My windshield has roughly 200,000 miles on it. I'm actually looking for someone around my area who knows how to polish glass, as I'd rather not have to replace the entire windshield. If any of my readers know someone in the Northern Virginia area who can polish automotive glass, please drop me a line. In the meantime, I have to content myself with keeping my windshield as clean as possible. My hood was replaced in the early 2000s, and I can therefore safely assume that my washer nozzles were replaced around then. Since that time, they've been exposed to the elements for ten years, as well as a variety of harsh chemicals and forces of nature. There was no problem with them for years, until my first big winter in Virginia. Water froze around the nozzles, and continued to thaw and freeze until the nozzles were distorted, loose in their brackets, and otherwise damaged. In one of the more amusing anecdotes, the nozzle on the passenger side swung out without my knowledge, and my attempt to wash my windshield at a stoplight ended up sending a stream of washer fluid into the driver's seat of an occupied Camaro to my right.
I toyed with various ideas on how to fix it, and investigated everything from superglue to simply having a body shop take care of the work. For various reasons, none of these ideas appealed to me. I simply didn't have the tools, the knowledge, or the money to take care of it. Things have changed. I did a little research, delved into the archives of the various Volvo forums on the Internet, and looked up the parts online. From the dealership website, the left and right washer nozzles (#9151801 and #9151802 respectively) would cost $8.44 apiece. That's not a bad price, really. But my dealership also charges a $10 handling and shipping fee. FCP Euro charges a lot less. Both parts can be had for $4.54 apiece, and as I was also ordering a bunch of new parts and tools, the shipping cost was mitigated. As soon as the parts and tools arrived, I set about making the first (albeit minor) repair to my car all on my own.
Necessary tools
I assembled the tools I needed, as well as those I thought I might need. For this task, a clean microfiber cloth, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and an inspection mirror were laid out on the radiator cowl. I ended up not needing the inspection mirror. I brought along the two new washer nozzles for installation.
Damaged passenger's side nozzle
Yeah. This is the passenger side nozzle, the worst of the pair. They're sun-damaged, winter-damaged, and pretty much trashed. The outboard nozzle actually swings around. We'll be replacing both of these...
Replacement driver's side nozzle
...with these. This is for the driver's side, but the nozzles are clean, aligned, and properly secured. The plastic housing is also in good shape. My car's hood will look a little cleaner when these are applied.
Washer fluid hose entering the hood
I removed the hood's matting to inspect it for rust (none found, fortunately), but there's no need to do that to carry out this repair. Simply trace the washer fluid hose up the firewall to the washer fluid T-connector (part #1392074) and trace the two hoses to where they enter the hood, ending just before two spread out clasps on either side of the washer nozzle.
The clasps on either side of the new nozzle
This is what the clasps look like. We want to squeeze the old clamps enough to push them forward, towards the windshield and out of the top of the hood. We don't want to chew up the old hose, or gouge the hood. Take your needle-nose pliers and place them on top of the hose, their tip touching the hood just above where the washer nozzle's clamps are spread out. Gently spread the pliers, and rotate the tip down slightly. If you did it carefully, you should have the tips of your pliers on either side of the clasps.
Clasps disengaged, nozzle ready for replacement
Apply gentle pressure, and continue applying pressure until you are able to push the nozzles forward. They only have to go forward an inch or so before you can easily swap the nozzles.
Old nozzle off, hose is undamaged
Gently twist, tug, and prize off the old nozzle. Don't damage the hose; gentle, steady force and a rocking or twisting motion is sufficient to get the old nozzle to come off. The hose is shorter on the passenger side, so you won't have much room to push it forward. Exercise some caution when removing this nozzle. Damaging the hose won't destroy your car, but it will make things annoying until you replace it.
Cleaning the passenger side hole
Take a moment to wipe the hole in the hood with a clean microfiber. Mineral deposits build up here over the years, from rainwater, soap, washer fluid, and all other kinds of damp. You can put down a little lacquer or clear nail polish to protect the metal if you so choose. Mine didn't require it.
Passenger side finished!
Installation is the reverse. Gently work the hose up over the base of the new nozzle, until it rests just below the clasps. Press it down into the hole until the clasps spring out, locking the new nozzle in place. Success!
See? That wasn't so hard! Now your nozzles will aim straight and true. If yours require adjustment, take a sewing needle, tack, or any other narrow piece of metal, insert it into the nozzle, and very gently adjust the nozzle to the desired heading and angle. Now if I could just find an easy solution to pine pollen, I'd be all set. Next, we'll see about replacing those rusted wiper arms. Or perhaps the valve cover gasket. So much to do, so little time!
JW
Cost in Parts: $9.04
