Some help required in connection with screen washer

[oldtimer]

There is no section for Wipers and Washers so it will have to go in the Cooling slot - well it's water.

S type V6

The car is up on the lift with the engine under panel off ready for an oil and filter change in the morning.

The screen wash spray has only functioned at half normal flow for a while, so now is an opportunity to look further. As the flow from the two twin spray nozzles mounted on the bonnet all flow equally at the same reduced rate I am taking a gamble and going for the gauze filter at the base of the screen wash tank.

My question is :- Has anyone had this tank out and which route is suggested as best ? It is buried behind the wheel arch liner, the very front under panel and behind the front bumper cover. I'm not over eager to do the job at all but would prefer the route of least resistance.

A reply from someone who has done this job would be appreciated.

Oldtimer

[Montana5]

Moved to the Bodywork section, beside your previous Washer Bottle posts.

Not had to do this myself yet, if I was I would be accessing the Bottle through the wheel arch after removing the plastic liner.

Doug.

[oldtimer]

Hi Doug,
Thanks for moving that over to the Bodywork section.

Do you think we deserve a section called Washers and Wipers as opposed to Bodywork ? Plenty has been said on this subject and perhaps deserves it's own section.

Where does the time go, I last threatened to do something about this two years ago but alas I have had issues that overshadowed such trivialities.

Anyway, back to business , so I got the oil and filter changed today - without covering myself in spilled oil I'm pleased to say.

I read the responses that I received last time I mentioned this subject and noted Martec's comments in particular, I'll make a start tomorrow and see how I get on. Mike Kennedy has frequently mentioned the pain of removing the assortment of screws holding things together in this area so should prove interesting.

Oldtimer

[J44EAG]

Phil.

I would try another approach before removing the bumper cover.

As you say the filter could be blocked and or the pipes, Suggest you disconnect the spray pipes from the nozzles and place in a cataleptic Then suck out the contents of the tank, refill a couple of times and flush out.

If not successful, I`d mix either an enzyme destroyer or an acid toilet cleaner such as used for clearing drains.

The content of the tank sludge is probably micro-biotic mass and might perhaps be destroyed and cleared by bio destruction. Leave overnight in tank, pump and pipes, flush and see what the result is.

Mike

[Montana5]

Hi Phil,
I agree we could be doing with a completely separate section for Windscreen Washer/Wipers, I'm not so sure if it would be possible though as the Club are working on a brand new integrated Web Site and Forum (we can only hope they get the name right this time ) I also hope to god they are working on a way to transfer all the useful information posts you guys have contributed on here over the years.

Doug.

[oldtimer]

Paul, I cannot for the life of me imagine what an integrated web site and forum is but as you say it would be a total disaster if all that information gathered over what is now several years were to be lost.

Apart from the technical contributors, based on the number of hits these subjects attract clearly a large number of members benefit from this information.

I just hope that the re-jigged affair gives the technical element the correct level of priority.

Do you know who is designing the new system and will any members get the opportunity to get the drift of what it is about before it is launched ?

P

[oldtimer]

Hey Up Mike,
Good to talk to you today. I still can't separate that confounded plug. We need a few pictures and a description of how to separate them - I can't even see the locking devise !!!!!.

Thanks for your suggestions above to chemically clean out the tank but you have caught me mid stream. The front under panel (the one beneath the radiator) has been off previously so the copper grease applied then allowed the screws to come out real easy, so that bit is off. All but two of the top bumper cover bolts have been removed - if it were not for this electrical plug the bumper would be off.

Doug, Earlier, you suggested that you would start with removing the wheel arch liner for access to the screen washer tank. You are quite correct, this does need to come out to gain access to the last two bolts that retain the bumper cover. Although wheel arch liner removal gives visual access of the tank the retaining bolts are around the opposite side.

By the way , it is a bit obvious, but don't forget to syphon out the contents of the tank !

I may be able to finish this story tomorrow

Oldtimer

[oldtimer]

Evening All,
I ended up removing both front plastic wheel arch liners , the front panel beneath the radiator and the front bumper cover. There was a two fold reason for this, firstly to remove the windscreen washer tank and while I'm there to do some serious wax oiling.

I chose to purchase a new tank in anticipation and discovered two options , either just a pump for £65.00 or a tank complete with pump and float valve for £72.00. so I opted for the tank with pump and float valve. The new item arrived only to find it was an aftermarket part similar to the original. There were nominal differences between the two tanks but the pumps although similar in size are not interchangeable. My guess is, that purchase of just the pump would match the original allowing it to be swopped over.

Normally the tank is not visible because it is encased behind various panels. Filling the tank with Halfords premix screen wash fluid for test purposes I could not fathom out why I could only half fill the tank. The filler stack pipe was full to the brim but the visible tank is only half full. The owners hand book says the capacity is one gallon (or there abouts, can't remember exactly) but clearly it is a two gallon capacity tank. I checked the removed original tank and found it to be exactly the same. I eventually discovered that an internal baffle prevents air being able to escape up the filler pipe thereby restricting capacity. I just cannot understand why this arrangement is used. I did notice that vehicles with headlight power wash have an increase in capacity by about two pints which means the cast in baffle could be adjusted to suit but what a complicated arrangement. The tank is secured in place via three 8mm bolts.

I was expecting to find a float on an arm in the base of the tank indicating contents but no just a little oblong box about an inch long with a plug attached, guess this must be some sort of photo electric cell .

I eventually discovered the reason for the poor spray performance. This was because the fluid supply tube which is routed around and behind the bonnet hinge had been guillotined. With careful examination a sharp edge of the windscreen plastic trim and the proximity of the hinge arm can be seen. A piece of split corrugated plastic cable tidy had been used as tube protection but in fact is probably aggravated the situation so it has been discarded. In due course I shall revisit this location and cut off the offending sharp edge on that piece of trim.

When the screen wash is operated the water runs down the screen into the two drains, one each side, by the A post . While this is happening it is difficult to tell that this flow is being augmented by the split supply pipe so it is not obvious that there is a leak at this point.

So the upshot of all this is that a couple of quid's worth of rubber tube would have solved the problem. I started off by asking a question but now I have the answers and I hope that others gain some benefit from my experience

Tis well past my bedtime - Good night all

Oldtimer