How to top up screen wash on a BMW 3 Series

By Stuart Johnston

In modern cars, the engine bays are so crammed full of goodies and shrouded by plastic covers that it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish various items. Here we tell you how to go about locating and topping up a windscreen washer bottle on a new BMW 3 Series

 

The new BMW 3 Series range launched here in early 2019 and it’s one sleek premium sedan. Open the bonnet on the BMW and you will see an engine bay that is filled with impressive items made of durable plastic rather than metal. Yes, there is an engine underneath there, somewhere!

Locating the washer bottle cap

Locating the windscreen washer bottle is easy, as the cap for the bottle is of a bright blue colour, very appropriate for what is essentially a water container. In fact you will probably notice only the cap ,with a screen washing icon imprinted on it. The bottle itself is hidden from view.

The bottle, with the cap clearly visible, is mounted in the front left-hand side of the bonnet when you are facing the engine bay from the front of the car. Looking at it another way, if you are sitting behind the steering wheel of your 3 Series, the screen washer bottle is located on the right front side of the engine bay.

Topping up

Topping up the bottle is simplicity itself. The cap is plastic and pops open easily with slight pressure from your thumb against the cap’s small tab . The cap is secured to the neck of the bottle by a durable-looking hinge, so when you prise it open there is no danger of it falling into some recess deep within the engine bay!

It is best to top up the bottle using a small container, such as a 500 ml water bottle, filled with fresh water. Some people like to add a small amount of spirits to the water (methylated spirits will do fine, but only use a small amount) to get an extra squeaky-clean screen. The small percentage of spirits is also good for dissolving bug splatter.

You can top this bottle up any time, hot or cold

The screen washer bottle is not under any pressure, so you can top it up any time you feel it is necessary. In fact, make it one of your to-do things for your car, the next time you give it a wash. Letting the screen water bottle run dry is one way of increasing the chances of it failing sometime in the future, possibly even after you have topped it up.

Consult the owner’s handbook if you are unsure

If you are at all unsure about the right procedures to follow for topping up the screen wash bottle, consult the owner’s handbook. Also note that the above advice is for the latest (2019 Model Year) generation of the 3 Series. Previous generations of this model may differ as far as  location of the screen wash bottle is concerned.

For a selection of new and used BMW 3 Series sedans, click here to have a look at our AutoTrader listings for over 1 800  examples of the  various generations of this  highly popular small BMW sedan.