Windscreen Washer Problem

[sasquartch]

Driving home tonight and the washer bottle ran out (not suprising given the amount of salt thrown up at the moment).

 

When I got home I refilled the bottle and the front screen washers worked fine. Thought I'd try the back screen too, could hear the motor working but no water came out. Kept trying it thinking the pipe just needed a bit of pressure to clear it but after about 30 seconds the motor started running much faster as though there was no pressure. The front washers now dont work either. Bother (or words to the effect of) I said.

 

Sounds like a pipe has popped out somewhere. I looked over the forum and saw references to the pipe that can come apart and result in a wet footwell but that doesn't seem to be the problem. As both washers are fed by a single bottle does it sound likely the fault is at the bottle ? Is there just one motor for both front and back.

 

Looked at the TIS disk and although it has instructions for removing the entire bottle it talks about removing the front bumper which hopefully won't be necessary.

 

Anyone got any experience of this and what the likely cure will involve ?

 

Also my aux heater hasn't seemed to work at all this winter (my wife normally drives it and probably wouldn't notice one way or another) but thats a different story.... BTW, it's a 2005 TDi Silver

[big_kev]

Might just be frozen ?

[sasquartch]

Might just be frozen ?

Don't think so, the front washers were fine until I tried the rear washer

[Mirez]

Might just be frozen ?

Don't think so, the front washers were fine until I tried the rear washer

 

 

There are two versions but an 05 car should have the one motor, two output version - its possible to burn it out and/or snap the impellor with prolonged use when the output is blocked which sounds like it could possibly have happened given the sudden change in pitch - you can just about get the motor from underneath with the undershield removed but I can't imagine changing it being much fun from that position!

[sasquartch]

UPDATE :(

 

All fixed.

 

After struggling to see where the pump was from above I actually fixed the problem in about 5 minutes.

 

I just jacked up the car a little on the nearside and revoved the four torx screws at the bottom of the wheel arch liner, bent back the liner and there is the pump, easily accessible.

 

As I had suspected the pipe had popped off (due to being frozen) - just pushed pipe back on and all is now working back and front. I am now a happy chappy :(