Windshield washer does not work

Need to use a voltmeter to find out if 12V is getting to the washer pump and trace backwards from there.

Without looking at your car, if I had to guess the problem, it is in the wiper switch itself.

Yes, that's my guess too. Thanks for responding and for your good ideas.

If you look at the washer switch contacts you will probably find the contacts dirty/burnt. Look inbetween the steering wheel and the steering column right by the ign lock and try activating the washer function to find those contacts. You can clean and adjust them so that they can make good contact when you activate the washer function. You can see the contacts without removing the steering wheel. You can also clean and adjust them like that IIRC. You might have to remove the lower plastic piece of that steering column by removing those two tiny screws.

I either use a small piece of sandpaper or fingernail file to clean. I use either a screwdriver or needlenose pliers to adjust or bend one or both of the contacts. Yes you can bend it too far so that the contacts are constantly touching. lol you don't want that! ;-)

This whole operation should take you about 10 minutes!

Hope this helps.

later, dave (One out of many Daves)

Thanks very much, Dave. I'll give it a shot, and post the result back here - but it may be in a day or two. My car is in the shop getting some other work done right now.

nothing

themselves

suggestions?

I went through this on my '84 Scirocco, I ended up having to replace everything but the switch - it was all dead. The pump is actually fairly expensive, so if you can get a good used one from a junkyard you're better off doing that. You will need to get a grommet from the dealer if you remove the pump (you will see what I mean when you get in there.) I had to replace the nozzles on the hood as well (dealer) and all the hoses as they were old and brittle. The cool thing is that the windshield washer tubing is exactly the same as the stuff that is used for air hose for aquariums so you can get the tubing and fittings at your local Petco for cheap. I spent the extra $2 and got a roll of the "lifetime" silicone hose which worked well for the whole time I owned the car.

Obviously as the other poster suggested test the voltage at the pump connector before you do anything else, that will help you narrow down the problem, or at least see if there is a problem with the column switch.

good luck

nate

Thanks Nate. I already have a new pump, new bottle, new grommet, and new tubing. The old tubing was so brittle, you wouldn't believe. Wish I had known about the aquarium source for tubing. I tried some black rubber tubing from a NAPA store for $2, but it wouldn't fit even though it was the same size (couldn't get it to slide onto the fittings) - so I bit the dealership price bullet. O, well.

I bought the pump, grommet, and bottle new on Ebay for about $50 including shipping.

Regards.