Driving a car without a proper windscreen washer is very dangerous, especially in the rainy season with wet roads. A car with a working water fluid spray is easier to drive as it clears the windshield from smearing, smudge and other outside elements.
But if the wiper fluid is not spraying after a refill, it could be due to a number of reasons, such as a cracked wiper fluid reservoir, a malfunctioning wiper fluid pump, or a clogged wiper fluid nozzle.
How to Repair a Windshield Washer?
Why your windshield washer fluid won’t come out? There are many potential reasons why your windshield washer fluid won’t come out.
First, you have to make sure that the washer fluid reservoir is full. If there is no fluid coming out after refilling, you may have a clogged nozzle, blow a fuse, or the pump is broken and needs to be replaced.
MORE: How to Change a Wiper Blade?
Step 1: Check the Fuse.
With the car parked in a quiet place, operate the window washer and listen for the whirring of the pump.
If there’s no sound, head right for the fuse box.
If the fuse is blown, it’s usually a sign of a dead pump motor or one that’s ready to check out. If it blows again, replace the motor.
Step 2: Check the windshield washer fluid reservoir.
If your washer fluid won’t spray, it may be because your washer fluid reservoir is empty. I know it seems obvious, but how many times do we overlook the obvious in our everyday lives. The windshield washer fluid reservoir is easy to locate.
Most of the time, it has a picture of the washers on the reservoir cap. Go ahead and open the cap. Then check the dipstick to see the fill level.
If you need to refill, use a premixed fluid so that you will know that you have the correct solution. The last thing you want to happen is for the fluid to freeze up in the winter.
If you have to refill your reservoir, once you’ve completed the job, be sure to check under the car, on the ground, for fluid. Make sure that a leak in your reservoir tank wasn’t the cause of the problem.
Step 3: Listen to see if you can hear the washer pump running.
The best way to do this is with the ignition on but the engine not running. That way it will be easier to hear.
Get a helper. You’ll need someone to push or turn the knob while you listen. If you can hear the motor running, that’s great. If the windshield washer fluid still won’t spray go on to Step 3…
Step 4: Check if the nozzles on the washer are clear.
The problem could be that your windshield wiper nozzles are clogged. Polish can easily block these nozzles. The location of the nozzle jets varies from car to car. Look around the base of your front windshield for yours.
If it’s the rear wiper jets that won’t work, then check near the topside of the rear window for the wiper jets. Once you’ve located them, use a straight pin to clear out the jets.
Hopefully, that gave you some insight into the cause of the problem. If so, congratulations! Job well done.
Windshield wiper fluid not coming out
If your windshield wiper fluid isn’t coming out, it could be due to a number of reasons, including:
Unused Washers
A car washer fluid is necessary to keep the windshield clean. However, there are many potential causes for a car’s wiper fluid not spraying after a refill, all possible if the washers haven’t been used for a couple of weeks or months.
That said, if the wiper fluid stopped spraying even though you refilled it, the only two causes could be that you either put the wiper fluid into the wrong reservoir or the hoses are frozen because of colder temperatures.
Cracks in The Wiper Fluid Reservoir
Older wiper fluid reservoirs or those with a missing wheel arch or wing lining usually crack. Because of a crack in the reservoir, the wiper fluid refilled in it drains out quickly, forming a puddle under the car. With a cracked or damaged wiper fluid reservoir, the fluid may spray for a couple of minutes after refill – this depends on the size of the hole or crack.
To check if the wiper fluid is not spraying after a refill because of a reservoir problem, refill it and leave the car to sit for half an hour. If there is a puddle underneath, the reservoir problem persists. You can also diagnose this problem by checking the reservoir level.
You Put Wiper Fluid in the Wrong Reservoir
Another reason for a wiper fluid not spraying after a refill is if you put wiper fluid in the wrong reservoir instead of the wiper fluid reservoir. Usually, inexperienced drivers add the wiper fluid to the coolant reservoir. To check if the wiper fluid is in the wrong reservoir:
- Open the owner’s manual
- Go through the instructions and illustrations for wiper fluid and coolant refill
It will then be convenient to identify if you put the wiper fluid in the coolant expansion tank or not.
Frozen Wiper Fluid Hoses
Causes of wiper fluid not spraying after a refill also include frozen wiper fluid hoses. Much like the engine coolant, wiper fluids also have freeze levels. It’s common for wiper fluid hoses to freeze when the temperature gets colder.
In such a scenario, the wiper fluid doesn’t spray as it is not able to travel through the hoses that have frozen fluid inside them. If your car’s wiper fluid is not spraying after a refill in colder temperatures, frozen hoses can be the reason.
Clogged Wiper Fluid Nozzles
The wiper fluid hoses are really wide, making clogging difficult. That said, the wiper fluid nozzles on the hood have a small, roughly a millimeter-wide hole.
The nozzle size makes it more susceptible to clogging. When this happens, the wiper fluid pump cannot build enough pressure to unclog them. Moreover, if the wiper fluid is coming out just on one side, it may be because of a clogged nozzle.
Wiper Fluid Pump is Not Working
The wiper fluid might also not spray after a refill because of a malfunctioning pump. To check if the pump is broken, have someone pull the wiper fluid stalk; meanwhile, listen carefully for a whirring or buzzing sound from the wiper fluid reservoir.
If you don’t hear the sound, it means the pump is either broken or there is a blown pump fuse.
Broken Wiper Fluid Hoses
With time, wiper fluid hoses and plastic connections become stiff and break. In such a scenario, the wiper fluid escapes through the cracks because it requires less pressure than it would to go through the windshield washer nozzle.
Moreover, with broken hoses, you won’t find a puddle under the car. This is because the fluid for the wiper will only leak upon pulling the stalk.
To check if this is the problem for the wiper fluid not spraying after a refill, have someone pull the wiper fluid stalk. Meanwhile, look for leaks in the engine bay. With broken hoses, there will be high-pressure wiper fluid squirting, making it very hard to miss.
How Much Does a Replacement Windshield Washer Pump Cost?
Windshield washer pumps can cost anywhere from $10 to $120. The price can vary depending on the brand and your vehicle model.
FAQs.
Why is my windshield wiper fluid full but won’t spray?
If the fluid does not spray, the hose could be damaged. If washer fluid did not spray after completing this test, pull back the shield under the hood cover and inspect the hoses for looseness, a tear or damage, or a disconnection from the nozzle.
Why is my wiper fluid not spraying after refill?
If the wiper fluid is not spraying after refill it could be because: broken wiper fluid reservoir, broken wiper fluid pump or clogged wiper fluid nozzle.
How do you unclog windshield wiper sprayers?
Use a pin to clear deep blockages. If wiping blockages does not enough to clear the jets out for washer fluid to spray, use a pin or needle to clear the holes. You will press a pin into each hole on the jet, then remove and wipe any clogs that come out with the pin.
Why is my windshield wiper fluid symbol not going away?
The sensor that measures fluid level is not working. There could be a couple of reasons for this like dirty that settled in the reservoir, the foil cap coming off of the washer fluid jug into the tank or you did not use washer fluid and used straight water instead.
Is there a fuse for windshield wipers?
Before the wiper motor goes bad, you are likely to get a blown wiper fuse, this is intended. Blowing a fuse is a weak point in the circuit, to help protect the wiper motor, the fuse is the point that is designed to blow in case the wiper motor is overloaded.