Washer woes

My front screen wash packed up a short while ago, and I finally got to take a look yesterday. Probably best avoided as it's a pig to get to. I managed to pull the pipe off the motor and I only get a brief spurt when the motor is first actuated, then nothing. So, next job is to take the reservoir off - but that's easier said than done. I can only see one bolt, and that's looking from the driver's side. This bolt is at the top of the bottle, set at an angle. I can just get a socket to it to undo it, but am not sure if the bolt can be put back without removing the bridge between the seats. Anyone have any thoughts?

Hi PFM. Yes as you say, not too easy to get to, but easier when you know the position of the 3 10mm. selftappers.

Ideally a quarter drive socket set and extension bars/wobblebars make the job easier. Hope this helps you, provided the pictures upload from my Phone.

Ah great. Success!!

When I first saw the title thought you had been caught doing the washing up!

I can wash if I have to, Raggy - it's the drying-up that I consider a waste of time!

So, thanks to Woodie's most helpful pic of a socket-set washer bottle, I had a go today. Reservoir can be removed working entirely from the near-side, using a 3/8" socket set and a mirror on a telescopic stick speeds things up incredibly.  . Once the expansion tank and ?fuse are removed, you can get to the 3 10mm bolts and remove both tubes and connectors.

On the bench, the motors twist out of a plastic clip and can be eased out of the reservoir which needed a bath to remove some gunk. The filters on the pumps had a nice layer of this yellow/green gunk on, but no visible way of removing the filters. The motor can be released from the pump by squeezing the 2 clips on each side and easing off. (One clip on mine had been broken off, making me wonder if someone had been there before). Pumps then had a bath, but some gunk remained. Poking this through with a pin, I discovered the filters are a press fit as they started moving, and was able to wiggle them out - would have saved some time if I'd realized before as the filters are a doddle to clean when out of the pump and that dismantling was unnecessary.

When reassembling the pump to the motor, best to put the thick black washer/seal onto the motor then the impeller on the shaft, correctly located on the flat of course! The pump the slides over the impeller and seal and clips into place.

10 mins later, all fitted back in place, pump runs but nothing from screen jet. Took the tube off the pump and water flowed out. Put tube back on and success, 2 strong jets of water on the screen.

Thanks Woodie, that pic saved me a lot of time and effort.

Excellent result and good explanation....that drying is a waste of time

This is the way I clean the Washer motors of dirt. Gently blow them through with an Air Blower. It gets everything out of the system.

Also with the pipe disconnected from the pump I use the Blow to blow down the Swivelly Eyeballs of the Washer Jet to blow any gun BACK DOWN THE FEED PIPE. If you blow it through from the pump end all the muck gets up into the jets and can block it up.

I think that the "Fuse" you are referring to is actually the Radiator Fan Relay. It is right next to the Strangled Octopus metal pipe and Radcap.

Oh so that's the fan relay - I wondered where that was, but too lazy busy to look it up.

I don't have the luxury of an air blower, I tend to use mains water for reverse-flushing water valves. Removing the filter means you can clean it completely but they are fragile so a gentle touch is needed.