Windscreen Washers Malfunction

[Turbofan]

'Twas a damp and gritty day with the low Winter sun searing my eyeballs and a hazy windscreen splatter reducing visibility to about 20% when I tried a blink of the windscreen washers.

 

Oh my God!! I can't see a blxxdy thing!! The washer jet failed to inundate the screen and the windscreen splatter spread like a thick mist across my field of view, obscuring my vision entirely, as the wipers scraped backwards and forwards three times as programmed, but on the relatively dry screen. I missed the oncoming cars as I ricocheted off the road side grass verge and came to a halt undamaged but breathing heavily. How did we ever manage before windscreen washers?

 

]But , down to business. It wasn't the fuse.[/b

 

A check on the underbonnet fuse box revealed that F14 (washers) fuse was unblown and intact.

I checked all of the other fuses while I was there and no problems.

 

Has anyone come across this before and knows the answer?

 

I can't get to the washer bottle easily because it's under a panel secured by star headed screws that I don't have a tool for.

 

Any suggestions (clean and friendly ) welcomed.

[Turbofan]

'Twas a damp and gritty day with the low Winter sun searing my eyeballs. The C5 had acquired a hazy windscreen splatter reducing visibility to about 20% when I tried a blink of the windscreen washers.

 

Oh my God!! I can't see a blxxdy thing!! The washer jet failed to inundate the screen and the windscreen splatter spread like a thick mist across my field of view, obscuring my vision entirely, as the wipers scraped backwards and forwards three times as programmed, but on the relatively dry screen. I missed the oncoming cars as I ricocheted off the road side grass verge and came to a halt undamaged but breathing heavily. How did we ever manage before windscreen washers?

 

]But , down to business. It wasn't the fuse.[/b

 

A check on the underbonnet fuse box revealed that F14 (washers) fuse was unblown and intact.

I checked all of the other fuses while I was there and no problems.

 

Has anyone come across this before and knows the answer?

 

I can't get to the washer bottle easily because it's under a panel secured by star headed screws that I don't have a tool for.

 

Any suggestions (clean and friendly ) welcomed.

Further to the windscreen washer post I have to say before someone else does that I did check the washer fluid and topped up. The washers still didn't work.

[Randombloke]

If you trigger the washers with the car stationary and the window open can you hear the pump?

 

If so, 50% likely it's blocked jets. You will need a pin, or to remove the hose to the jets then blow them out against the direction of flow.

 

If you can't hear the pump it gets more involved, with needing to measure if there is any voltage at the connector to the pump.

 

If voltage on connector -> pump knackered.

 

If no voltage, problem elsewhere.

[old'uns]

if you can hear pump & have cleaned out jets, it could be the diaphragm on pump?

mine stopped working couple of times, well one side ok the pass side a dribble.

haven't got a clue why or how above works, mechanic did it for me, from memory diaphragm was about £10?

hang on, brainstorm!! think diaphragm keeps up pressure in pipes so no delay in water coming out?