Rear Wsh/Wpe Trouble

[D87 SMW]

Today I discovered that Arnold (or Aggie) would rather clean the floor than the rear window.
When the tailgate is raised, and the washer button is pressed (top left button on the right hand side of the MKI dash) the washer works. :)
BUT when the tailgate is closed, I get a few bubbles from the washer, and a wet carpet under the drivers side of the dashboard. :banghead: Not to mention the load that pours from the front of the sill and inside the wheel arch. :banghead: :censored:
Can anyone tell me what has gone wrong??? :rolleyes: :(

[MaestroMatt]

I would imagine that the pipe that goes from the washer bottle to the spray gets trapped somehow when the tailgate is closed. The water is then forced out of either a hole or a joint somewhere under the dashboard. You may have to gently lower the back of the headlining to get to the pipe and inspect it. Doesn't sound too serious.

[e692wtt]

Bidet not working, eh?:laugh:

The hose goes up one of the A-pillars and over the roof lining, but travels around behing the dash/engine first. It sounds like this part has deteriorated (the car's getting on for 20 years old...). Replace the whole lot, but you''ll have a bit of dismantling to do first, including dropping the headlining (probably the worst bit, thinking about it). Just fiddly, that's all. Or it could just be a joint under the dash that's come apart, but you'll have to find it... I'd say 'start again from scratch'.

The other other Rich.:)

[topgear]

Alternatively, just carry a bucket of water with you wherever you go! :-)

I had the same problem years ago, and it was a small blockage near the tailgate, give the system a blast through with a compressor to start with, before you take anything to bits - just in case.

[MaestroMatt]

If you trace the blockage to the jet (which is likely at 20 years old) then you can prise it out (not as easy as you might think, but persevere!) and clean it. I cleaned mine by soaking it in boiling water for a few minutes to try and loosen the crud, then I attached it to a bike pump (the sort with the rubber ring that closes over the valve stem, not the sort that screw on to the valve) and pumped like mad. After about 5 pumps a huge gob of really nasty looking snotty stuff flew out of the end and all was clear. Sadly, the ineffectual pump means that the water doesn't reach more than about 6 inches up the rear windscreen anyway. Oh, all this assumes that you have the earlier type of washer jet that is not an integral part of the rear wiper assembly but instead just sits on its own looking a bit waggly and about as much use as a one legged man in a butt kicking competition.

[quaddamager]

Replace the rubber tube!;)

[John]

You may be trapping the tube when the tailgate is closed and obstructing the flow of water. Check the pipe where is passes from the car to the door.

[D87 SMW]

Last night my dad got the washer working with the tailgate down. Today I blasted a load of water through to try to clear it out, only to find that it was still pouring onto the floor...
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[MaestroMatt]

You almost certainly need a new length of rubber pipe as quaddamager suggested.

[Simon]

Agree strongly! You might like to try pulling the tube from the pump end under the bonnet with a string/wire attached to the tailgate end. When all the tube is out, this should leave the string/wire in place ready to pull the new tube through.

Mine did the same as yours, but I've still got the old tube. All I've done is insert an elbow joint where the tailgate section joins the roof. That's where it had split due to years of flexing.