll have to look for detailed information because I don't know. I have the habit of having all levels in good condition, I do it too often, so I am never aware of the things that happen in the lower limits.

Just reviewed the user manual and the only thing worth mentioning is that you should check and top up the wiper fluid reservoir regularly.
I also just remembered that our 9N3 ran out of fluid once and the pump (noise) was still working anyway.

I'll investigate more thoroughly ...

[RUM4MO]

I've always been the same as you in that respect, but, I bought a VW Passat 4Motion new in NL, a RHD car built to order with HID lights, and assumed that everything would be set up as it should be. In the winter of that year, we were travelling back up to Scotland from the South of England and the weather was not good for driving, clear sky, low sun (as you get in winter months) and rock salt being spread down on wet roads, so the washers were being used frequently and as I was being safe, the headlights were on just in case someone missed seeing me through their dirty windows! After a few hundred miles I noticed that the headlights were not being washed, ie there was not a spray of washer fluid appearing at the end of the bonnet, and though no more about that. Later I found that there was no washer fluid being sprayed onto the windscreen, now that was a bit nasty as there was a white salty layer building up and that made visibility very bad indeed, so my plan was to find truck that were throwing up sheets of salty water, drive into that as it cleared the windscreen until it dried, and drive quickly up the motorway until visibility reduced again and repeat that "trick" until I could leave the motorway at the next services. Luckily when I stopped and refuelled, the service station was selling premixed washer fluid, something I never normally buy as I mix my own, but, needs must, so I loaded that in and solved that problem, but I wondered why VW did not have that warning switched on. After getting home I ran VCDS on that car and discovered that the washer fluid level warning was not switch on - also the brake wear warning was not switched on, very strange.

So, too late to try this out, but it looks like the 2002 Polo which had halogen headlights but also washers, did not have a washer fluid level sensor, I discovered that after trying to enable that warning on that car, that would have left the same as Passat high pressure headlights washer pump being able to run without any fluid, or worse let it help empty the fluid tank when the windscreen washer were in more need of fluid! The high pressure headlight washer pump would end up drawing air and failing to pump up the pistons on the washers I'd expect.

[veteran]

I know this sounds very much like 'stating the bl***in' obvious', but the trouble with the windscreen-washer reservoirs on these Polos is that the main part is hidden away in the cavity at the base of the wing, and the only part you see 'up top' is the narrow filler tube. I guess the washer reservoir got low priority when these Polos were redesigned some years ago. Thus, there's no way that you can visually check what the level really is most of the time, and this is primarily why a dashboard warning is provided instead. But by the time the warning comes, the reservoir, it seems, is virtually empty. What should have been provided is a multi-level warning. Say, 4 stages, each sounding a beep too. You'd then stand more of a chance of gauging the amount left and therefore when you should top it up.

[RUM4MO]

Some car manufacturers fitted a "depth gauge" to the washer fluid cap, though as VW Group protect us by fitting a filter to the top of the tank, that "depth gauge" idea would not work, also providing a "depth gauge" would mean that the cap needs to get removed from the tank, though maybe still attached with a tether, so VW Group seem to have had a think and come up with what we have as the best overall solution?

Bottom line, when gauging "does it" or "does it not" need washer fluid topping up, as the filling/top section is so long and translucent, I'd always take the approach of filling up until "full" as a good way of sorting that out.

Edit:- that method has worked for me over the past 18 years of VW Group cars ownership.

[iichel]

I just shorted the sensor pin to GND on the instrument cluster, and all washers still work. 2011 Polo 6R with a few modifications.

[veteran]

Rum4mo,

From what I've seen as regards images on the Web, it appears that VW has chopped and changed the design of the filler neck in recent years, and it's depended on the Polo model too. Certainly on my 2017 Polo, the neck is so narrow and convoluted that it, in fact, holds very little of the fluid, proportionately. One pretty good session of spurts and all signs 'up top' of the fluid disappear. From thereon, you've no idea as to the amount in the main reservoir, since absolutely no part of the main reservoir is normally visible; you then have to rely purely on the sensor to give you due warning via the dash.

