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Headlamp Washers


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I've just discovered that my headlamp washers don't work, and I suspect this has been the case ever since I bought the car (since I've been meaning to check them before, but kept forgetting).

When I press the button there is a whirring sound, so it sounds like the motor is working and I'm thinking it's not an electrical/fuse problem. I have water in the tank because the windscreen washers work fine. The headlamp washers whirr, but they don't pop up at all.

I've had a look in the online workshop manual but it only really seems to deal with electrical issues for the washers.

Any ideas ? I can see the front bumper having to come off :nugget:

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I just topped up the washer fluid and it didn't take a lot, so it was fairly full already. No difference, they still don't work.

Andy-r - there must be a motor involved, I can hear it working when I press the button. I guess that perhaps water pressure is used to make the washers pop up, but the water is being driven by a motor/pump ?

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If you pull the washers up with your hands, do they move freely?

Also if you can stick your head under the bumper a bit is there water coming from somewhere else? It could just be a hose that's come loose somewhere.........

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If you pull the washers up with your hands, do they move freely?

Also if you can stick your head under the bumper a bit is there water coming from somewhere else? It could just be a hose that's come loose somewhere.........

I can't see any water dripping down or anything.

I hadn't tried pulling up the washers because I didn't know if it was safe to do that. So they should just pull up on their own ? I will try that.

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What i've been told in the past is they work from water pressure, the motor you can hear is probably the same one that does your normal washers as i'd guess there all linked, have you tried pressing the headlamp washer button at the same time as washing your windscreen, there may be a blockage and this might help free it, otherwise you may have to go through the pipes and see if anything is blocking it.

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Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I tried pressing the windscreen washer button at the same time as the headlamp washers, didn't make any difference.

I tried pulling up the headlamp washers. They seem to pull up ok. There seems to be a reasonable amount of resistance when I pull them, i.e. they retract back down when I let go.

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Am I right to assume that the pipes for the headlamp washers start on the right (looking from in front of the car), by the washer fluid tank, and so feed to the passenger side washer first and then go on to the driver's side washer ? Because neither are working so if there's a problem in the pipes I'm guessing it's near to the washer tank.

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Am I right to assume that the pipes for the headlamp washers start on the right (looking from in front of the car), by the washer fluid tank, and so feed to the passenger side washer first and then go on to the driver's side washer ? Because neither are working so if there's a problem in the pipes I'm guessing it's near to the washer tank.

ok, answering my own question here, but I found the relevant diagram in the online workshop manual, and indeed the pipes do appear to feed from there.

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Sorry lads, just a little of topic here. I just noticed that one of my headlight washer units is up a little about 1/2 inch from the bumper. But i tried lifting it and letting go and it just sits back in the same spot. Any thoughts ??

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Have you tried pushing it down? there might be sumthing stopping it going all the way back, a stone, some pipe, if it won't push back in then pull it up have a look to see if you can see anything stopping it, if not then it's under the car or maybe even bumper off to find the problem.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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