Windshielf washer not working

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Another surprise; the windshield washer system is not working. The PPI missed it. The head light washers work, though one is squished and deformed. I hear the pump for the windshield washer fluid, but nothing is coming out.

I know that the nozzles are not blocked, I cleaned them out already. I attached a spray bottle to the line and pumped water through it onto the windshield. There are two hoses that seem to come up from the tank. I might have a crack in one of the tubes that connect into the reservoir tank. I stuck a pump from the spray bottle into the line and pumped for a while, but it didn't draw any fluid. I could blow into that tube and hear bubbles from under the fender, but I could not use the hand pump to make it draw any liquid. The other hose going down under the fender would not make blow through bubbles or suck out washer fluid. It might be clogged or capped off somehow.

[randywebb]

The anti-backflow valves are prob'ly stopped up - one is L shaped, the other is T shaped. They are small and cheap, and usually under the cowl area somewhere.

Replace them.

[bigchillcar]

+1 i had to replace them on my '74. my '90 was acting up the same way when i bought it..and actually, holding down the wash button for a longer period of time than you'd normally do...worked. they've been fine ever since. you might try holding the wash button for 15-30 seconds and see what happens. if nothing, replace what randy said. cheapest parts you'll ever buy for your car.

[rusnak]

+2 on the backflow valves. It's also a good idea to drop the washer reservoir and clean out the tank and the pick up screen inside the tank. It's on the short tube that is normally submerged inside the tank.

Mold can grow to the point that the screen is clogged or partially clogged. Cleaning everything out will restore full pressure to the washer nozzles.

[JeffreyNMemphis]

There are two hose the come up into the luggage compartment from under the car and one hose that goes to the windshield wipers. One hose makes a bubbling sound when air is blown in, the other will not take forced air or produce fluid with suction.

Does anyone know about the two tubes? I wonder if one is blocked or stopped up?

I took the pump apart and everything appears to be clean, not mold or funky stuff.

[bigchillcar]

i just know that there's a hose running from the pump to the washer nozzles. these pass through the two aforementioned check valves that are prone to freezing up. you can see a tiny spring in them. they are plastic and shaped like a 'T' and an 'L'. my bet is that if you replace these, you'll have flow again. not sure i answered your question..

[911mot]

Jeff, raise the front of the car and look inside the drivers wheel well behind the headlamp. You will see a large black container with a plastic serrated ring on top. Undo this ring, either by hand (tough) or with water pump pliers (easy). This will allow you to fish the two pipes out of the bottle. One of the pipes has a valve on it. Remove the valve and clean it. That is what is stopping you from sucking fluid up to the pump.

[JeffreyNMemphis]

I fixed it... It was the little filter in the reservoir. I took the tank down and drained it, cleaned the filter and reassembled. Everything is working perfect.

[rusnak]

Jeff,

I thought that was it. Mold can grow in the tank even if you use washer fluid, so it's a good idea to take the tank out and clean it if you are having the problems that you described.

Another way to isolate the check valve problem is to just remove them. The system will work without check valves, just not as quickly.

[bigchillcar]

glad you got it fixed, jeffrey...glad you found it before i sent you down the wrong path!

[JeffreyNMemphis]

The tank didn't have mold in it... but the screen was covered with something that had the texture of cotton fibers? It took a bit of careful work with a needle to pry the little fibers off the screen without damaging it.

[JeffreyNMemphis]

I took the pump apart and cleaned it. Now, I could probably wash the whole car with the washer motor! I spent about 15 minutes adjusting the direction of the spray nozzles to maximize their windshield washing trajectory. At one point, I had it squirting the car behind my Porsche.

[randywebb]

mold grows hyphae, many of which have the texture of cotton fibers

[rusnak]

It's either that or stop putting cotton down your washer filler tube, Jeff.