Headlamp washers
- Thread starter Angie4m
- Start date
I heard that the cause is using surfactant products (usually the summer screen washes) rather than the alcohol-based products (usually winter washes). The gunk that fouls up the pumps and lines is, I believe, bacterial based; with winter mixes the alcohol will kill anything in there...but if there is bacterial growth, the residue will remain.
Personally, I have always used the Halfords "pink" brew in #108 and have done since I've owned her. There isn't any gunk in the bottle.
In my experience, garages (and I include dealers in this) also top up the screen wash with ionised water - I've certainly seen this happen ...
Personally, I have always used the Halfords "pink" brew in #108 and have done since I've owned her. There isn't any gunk in the bottle.
In my experience, garages (and I include dealers in this) also top up the screen wash with ionised water - I've certainly seen this happen ...
Just to confirm it is an MOT fail if they don't spray "correctly".
It's a reasonably common problem, the lines get gunky or the filters do, meaning there's not enough pressure to raise the arms to spray. They're actually pretty easy to disassemble and clean.
Some arms also break (i had this), so need replacing. If you have warrantee it should be fine, but if not - do it yourself, its really not too hard, but it does involve bumper off and a part from Sopers @ Lincoln
It's a reasonably common problem, the lines get gunky or the filters do, meaning there's not enough pressure to raise the arms to spray. They're actually pretty easy to disassemble and clean.
Some arms also break (i had this), so need replacing. If you have warrantee it should be fine, but if not - do it yourself, its really not too hard, but it does involve bumper off and a part from Sopers @ Lincoln
Cheers guys. Fingers crossed that this weekend is nice and I can have a look myself, if I can't see anything then I will take it to the dealers to deal with under warranty.
Oh and yes I've heard the BMW stuff smells quite nice, i've never noticed myelf. Might sniff the bottle again tonight
Oh and yes I've heard the BMW stuff smells quite nice, i've never noticed myelf. Might sniff the bottle again tonight
Don't want to rain on your parade but the dealer said it wouldn't be a valid warranty claim due to non BMW approved product being used.Angie4m said:Cheers guys. Fingers crossed that this weekend is nice and I can have a look myself, if I can't see anything then I will take it to the dealers to deal with under warranty.
Oh and yes I've heard the BMW stuff smells quite nice, i've never noticed myelf. Might sniff the bottle again tonight
ronk said:Don't want to rain on your parade but the dealer said it wouldn't be a valid warranty claim due to non BMW approved product being used.Angie4m said:Cheers guys. Fingers crossed that this weekend is nice and I can have a look myself, if I can't see anything then I will take it to the dealers to deal with under warranty.
Oh and yes I've heard the BMW stuff smells quite nice, i've never noticed myelf. Might sniff the bottle again tonight
Well they would need to prove it as I bought it in January from Lloyd Newcastle and only done 500 miles since purchase. Lloyd Newcastle have assured me that these washers were checks prior to pick up by me. I've only put in bmw washer fluid and evian water last week when I noticed they didn't work and it took about 4.8 litres of water so either they didn't check them or I've had a leak of quite a lot of fluid, which has subsequently cured itself :roll: . Highly doubt they were checked as I would have expected a lot more than 1.2 litres in a 6 litre tank.
As I only have BMW products for my car it's not me and if it turns out it wasn't covered I'd be taking them to court over their claims they checked them prior to pick up as I highly doubt they just stopped working given the little water there was in the tank, I would have thought there wasn't enought water to allow the pressure needed. Bit harsh but I didn't expect a approved car to have an issue like this. The car had been well kept and was immaculate but if it hadn't been for me wondering I would of never known until???? As I don't tend to drive at night and during the day the lights aren't on.
Dexter_Morgan
Member
I have noticed my headlamp washers don't seem to work recently. In fact it's probably since I first encountered this thread - cough jinx . I know they were fine not too long back. Today I made 3 journeys and fired my wiper jets frequently. Not once did the headlamp washers fire. I have checked the tank and it was 2/3 -3 /4 full. I have filled it anyway and will test them again later.
Could they get damaged if attempting to fire them when frozen shut?
Could they get damaged if attempting to fire them when frozen shut?
Update.....I siphoned out the water and wash and the bottle is full of what I can only describe as thin wet toilet paper floating about in it the filter looks bunged up to buggery. There is no danger the washers were working prior to me picking it up.
I've got 90% screen wash 10% purified water in just now but I've booked it in to be looked at. Ideally the tank needs to be cleaned, the filters replaced and the washers cleaned.
I've got 90% screen wash 10% purified water in just now but I've booked it in to be looked at. Ideally the tank needs to be cleaned, the filters replaced and the washers cleaned.
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned but if the BMW screen wash gets mixed with other screen washes (halfrauds etc) - you can get the gunk as a precipitate. So always beat to fully empty the tank, flush through then refill if you are going to change from or to BMW.
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-Tom- said:
Common sense, however as an approved used car this should have been checked but the fluid was so low it was clear to me it hadn't. Possibly with such a strong mix and a good drive it might help break down the kak in there and possibly begin to work again. Doubt it but anything is worth a try right now
Update - I noticed white stuff coming out the washers, turns out some idiot had dropped a tissue into the water bottle and this has disintegrated and was making it's way out the windscreen washers. Left an unsightly mess.
Anyway I call a local BMW I've had 'issues' with before but new car, new start and all that and without even explaining anything apart from the headlamp washers are not working and being asked if I have a warranty I'm told you'll need to take it back to where you bought it from......over 100 miles away. Needless to say I wasn't too impressed and neither was the service manager or bmw uk who said it can be looked at by the garage I had called.
Anyway, I siphoned off the water and removed what could of the tissue and I put 3 litres of only concentrated screen wash, nothing else. This seems to have rid the windscreen washers of the tissue so I realised the headlamp washer pump was at the front and this was all gunked up so I cleaned this up. Tried the washers. Nope. So I tried over a few days then today I tried it 6 times and eventually they work!
I must of looked like a right plonker to anyone looking as I got very excited by them working. Hopefully that's them sorted for good
Anyway I call a local BMW I've had 'issues' with before but new car, new start and all that and without even explaining anything apart from the headlamp washers are not working and being asked if I have a warranty I'm told you'll need to take it back to where you bought it from......over 100 miles away. Needless to say I wasn't too impressed and neither was the service manager or bmw uk who said it can be looked at by the garage I had called.
Anyway, I siphoned off the water and removed what could of the tissue and I put 3 litres of only concentrated screen wash, nothing else. This seems to have rid the windscreen washers of the tissue so I realised the headlamp washer pump was at the front and this was all gunked up so I cleaned this up. Tried the washers. Nope. So I tried over a few days then today I tried it 6 times and eventually they work!
I must of looked like a right plonker to anyone looking as I got very excited by them working. Hopefully that's them sorted for good
