Windcreen washer system

After not using my 1998 E36 323i Coupe for 2 weeks (not parked under a tree!) I tried to get the winscreen washer jets to work. Nothing comes out of the jets at all. The checks I have done include:

-- plenty of water on the system

-- no blockage in the piping that I can see (I removed some of the foam under the bonnet to check there wasn't a hidden bloackage)

-- when pulling the windscreen washer stalk I can hear the pump trying to work - it does it's normal buzzing noise!

Am I being totally daft here? Is it possible that the pump may be defective despite the fact that I can hear it "trying) to work as normal.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Tony

Reply to
TG
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On 7/17/2006 9:16 AM, TG went clickity-clack on the keyboard and produced this interesting bit of text:

Use a pin or similar small item to make sure the nozzles aren't clogged.

Reply to
Voinin

Thanks for the suggestion. Did the pin thing - still doesn't work.

What's strange is that the last time I used the car the washers worked fine, and nothing now. Yet I can hear the motor/pump whirring away!

Any further ideas appreciated. Many thanks, Tony.

Reply to
TG

Try sticking a pin in the jet to see if bits of scale or other crud are occluding them.

Reply to
Richard Sexton

You have a blockage someplace. Unplug the hoses and blow in them. The jets themselves being the narrowest point are *usually* the thing that gets blocked. Got a longer pin?

Reply to
Richard Sexton

The reason that I don't think it's the jets is that it would be a strange co-incidence if they were suddenly both blocked at the same time, when they were both working fine last time.

I will try to take all the pipes out and blow through them.

Is it possible/likely that the pump could be defective despite hearing the whirring noise?

Thanks again, Tony

Reply to
TG

Anything is possible. Pull the hose off it and check.

Reply to
Richard Sexton

A more likely explanation:

Most water pumps (your heart included) are not very good at pumping air. It sounds like you have an air lock in the pump.

This can happen over time if the jets are not used or if there is a leak between the pump and the reservoir, allowing the pump to dry. Most cars have the pumps positioned below the water reservoir or have non-return valves to prevent this - I'm not sure about your car specifically.

You could either turn the pump on and wait (it may take a while but some pumps will pump a little air and eventually suck up enough fluid to prime the pump - it could take a minute or two) or suck on the nozzle to draw water into the pump - both options have worked for me in the past.

Paul Martin

Reply to
Paul Martin

TG wrote on Mon, 17 Jul 2006 19:08:31 +0100:

My E36 does this all the time. Some days I get no jet, some days I get 1, some days, 2, rarely I get 3, and I don't remember getting 4 in the past 3 years. When I get nothing, it normally comes back the next day.

Dan

Reply to
Spack

Until now all 4 of my jets have worked perfectly - I have had the car for 6 years. Maybe the design is different to yours - mine is a 1998 model

Reply to
TG

Thanks for the ideas. I would like to try the idea of keeping the pump on for a few minutes - however does anyone know if it is possible to pump the water without the windscreen wipers going from side to side?

Thanks everyone for your suggestions - much appreciated (you'll see I'm far from a car expert, but I'm learning!)

Tony

Reply to
TG

Probably not possible, but you could just lift up the wipers (make sure your bonnet/hood is closed!) and then try it - at least they won't rub on the glass.

Paul

Reply to
Paul Martin

After disconnecting the pipe from the pump (right next to the windscreen washer tank) I then tried to pull the washer stalk. Although I heard the whirring of the pump no water actually came out of the pump itself (I was expecting the engine area to get soaked).

I then took out the pump and blew into one end and felt the air rush through to the other end in case there was a blockage.

(I also removed the sealing grommit by the water tank to mke sure there wasn't anything stuck in the tank - at that poiny the water started coming out of the tank, implying the tank was OK.)

I am confused that I can hear the whirring of the pump yet no water comes out. What do people think?

Thanks, Tony

Reply to
TG

Bad pump. Just because it making noise doesn't mean it's not defective.

Reply to
Carl Frisk

Since the pump is supposed to deliver water but isn't, I would conclude that the pump is history. Jim

Reply to
Jim

TG wrote on Tue, 18 Jul 2006 09:48:32 +0100:

Mine's a 93. However, I think it's more to do with the trees near my house and gunk getting in the jets ...

Dan

Reply to
Spack

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