Messy Mitts

Messy Mitts · January 26, 2018

IS 200 Sportscross

The rear washer won't work. The pump pushes water to the windscreen jets but not to the rear. The container is full. Any suggestions?

NemesisUK · January 26, 2018

Check the supply pipe in the hatch hinge area

Messy Mitts · January 27, 2018

I have removed the supply pipe from the jet and tried to get the pump to push water through, but still nothing happening. Tks for the suggestion.

Texas · January 27, 2018

Rear washer you say....

1 does you car have a seperate pump for the rear wash or is there only one pump fitted to the resivour with two pipes coming from it?

Texas · January 27, 2018

2 when you operate the switch for the rear wash can you hear a pump running?

Messy Mitts · January 28, 2018

Not sure about a second pump. A bit tight to see much in the engine bay although there appears to be just one pipe that goes to the windscreen washers. I assume that the rear washer supply branches off that pipe.

I can hear a pump working when I try to use the rear washer.

Texas · January 28, 2018

Not au fait with your cars controls exactly but usually with cars that have a rear wash wipe then the way it works with only one pump in the reservoir is that one pump has Two pipes coming from it ( one for the front jets and one to the rear jet)

When the switch for the front jets to work is operated the pump is supplied with power and the motor inside runs and supplies fluid to one of the pipes which goes to the front jets, when the switch for the rear jet is operated then the power is supplied to the motor with reverse polarity ( the + & - connections on the motor are given - & + instead) when this happens the motor runs in reverse and the wash fluid is pumped out through the 2nd pipe which goes to the rear jets. In this system you cannot wash the front screen & the rear screen at exactly the same time obviously.

Like I said not aware of your controls but in the past could you if you wanted to wash BOTH screens at exactly the same time?

if not ( and I guess so as most cars have only one pump fitted for cost reasons) then you probably have one pump with two outlets.

if yes then you may have only one pipe coming from pump and splitting to the rear (unusual)

you say you can hear a pump running ( is this under the bonnet area or at the rear of car) when you operate the switch for the rear wash ( this eliminates the Fuse,Switch,Wiring) so this just leaves the pump and pipe work. Sometimes if anything other than spirit/solvent based screen wash is used ( ie WashingUp Liquid) then the filter inside the tank can get gunged up, but you say the front jets are working! ( through same filter/pump!) so that eliminates the filter.

first step is to fill reservoir completely up to the top edge and then operate the rear wash wipe for a few seconds and then see if level as gone down at all. If it has then this means the pump is working and the fluid is actually going somewhere, albeit not out of the rear jet where it should.

next ( awkward ) step is to get access to the pump and take off the outlet pipe that supplies the rear jet then operate the pump to see if fluid comes out of pump under pressure ( note when you remove the pipe the fluid may gush out of the pump as it is a centralfugal type pump and this type allows fluid to pass through when static) there may be a non-return valve in the hose/connection area which stops water draining back into the reservoir from the pipe lines to minimise any delay filling the pipe lineswhen jets are required.

please come back with your findings on each step above.

paul m.

Texas · January 28, 2018

I'm not suggesting that this is your problem (yet) but this is the sort of thing that can happen and you need to fault find in a logical sequence.

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/456821-split-rear-windscreen-washer-pipe.html

wet carpets anywhere inside the car might be a give away especially if you pump runs-fluid level goes down and nothing comes out of screen jet!!!

paul m.

Messy Mitts · January 29, 2018

Tks for your thoughts Paul.

I have never tried washing both front & rear at the same time so have just tried it. Only the rear supply seems to work if I do, and fluid comes out of the supply pipe to the rear jet. I will spend some time pumping fluid through to see if I can clear/have cleared any gunge in the system.

Tracing a supply pipe through the engine bay it looks as though there must be a second pipe to feed the rear jet as the one I can follow along in the engine bay seems only to go to the front jets. I can see another pipe deep down near the container but it is so tight for space and difficult to see where it goes.

The pump noise is definitely down in the front nearside corner of the engine bay.

Texas · January 29, 2018

So from what you say then the pump does pump out fluid when required to supply the pipe for the rear jet.

So either there is a blockage in the rear pipe? ( unusual)

or does the level go down in the reservoir like I said? If it does then this means the fluid is going somewhere inside the car and you need an assistant to operate washer while you searchlisten for running water somewhere

Texas · January 29, 2018

I have just read through all this thread again.

so are you saying now that when you operate the switch for the rear wash/wipe the fluid is coming out of the pipe that is normally connected to the rear jet?

if yes then the problem has got to be the rear jet itself!

paul m.

Messy Mitts · January 30, 2018

I had fluid coming out of the pipe and I let it flow through for a while to try to flush the system. I reconnected the pipe to the jet and that works o k too, but it seems to need to be primed by washing both front and back together. No water flows to the front jets when I do this and water comes out at a reasonable rate from the rear jet.

I am inclined to drain down the fluid in the container, flush the system with clean water and refill with fresh screen wash.

Thanks for all your thoughts and suggestions.

M M

Texas · January 30, 2018

So if everything is working as it should now what exactly did you do to achieve this? And is there a switch for the front washers and a seperate switch for the rear washer? I still can't fathom out your set up?

paul m.