Washer jets were blocked, now intermittent

A

ajguk

Member
Hi all

My washer jets stopped working back end of summer, and as the car has been parked up these last few months it's been a job that was easy to put off. Now my MOT is due in 7 days I thought I should get on with it!

I took the reservoir tank out, degunked it and the filters (they were pretty bad but I managed to get rid of the vast majority of the crud) and put everything back together. Nothing coming out of the jets! Took it all apart again, reassembled and the jets were weak to say the least. Then....they just stopped working altogether ie. the pumps weren't running but the wipers were moving. Thinking I'd blown something I turned the engine off, left it a few minutes and this time disconnected the hose running to the windscreen, just to check the motor was ok. It seemed fine, spraying water with no issues. So, I reassembled and this time had a stronger stream with the bonnet up. Bonnet down, weak again but I persisted with running the tank through, and then the motor stopped running again! Turning the engine off and on made no difference.....wondering if I've blown a fuse or something? And I'm a bit stumped now. The motors seemed ok (although the light wash didn't seem to work at all) and I don't think the pipe was blocked, it just seems very temperamental. Is it worth replacing the hose to the windscreen and the tubes? Assuming the motors still run (everything got a bit wet so I'm letting things dry out a bit)....

Any advice appreciated - apologies for the wall of text, I just can't seem to notice a pattern to its behavour.
 
If it worked with the bonnet up, but not with it down, have you perhaps kinked the pipe where it runs up the drivers side bonnet strut?
 
Good shout. I don't think so but it's the first thing I should go check I guess, would make the most sense. That's if they're running again!
 
Do you have two pumps or just one?
If two, then swap the headlight one to the windscreen side and see if it works.
Possibly a pump dying.
 
Tbh, for the price of a new pump...............................

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334632254542?fits=Car+Make%3ABMW%7CPlat_Gen%3AE85%7CModel%3AZ4&itmmeta=01HPHF8HBJZEKF2A8XXPX1DY91&hash=item4de9a2fc4e:g:mTUAAOSwi6Nj~26G&itmprp=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0MSSKa6j5WcRrStiuffr8vklnwv%2FLBx1DP6MSPaRKJ8RWnvoUo2ODNP3JF9oVnpMzga%2BNUxbUIZKo%2FPyMPps2LwICgajL1Ix0l8SbpMG2o4WyJE%2B1zHsm9CPUXqE%2FEsZXGkPPWciQZIDEojfSdDPiH5qBGAoXs0oMRcW3TqhWXYObs9e%2BG1MrKuVNVB9hVD2ZKm1q03ciB7cmGCmb9POj%2FXdfi6gJG8O5Raf31zOMUTW%2FexfNMAVkTdMkeNBiWJfglrvSFZ7MpYJjsJ8yczLZ6A%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4aWoq-0Yw
 
Maybe you’ve got some crap stuck in the pipes / motors ?
 
enuff_zed said:
Do you have two pumps or just one?
If two, then swap the headlight one to the windscreen side and see if it works.
Possibly a pump dying.
Click to expand...

Two. I haven't checked if they're identical yet, but looks like new pumps are cheap as chips. The windscreen pump is fine, I have tracked that issue down to the elbow joint that connects the hose to the pump. It's leaking pretty badly so the pressure is down somewhat, but also the direction it was facing made a difference. I'll try to find a replacement.

The headlight pump on the other hand is a different matter....probably worth me just picking up a new one and swapping it out.
 
ajguk said:
enuff_zed said:
Do you have two pumps or just one?
If two, then swap the headlight one to the windscreen side and see if it works.
Possibly a pump dying.
Click to expand...

Two. I haven't checked if they're identical yet, but looks like new pumps are cheap as chips. The windscreen pump is fine, I have tracked that issue down to the elbow joint that connects the hose to the pump. It's leaking pretty badly so the pressure is down somewhat, but also the direction it was facing made a difference. I'll try to find a replacement.

The headlight pump on the other hand is a different matter....probably worth me just picking up a new one and swapping it out.
Click to expand...
Don't forget the headlight washers only work every third (or fifth?) press of the button.
 
enuff_zed said:
ajguk said:
enuff_zed said:
Do you have two pumps or just one?
If two, then swap the headlight one to the windscreen side and see if it works.
Possibly a pump dying.
Click to expand...

Two. I haven't checked if they're identical yet, but looks like new pumps are cheap as chips. The windscreen pump is fine, I have tracked that issue down to the elbow joint that connects the hose to the pump. It's leaking pretty badly so the pressure is down somewhat, but also the direction it was facing made a difference. I'll try to find a replacement.

The headlight pump on the other hand is a different matter....probably worth me just picking up a new one and swapping it out.
Click to expand...
Don't forget the headlight washers only work every third (or fifth?) press of the button.
Click to expand...

Yep, but wouldn't that be first time after every switch on? I've tried several times now and nothing at all. If the pumps are identical I will swap them and see if I can get anything out of it.

Ordered a new elbow so hopefully that fixes that issue at least....
 
OK so the pumps both work (they are also different pumps so not interchangeable). The headlamp washer jets don't seem to be popping out, although at the moment the reservoir is disconnected.

edit: just seen another post which mentions they work by pressure, which would explain them not extending while there is no liquid in the system.
 
I have been through the same process of cleaning the reservoir after which I thought the problem was solved but I still occasionally get no fluid. My suspicion is that there is some gunk in the pipes. I find that things work for the first couple of times and then stop - as if I’m pushing the gunk up nearer to the jets each time and then over time the gunk drops back down. I’d like to replace the jet’s themselves as they look old and grey so plan to check the pipes at the same time. Just as well it’s not my main drive and rarely gets driven in the wet.
 
I had this issue a while ago and/or I would get a low washer fluid message when the bottle was full. I found that if I use diluted screen wash this happens. I read somewhere that using undiluted concentrated screen wash dissolves any crud build-up. I tried this and within 24hr the issue disappeared. I've used only concentrated since and never had another issue for the past 5 or so years.
 
OK so just an update on this. The new elbow did the job, you just have to be careful how far in you push the pump into the reservoir. Now for the delayed MOT.... :(
 
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