Inexpensive, important fluid

It is because of this that we cannot understand why people use washing up fluid - as in dishwashing fluid or other such liquids.

We recently had a customer in for an MOT. The windscreen washers did not work, which he told us when he dropped the car off. He said the screen wash probably needed topping up.

Unsurprisingly the car did not meet the requirements for an MOT pass as the washers did not work. On test, WMM checked the screen wash bottle. It was full and the motor made a noise.

When I relayed this information to the customer, he was shocked that WMM had "failed" the car for the screen wash not working and required authority for an hour’s labour to check the screen wash bottle and motor. He thought this was expensive.

I told him WMM did not need to do the work, and he could take the car wherever he wanted to. I also explained that the wing guard needed to be removed to check it properly and that if he returned the car within 10 working days there would be no extra charge to retest the car. The customer reluctantly agreed to the work.

WMM have no idea what fluid was in the bottle. It was black and the washer motor was trying to work but could not as the filter was blocked. Once the filter was cleaned and the bottle cleaned and refilled with proper screen wash fluid, the jets worked as the manufacturer wanted them to.

To be fair to the customer, when he collected the car and checked the washers, he thanked us and said they have never worked as well.