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Windshield Wiper Sprayers aren't working

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Old 09-21-2010, 03:58 PM
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Default Windshield Wiper Sprayers aren't working

My wiper sprayers haven't worked since i purchased the car. It hasn't really bothered me till the other day when i was behind a semi. The windows became dirty from standing rain water, I couldn't see a damn thing and had no way to clean off the window.

step one
I replaced the fluid pump, pretty easy to change. not the problem

Check to see if sprayers/hoses are clogged. not the problem however i discovered that the sprayers aren't even connected to the hose from the pump.

Check under the car to see if that's where the fluid was spraying. nope

Has to be the electrical conection in the column/blinker.

My solution, as i don't want to mess with the column and figuring out the switch, is to run a new power wire to a momentary button switch that is wired to the accy in the fuse block on the left side of the dash. I'll mount the switch where the fog light is, and press the button when i need a spritz.

Does this seem feasible or am I making a bigger deal than I need to?

Also what kind of mess will have trying to take off the wiper cowl to hook the nozel back up?

thanks for the help!
Old 09-21-2010, 11:35 PM
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can you hear the pump working when you turn the sprayer on?

listen for it under the hood if not then you know it's electrical problem

my passenger side won't spray for some reason I need to look into it more
Old 09-22-2010, 08:03 AM
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If the pump works it could just be a broken line. The line gets brittle over time and easily breaks. Mine broke right were it goes under the cowl. I just slipped a vacuum line over it and problem solved
Old 09-22-2010, 09:32 AM
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You don't want to do that. The wash cycle also runs the wipers for you. If you sell the car, the next owner will hate you.

I'd start by jumping the pump to the battery and see if you can get it to work. Never hear of a problem inside the car when this happens. Almost always a line or nozzle, etc.

How do you know the lines are not clogged?
Old 09-22-2010, 03:58 PM
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Originally Posted by wssix99
You don't want to do that. The wash cycle also runs the wipers for you. If you sell the car, the next owner will hate you.

I'd start by jumping the pump to the battery and see if you can get it to work. Never hear of a problem inside the car when this happens. Almost always a line or nozzle, etc.

How do you know the lines are not clogged?
Its not the lines as it wasn't hooked up to the sprayers and i blew through the line at the window and could feel my breath on the pump side.

The pump is brand new so I know that its electrical.

I have no idea how i'm gonna trace the problem in the wire. The bundle is barried. Does the wire remain red all the way to the switch on the blinnker arm?

If its a red wire coming from the switch I just splice it and run a new power wire and see if that works.

Last edited by Hartje; 09-22-2010 at 04:05 PM.
Old 09-22-2010, 04:00 PM
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Originally Posted by bigj2717
If the pump works it could just be a broken line. The line gets brittle over time and easily breaks. Mine broke right were it goes under the cowl. I just slipped a vacuum line over it and problem solved
Did you have to remove the cowl to fix the line? How much of a bitch is it to remove? I have never had to remove that cowl.
Old 09-22-2010, 05:20 PM
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Mine broke right before the cowl. There's a bunch of little plastic push tabs that come out and you can lift it up to look under it
Old 09-23-2010, 07:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Hartje
The pump is brand new so I know that its electrical.
Not necessarily. Even "new" parts can be bad and there are other places to get a clog other than the lines. Have you been able to have someone listen for the pump motor running or tested the electrical at the connector? That will tell you a ton about what's really going on.
Old 09-23-2010, 08:45 AM
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It was a bad ground, I spliced a new ground in and grounded it at the bolt behind the headlight. took the wiper cowl off and reconected the line to the sprayers and its all working now.

Thanks for the help guys! I'm really glad I didn't put a switch in it.



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