Front Washer Pump

[Huggy bear 0]

Hi- I have very limited mechanical skills but do like to tinker with the easier tasks - My front washer pump isn't working ,don't remember it ever working since my ownership Oct 10, but it has been covered up until today so I wouldn't have known anyway.

 

I have had the fuse out no probs so I guess it's one of two things , the wiring or the pump itself - just about to order one on line but are these common faults - it's basicallly not even making a noise so sounds completely dead !

 

Cheers

Huggy

[Tom Fenton 1,548]

Before you buy a new pump actually check the one you have with a couple of short lengths of wire direct from the battery. If it works like that then the problem is usually the connectors in the plug that fits onto the pump have corroded due to many years of folk overfilling the washer bottle and getting them wet, hence are not making electrical contact. If this is the case the easiest fix is to chop off the plug and replace with 2 individual crimp on spade terminals as you will find it difficult or impossible to clean up the existing to get a reliable job.

[Huggy bear 0]

Before you buy a new pump actually check the one you have with a couple of short lengths of wire direct from the battery. If it works like that then the problem is usually the connectors in the plug that fits onto the pump have corroded due to many years of folk overfilling the washer bottle and getting them wet, hence are not making electrical contact. If this is the case the easiest fix is to chop off the plug and replace with 2 individual crimp on spade terminals as you will find it difficult or impossible to clean up the existing to get a reliable job.

 

 

Hi Tom, thanks for that.

just tried that method , used some speaker wire - connected negative to negative and live to live -- started sparking so quickly stopped that - sounds knackered (or being a numpty have I done that wrong? )

 

Cheers again

Huggy

[Tom Fenton 1,548]

Some sparks will be normal, make sure the connections are good, and give it another try for a couple of seconds.

[Anthony 1,003]

I assume that the wipers move when you pull back on the stalk, just no life from the pump? If the wipers don't move either, it'll be the stalk itself at fault.

[Huggy bear 0]

I assume that the wipers move when you pull back on the stalk, just no life from the pump? If the wipers don't move either, it'll be the stalk itself at fault.

 

 

Hi Anthony - wipers work fine

 

Tom, thanks for giving me the idea to test, just done it again but connected it for a lot longer this time - no noise from the pump at all so will get a new one ordered pronto

 

Cheers all

[welshpug 1,666]

give it a thump, it may start working

[shalmaneser 26]

I swapped my pumps front and rear - the rear one gets a much easier life as it is very rarely used compared to the front, and they're exactly the same unit...having done that my original front pump (now mounted in the back) decided to come back to life as well! happy days.

 

Worth a go before you go buying a new one, although i dare say they're pennies from a scrappy.

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Or fit one from a 406 etc as they seem to have more power than the original 205 ones and just plug straight in the washer bottle. I also tapped mine for the MOT with a hammer and it started working again (rarely used on a CTI!)