It's not really practicable to just keep topping up, as on mine and presumably some other Polos you'd have to be doing that with absurd regularity. I feel that it wouldn't have been beyond the wit of man to have therefore made the dash warner a small 4-bar icon, with each bar representing full, 3/4 full, 1/2 full, 1/4 full and empty, or maybe even a continuously-variable indicator as per the fuel tank contents. But hey, maybe VW didn't want to spend the extra. In my view, it's regrettable because keeping good visibility out front is all-important.

Clearly, if you keep running dry you're liable to cause the built-in pump to draw in any crud that may be at the bottom of the reservoir. Even good-quality washer fluid seems to 'throw deposits' in the course of time. In earlier times when space wasn't at a premium in engine compartments and main reservoirs were fully accessible you could actually stir and re-mix any thrown deposits in situ, but now we don't have that luxury.

[EDI GTI]

I've always been the same as you in that respect, but, I bought a VW Passat 4Motion new in NL, a RHD car built to order with HID lights, and assumed that everything would be set up as it should be. In the winter of that year, we were travelling back up to Scotland from the South of England and the weather was not good for driving, clear sky, low sun (as you get in winter months) and rock salt being spread down on wet roads, so the washers were being used frequently and as I was being safe, the headlights were on just in case someone missed seeing me through their dirty windows! After a few hundred miles I noticed that the headlights were not being washed, ie there was not a spray of washer fluid appearing at the end of the bonnet, and though no more about that. Later I found that there was no washer fluid being sprayed onto the windscreen, now that was a bit nasty as there was a white salty layer building up and that made visibility very bad indeed, so my plan was to find truck that were throwing up sheets of salty water, drive into that as it cleared the windscreen until it dried, and drive quickly up the motorway until visibility reduced again and repeat that "trick" until I could leave the motorway at the next services. Luckily when I stopped and refuelled, the service station was selling premixed washer fluid, something I never normally buy as I mix my own, but, needs must, so I loaded that in and solved that problem, but I wondered why VW did not have that warning switched on. After getting home I ran VCDS on that car and discovered that the washer fluid level warning was not switch on - also the brake wear warning was not switched on, very strange.

So, too late to try this out, but it looks like the 2002 Polo which had halogen headlights but also washers, did not have a washer fluid level sensor, I discovered that after trying to enable that warning on that car, that would have left the same as Passat high pressure headlights washer pump being able to run without any fluid, or worse let it help empty the fluid tank when the windscreen washer were in more need of fluid! The high pressure headlight washer pump would end up drawing air and failing to pump up the pistons on the washers I'd expect.

Thank you very much for bringing this up, as soon as I read "noticed that the headlights were not being washed" it instantly made me think if mine was the same... and it is. So now it isn't just a faulty sensor, but it looks like something more serious (unless the headlights pumps won't activate as the sensor is telling them not to). Looks like the garage is a must then...

[RUM4MO]

EDI GTI - oh bother!

Just in case you didn't know, you do need the headlights on before the headlight washers will spray - sorry if you knew that, and they will only spray once every few times the windscreen washers are used, to save fluid.

Edit:- I think that you are right to think that the fluid low level indication will inhibit the running of the headlight washer pump - but not the windscreen washer pump, which is exactly what you are finding.

Edit:- changed "with" spray to "will" spray!

[RUM4MO]

Veteran, I've been quite surprised the number of times I've checked the fluid level in nasty weather conditions and it is either still at the top are just half way down the filler spout, two of us drive that car, as my wife's car has headlight washer system the fluid tank will be bigger but the volume of liquid in the spout should be roughly the same.


Grumpy wrinkly rant maybe not completely related to this thread :- When I was much younger and ran an Escort van as a newly married couple's handy runabout, it had a rubber "bulb" on the floor at the left hand side of the clutch pedal, and it also had an alloy or steel ring round that, to wash the windscreen you pressed the bulb and depressed the ring, very convenient with hands involved, to select a single wipe of the wipers you just pressed and released the ring beside it. Also Land Rovers tended to have the dip/full beam switch on the floor. So what has Europe managed to show us in respect of making the operation of cars better and safer?

[EDI GTI]

RUM4MO - That one I didn't know! However mines normally spray all the time (could be either because of the daytime running LED lights or the Auto lights function?) Anyway... That's it booked in for a months time. The sales manager at the Fort is going to give me a call tomorrow as this is its 4th trip back into the garage over stupid little faults, something which really shouldn't be happening on a factory ordered car that is only 16months old... Want to say I love my polo but its getting harder every day lol