Rear screen washer not working

[Nigelfr]

Hi,

I've a 2018 model. The other day I noticed that the rear screen wash wasn't working, so I refilled the tank under the bonnet with about 4 litres. When I operated the switch for the rear screen wash, I could hear the pump operating, but no water came out of the jets.

Any suggestions on the cause?

 

[derbybiker]

Pipe has come loose from the tank or jets? This was my issue on an old car.
Have you checked on the ground to see if you have washer fluid under the car?

 

[richr]

My bet is a blocked jet or kinked/disconnected pipe too. Not at all uncommon on any car that uses one screenwash bottle. It's a long way from the bonnet to the boot!

Usual troubleshooting steps would be to remove the rear washer jet and see if water comes out the pipe without the jet in it. That'd indicate a blocked jet. If it doesn't then try swapping the pipes on the washer pump so that operating the front washer sends water to the back. If that works, then it's probably a pump issue. If not, then the pipe is probably blocked or disconnected - try blowing down it with both ends disconnected.

I'm not sure if there are any one-way valves in the system (probably are) - if so, they're worth checking or bypassing. All three in my Suburu Outback went faulty after about 10 years. I just took them out and everything worked fine. Yes the jets would dribble a bit after washing sometimes, but no big deal.

 

[NickH]

I have a 2015 PHEV and have just had the same problem.
Having heard the pump running and noticed a puddle under the car I opened the bonnet to investigate.
I was horrified to find that a lengthy section of the rear-washer pipe (around 20cm) had completely disintegrated (or perhaps had been badly chewed by an animal) and was hanging from a clip, detached at both ends.
There was a length near to the tank that I could connect a replacement pipe to, but I cannot find the way the pipe was originally routed to the back of the car, to find the other end to repair.
I think ithe original disappears behind the brake servo somewhere (car is UK RHD model) on its way to the rear of the car, but I cannot see where it was (there is probably a section of pipe missing.
What should be a simple and very cheap DIY job now looks like an expensive garage repair.
Or hopefully a warranty repair by a main dealer.
Any ideas anyone?
Any idea what could have caused the damage? I very much doubt it was ice.

 

[NickH]

As an update to my previous post:
My local Mitsubishi main dealer claimed it was rodent damage.
So my warranty claim was refused... but since I was going to get the damaged rear-washer pipe replaced anyway (!!!) they waived the £150 inspection fee (necessary for making a warranty claim)....
Instead they "only" charged me £327 for replacing the pipe, including the £9 for the cost of the pipe itself. It also only took them half-a-day in the workshop rather than the estimated 2 days (!!) to complete this work... (The pipe was expected to be very inaccessible.)
Apparently (they say) it is not possible to protect a car against rodent damage.... Rats can chew through anything including a metal pipe or a through metal sheath that I had suggested they first thread their replacement rubber pipe through.
So be careful where you park your car... especially if the usual rodent habitats in the area have become flooded.
(and be very careful of main dealers' price schedules)

 

[ThudnBlundr]

We got rodent damage when we parked our previous ICE cars under the archway next to our house in very cold weather. As the boiler vents under the arch, it stopped the car getting covered in snow or ice, but the rodents loved chewing on something in the warmth as well :roll:

 

[KWh]

If they really want to chew something, let them have one of the orange cables :lol:

 

[greendwarf]

If they really want to chew something, let them have one of the orange cables :lol:

4 legged rats are too clever for that but if you are referring to 2 legged ones...……………………………………….. :twisted:

 

[jaapv]

As an update to my previous post:
My local Mitsubishi main dealer claimed it was rodent damage.
So my warranty claim was refused... but since I was going to get the damaged rear-washer pipe replaced anyway (!!!) they waived the £150 inspection fee (necessary for making a warranty claim)....
Instead they "only" charged me £327 for replacing the pipe, including the £9 for the cost of the pipe itself. It also only took them half-a-day in the workshop rather than the estimated 2 days (!!) to complete this work... (The pipe was expected to be very inaccessible.)
Apparently (they say) it is not possible to protect a car against rodent damage.... Rats can chew through anything including a metal pipe or a through metal sheath that I had suggested they first thread their replacement rubber pipe through.
So be careful where you park your car... especially if the usual rodent habitats in the area have become flooded.
(and be very careful of main dealers' price schedules)

If it is rodent damage, I'm sure it will be covered by your insurance

 

[NickH]

insurance will cover it?

In theory yes. In practice even with 30 years no claims my excess is greater than such "trivial" damage repairs. It's even more annoying than vandalism I feel...

 

[Tai626]

If they really want to chew something, let them have one of the orange cables :lol:

Not sure if rats can see orange...

http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatVision.htm

Tai