Windscreen washer (and wash-wipe) control
Sprays washer fluid onto the windscreen; the combined symbol means the wipers run with the spray.
What pressing it does
On both cars cited it is a pull on the wiper stalk: SEAT's Ateca — push the lever towards the steering wheel and the wipers run with the spray; Hyundai's Tucson — pull the lever towards you, the spray continues while you hold it and the wipers run 1-3 cycles. On the Tucson, spraying also switches to recirculated air and air conditioning for a while, depending on the outside temperature, to keep the washer-fluid smell out.
Check your car's manual: makes and models differ in what a button does, which positions a switch has and whether it works with the engine off, and your owner's manual is the authority for your car.
- What it looks like
- A windscreen with a dotted line rising to a fountain of spray above it — with a wiper blade added when the control also wipes
- Also labelled
- Washer; Wash; Washer-Wiper; Wash-Wipe
- Standard
- UN R121 and FMVSS 101
What to check in your car's manual
Where the washer control is (a stalk pull, a push, a button), how many wipes follow, and which washer fluid your car needs in winter.
Where makes differ
The motion differs (SEAT: towards the wheel; Hyundai: pull towards you) and only some cars change the ventilation when you spray. UN R121 and FMVSS 101 give separate rows for the washer alone and for washer and wiper combined, so a car may show either symbol.
Where the regulations list it
| Rule | Row | Function | Must be lit with the headlamps |
|---|---|---|---|
| UN R121 | Table, item 15 “Windscreen washing system” | Control | Yes |
| UN R121 | Table, item 16 “Windscreen washing and wiping system” | Control | Yes |
| FMVSS 101 | Table 1, “Windshield washing system”: symbol, or “Washer” or “Wash” | Control | Yes |
| FMVSS 101 | Table 1, “Windshield washing and wiping system combined”: symbol, or “Washer-Wiper” or “Wash-Wipe” | Control | Yes |
UN Regulation No. 121 (01 series), location and identification of hand controls, tell-tales and indicators: Cars (M) and light goods vehicles (N1) approved under the UN 1958 Agreement, which includes the EU, UK and Japan. Paragraph 5.2.1: where fitted, a control listed in the table is identified by the symbol in its column 2; note 2 says the symbols are substantially identical to those of ISO 2575:2004. US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 101, Controls and displays (49 CFR 571.101): Cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks and buses sold in the US. S5.2.1: a control listed in Table 1 or Table 2 is identified by the symbol in column 2 or the word or abbreviation in column 3. S5.3.1(a): a control marked 'Yes' for illumination must have its identification lit whenever the headlamps are on, except on the floor, console, steering wheel, steering column or windshield header.
Good to know
- Both manuals warn about winter: SEAT says not to use the washers in cold weather without first warming the windscreen, because the fluid can freeze and block your view; Hyundai says to warm the windscreen with the defroster when it is below freezing and to use winter washer fluid.
- US cars may show 'Washer' or 'Wash', or 'Washer-Wiper' or 'Wash-Wipe' for the combined control (FMVSS 101 Table 1).
Other buttons under “Windows”
Sources
The symbol is cited to the regulation rows above; what pressing it does is taken from the owner's manuals below. Each document was read on the date shown.
- UN R121: UN Regulation No. 121 (01 series) as published in the Official Journal of the EU, L 5, 8 January 2016, pp. 16-19: table 'Symbols, their illumination and colours' checked 2026-09-25
- FMVSS 101: govinfo: 49 CFR 571.101 in the Code of Federal Regulations, 1 October 2025 edition, Table 1 (pp. 329-332) and Table 2 (p. 334) as printed checked 2026-09-25
- Hyundai 2025 Tucson (general market, English web manual): Front windshield washers — Pull the lever: spray and 1-3 wipes; automatic recirculation and A/C when washer fluid is used; winter warnings. checked 2026-09-25
- SEAT Ateca owner's manual, UK English, edition 06.21 (model year 2022), PDF: Windscreen wiper and rear window wiper systems — position 5, p. 122-123 — Push the lever towards the steering wheel: washer and wipers together; freezing warning. checked 2026-09-25
Written in our own words; the manuals cover their own models only.