Do car windshield fluid tanks vary widely by volume? Are there standard sizes? In the collection of standard cars, suvs, and vans, is there a single volume that would just fill up the smallest tanks without vastly underfilling the largest tanks?
I know, not as exciting as a question about the Kennedy assassination, but thanks in advance.
All the cars I’ve owned hold just over a gallon. I run out a gallon fits in. I try to add before I run out I get a little spill over.
That’s been a buick skylark, a chevy cavilier and a chevy malibu.
What year cavalier? My '02 Cavalier, holds under a gallon, but my 98 Grand Am held a full gallon. I would guess it has alot to due with how much space they have to fit the tank in. If they have the space to put a 1.5 gallon tank in, I can’t see any reason why they wouldn’t EXCEPT cost, and not the cost of the extra plastic, but the cost of re-machining if the tank from another model will work in a new car.
As a side note, I picked up a bottle of RainX wiper fluid additive* and it says that your supposed to add it to a standard 2/3 gallon tank.
*Don’t buy this crap. I LOOOVVVVEEEE RainX, but it’s worth the extra work to put it on by hand. If you’ve used regular RainX, figure this works about 10% as well, and you have to be driving even faster to get it to work. Unless you have arthritis, it’s more then worth the elbow grease to do it right. I bought two bottles and I’m throwing away the second one.
Maybe because these are older cars but—
Neither my 72 Dodge Dart, nor my 83 Buick Regal hold much more than a quart.
Yeah I feel you on this one. My 1989 Honda Civic held a little more than a gallon, and so did my ill fated Suzuki Swift. Now I drive my restoration project, a 1979 GMC Heavy Half, and it holds about a third of a gallon.
I am tempted to do some re-engineering…
The smallest tank I have ever seen was on an old MG at about 20 ozs. The largest has been on a Volvo at somewhere around 2 gallons.
My 2000 GMC Sierra has a 5 liter tank. A warning light comes on when it is has one liter remaining. As soon as the light comes on, I know that I can dump in the contents of a 4 liter bottle without having any left over.
Ok I think the Internet has officially ran out of things to talk about. 
I have no idea what mine holds, but I know if I take my car to get the oil changed at a local garage, they’ll top off my washer fluid and charge me $1 for it. It’s such a piddly amount that I don’t want to complain, but it still irks me.
So one time as a test I filled the washer fluid up before taking it in, and they didn’t charge me $1. At least they’re honest even if they overcharge!
Ahh, but if you have already put Rain-X on your windows the Rain-X washer fluid doesn’t wash the coating off the windshield as fast as regular washerfluid. I don’t use the Rain-X washerfluid by itself, but in conjunction with the window treatment.
hmmmm, I’ll have to try that this summer.
I’ve run my '90 Camry’s reservoir dry. It takes about 3.5 litres to completely refill.
2004 Nissan Titan holds a smidge over a gallon. 1991 Subaru Justy holds about half.
Mine holds just enough under a gallon so that every time I refill it, I have a gallon jug of windshield wiper fluid with about two ounces left in it which then takes up space in my garage for months.
I can’t tell on my car. I mix up windscreen washer and water and pour it in until it overflows. It doesn’t seem to last long in use. I’d think less than a litre.
My car settles for nothing less than Volumes 1 through 19 of Encyclopedia Britannica’s Macropedia.
A 2000 BMW 528i (E39 series, 1997-2001) holds 6 litres, and a warning light comes on when you’re down to your last litre.
You had wiper fluid in your MG??? Wow, talk about uptown. My '63 Midget didn’t have fancy stuff like that.
Yup sure did. But before you get all upset, it didn’t have an electric pump like these fancy new cars. Nope, you had to pump it yourself with a pushbutton on the dash. 
here is a page with some MGB pictures
You can see the push button on the dash in the 4 picture down (there is a much better pic at the almost bottom of the page) look directly above the temp gauge.
If you scroll down to pic #8 you will see in the back corner a plastic bottle labeled Tudor. That is the washer fluid bottle.
For an extra bonus, if you scroll to the very bottom of the page you will find an e mail from our very own JohnnyLA!
The 2006 Focus holds a gallon (at least according to the dealership. I haven’t had to add any yet).