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Windshield Washer HELP!

16K views 24 replies 12 participants last post by  chiarov 
#1 ·
My windshield washer has stopped working!!

I checked and the tank for the windshield washer fluid is full and it worked fine about two weeks ago but, now it doesn't work at all! It was a slow progression from a full blast two weeks ago to just a trickle last week and now nothing.

Could it be the pump or a filter somewhere? Does anyone know where the pump for the system is? Has this ever happened to you?

Thanks in advance,
Andy Kerchoff
 
#2 ·
the pumps are generally below the reservoirs.

But, can you hear the pump whirring? If so, the line is clogged or iced.

If not, check voltage @ pump. If ~12v, and connections are good, pump may be broken.

And, of course, check the fuse for this; locations in owners manual.

Lettuce know and we can go to next step.
 
#5 ·
I just checked the motor and it is definately working. So, my problem must be "downstream" of the pump.

Anyone know what the most likely failure is? The biggest clue is that the washers performance slowly died and didn't go from full working to inoperable overnight.

AK
 
#6 · (Edited)
I'm guessing the hose and/or washer jets are plugged with sludge. Do you have access to some compressed air with a blow nozzle/gun? If you do, disconnect the hose at the washer pump and direct a couple of blasts of air backwards through the washer jets below the windshield. This should expel the crud and open up the hose and/or the jets again.

Edit: I took another look at the the parts diagram and it appears there are some anti-backflow valves in the hose so be careful not to blast the air too hard through the jets and it may be actually better to try the air blast from the pump end of the hose. Also probing the washer jets with a small sewing needle works well for opening up clogged jets.
 
#9 ·
I could be wrong, but it appears that the pump and reservoir are only sold as an assembly by Lotus. I would suggest removing the assembly from the car and seeing if you can remove the pump from the reservoir. If you can remove it, take the two into your local AutoZone or other parts store and see if they have a pump that will fit the reservoir. I would start by looking at a pump for a Toyota Celica (here is a photo of the one sold by AutoZone AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection | Year) and if that one doesn't work, look at their generic pumps to see if one will fit. I took a look at the reservoir on my Elise and it sure looks like a Japanese part. If you do find one that works, please post the part number and what car it fits.
 
#10 ·
Thanks to everyone for their help.

I ended up buying a new pump (and reservoir, as they are sold as one piece) from Premier Lotus in Branford, CT. It came to $48 and then I paid some more to have it shipped quickly to my home. I consider that money well spent and once again I am shocked that parts cost as little as they do!

Best Regards,
AK
 
#11 ·
,
 

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#12 ·
I am in Toronto. Today I was driving in wet weather and needed to spray the windshield.

No sound. No fluid.

I am assuming the problem is that something is clogged or frozen. It was about -10 C (14 F) overnight.

I am going to leave the car in the heated underground parking at work and will try to diagnose later today.

Hoping it is nothing major. Will post my findings.
 
#13 ·
After a couple of hours in a heated underground all is well.

I checked that there was washer fluid.

Then I tried the wipers again. This time both jets sprayed easily. So it must have been something to do with our cold weather up here.

Relieved that it is working again. A little disappointed though that it would freeze up at only -10 C. I think my other car would have been OK with that temperature.
 
#14 ·
add some better quality fluid and a bit of alcohol to prevent frzg
 
#16 ·
You don't state MY of your car, but the orig fluid was low quality.
 
#17 ·
Confirmed

That settles it, you shouldn't drive the car below freezing because the washer fluid from the factory isn't rated to it, screw the tires not being safe for use below 30F. :no:
Mine's in the garage with the cover on.
 
#20 ·
its definitely not the original fluid in my 2007 exige s. and it certianly isnt frozen. the parking garage its in is constantly in the 50-60 degree range so far.
i did forget to mention that when i first noticed there was a problem, the reservoir was knocked off of its holder.
 
#22 ·
My windshield washer stopped squirting about a year ago. I finally got around to diagnosing the problem and found that the pump is dead. So a call to Lotus turned up a pump and wash bottle assembly for $96. That sounded a bit expensive so I kept looking for just the pump. This turned into a scavenger hunt since the pump does not seem to be a common part. I ultimately found a used one on eBay for $10 that worked great.

I’d like to share the various part numbers that I found in my search.
The original pump is GM part number 090586631
It has been replaced by GM part number 24439253
This is also used in the Saab 9-5 for the rear washer as Saab parts 90585761 and 4832895
Saab parts seem to be a lot easier to find than Lotus parts
 
#23 ·
Thanks a lot for this. Good stuff.
 
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