I was out and when I put it in I was in a hurry. A couple of days later I got the warning light that I was out which I thought couldn’t be right, but when I checked the tank was down to less than an inch. That is when I realized my mistake.
So I filled both. So my car was running on windshield wiper fluid as a coolant for a couple of days. No harm was done, it’s mostly water. Not that one should do that for any length of time.
The only reason I don’t feel like a complete idiot is that when I went to Google and typed in “I put windshield wiper fluid in…” it auto-filled with "my coolant tank. "
Been there, done that. You’ll be OK.
I don’t think I’d worry too much about it. I’d probably fill it up with water and drive it for a day or two, drain that and refill it properly.
I would imagine you could smell your mistake as soon as you took the radiator cap off. Now, I don’t know what hot wiper fluid smells like, but hot coolant is pretty distinct.
I’m not worried. I must have put a half a gallon into the coolant tank and it’s all gone, burned away after just a few miles of driving. But thank god I did not go on a long drive after making this mistake. Could have ruined the whole engine.
Reminds of of the time when I was 16, driving an MG Midget (piece of crap), from Radford to Roanoke, VA, on Interstate 81, about 40 miles, to get tickets for a Bob Segar concert. Broke down on the highway halfway there, there was no oil. I had completely forgotten to check it. Probably for days. Engine completely destroyed.
The good news is that it led to me getting a '66 Mustang. White with black interior, white lettering on the tires.
I wish I had the VIN number, I would track that car down much like the Steve McQueen Mustang was finally tracked down, and I would buy it just for old time’s sake.
It is probably in a junk yard collecting rust, much like I am now, at 57.
As Neil Young sang, Rust Never Sleeps. But maybe it’s creep can be slowed down.