Tried to clean your windshield and nothing's spraying out? It's time to add windshield washer fluid! This is especially important in the winter, when salty road spray can quickly impair visibility.
If your windshield is clogged with ice or snow, use a snow brush to clean it off. Trying to use windshield washer fluid on heavy ice or snow is ineffective, even a fancy "de-icer" fluid. It can also severely damage the windshield wipers if it's heavy enough. Take the extra minute and remove that stuff by hand with a snow brush or ice scraper. If you don't have one, a credit card works in a pinch for ice.
If you live where the temperature drops below freezing in the winter, do NOT use straight water! This will freeze and damage the system, meaning $$$$ repairs. I like to use fluid rated to -20*F or lower. I personally use the Rain-X branded fluid.
DISCLAIMER: This is for instructional purposes only. Neither I nor CruzeTalk accept any responsibility or liability for damage caused by following this how-to.
Tools needed:
1 gallon of quality windshield washer fluid
Funnel
Step 1: Open the hood.
Step 2: Locate the windshield washer fluid tank. It's behind the driver's side headlight, as seen here:
Step 3: Open the lid. You will need to prop it open, since it likes to close.
Step 4: Open the windshield washer fluid bottle. I used my car key to rip off the foil top. Dispose of this safely.
Step 5: Pour! Make sure your funnel is in place, or free-hand it. I chose to free-hand since I've done this countless times.
If it's empty, you'll go through roughly a gallon of fluid. If it's less empty, it'll use less.
Stop pouring when the tank sounds full, or you can see the new fluid without looking too hard.
Step 6: Close the lid! Don't send that brand new fluid sloshing around the engine bay.
This is targeted at the person who has no idea how a car works besides put it into D to go forward, and stop at the gas station when the gauge is near E.
Most of us forum regulars take this for granted. Somebody who has no previous experience working on cars might not know this, and not think to "read the flippin' manual" where it describes how to do this.
This is targeted at the person who has no idea how a car works besides put it into D to go forward, and stop at the gas station when the gauge is near E.
Most of us forum regulars take this for granted. Somebody who has no previous experience working on cars might not know this, and not think to "read the flippin' manual" where it describes how to do this.
This is targeted at the person who has no idea how a car works besides put it into D to go forward, and stop at the gas station when the gauge is near E.
Most of us forum regulars take this for granted. Somebody who has no previous experience working on cars might not know this, and not think to "read the flippin' manual" where it describes how to do this.
I could have used a "how to add engine oil" back when I was in college. I had an old F150 and put the oil in the power steering pump. It was not happy at all about that. I've come a long way since those days haha
I could have used a "how to add engine oil" back when I was in college. I had an old F150 and put the oil in the power steering pump. It was not happy at all about that. I've come a long way since those days haha
I went through the tutorials in this section and tried to group them in a functional pattern. In general I started at the front of the car and went back. If you think there might be a better way to group items, I'm all ears. If you add a new tutorial and I don't catch it, post a note here so I...
I needed someone to create this thread before I bought my Cruze. I read some articles about the car, visited a few dealerships after hours to see a Cruze 'in the flesh' without being 'helped', and then I test drove one to see how it drove, and sounded, and felt. Then I made the decision to buy a...
How-To: Write a Tutorial
Overview:
This community thrives on information, and writing tutorials is one of the best ways to provide that information. Tutorials show other people how a certain procedure is performed, and it enables and empowers them to save money by working on their own car, or...
So, you're new to your Cruze, or new to DIY'ing on your Cruze. Need to do something like add windshield washer fluid or check the oil? First, you need to get that hood open!
DISCLAIMER: This how-to is provided for informational purposes only. Neither I nor CruzeTalk have any responsibility or...
Welcome to the Gen1 DIY Tutorial of CruzeTalk.com!
This section of the forum is dedicated to "How-To" threads that provide tutorials for accomplishing a given task. There are a few guidelines you need to be aware of before posting here.
This is the "How-To" section; not the "How do I"...
