windshield washer will not disperse washer fluid

DEDuval3 · Post by **DEDuval3** » 01 Feb 2014, 12:22

Windshield washer full, fuse replaced, wipers function properly, no washer fluid sprays.

Post by **QuirkySwede** » 01 Feb 2014, 17:22

Hot wire test the pump motor. If it pumps, the fault is in the wiring. If it gets 12V when switched, then it's the pump.

elmwoodblues · Post by **elmwoodblues** » 15 Jun 2017, 04:26

My rear-window washer switch will run the pump, but the front switch won't. Anybody have ideas?

Sommerfeldt · Post by **Sommerfeldt** » 15 Jun 2017, 05:57

There should be two pumps, elmwoodblues, IIRC.
One for front, one for rear (both located front of car, in engine bay). A common problem is also clogged valves/lines, but if you don't hear any action when you activate the switch, then you've probably got a bad pump or an electrical issue.

- S

elmwoodblues · Post by **elmwoodblues** » 16 Jun 2017, 05:14

Thanks Sommerfeldt --- I saw some threads that indicated two exit ports on pump, one front, one rear, so I thought there was just the one pump. If there ARE two, that might make for an easier fix (pump swap) than diving into the wiring. Will look this weekend. Any tricks to this?

Post by **scot850** » 16 Jun 2017, 15:33

Is this a P80 or P2? P80 made up to 2000 and newer shape started in 2001 model year. If it is the newer shape I don't know what it has but would think it may have 2 pumps also. Having just been through this with my 2000 V70 base, no washer fluid went anywhere except onto the floor of the garage. The rear pumps for the P80 wagons (93-00) are particularly prone to seizing when not used regularly. I have been able to remove them and dis-assemble them and get them freed off and running again. Front windshield washers are less prone to failure as we tend to use them more frequently. In my 2 V70's both rear pumps seized. One had only traveled about 4000 miles in 4 years, but was totally seized due to me not using it. I managed to carefully remove the bottom of both pumps by holding them in a vice carefully, then heating the bottom of the pump to soften the plastic and being able to remove the bottom cover to expose the 2 pump cog wheels. I soaked the pump motor in silicon oil down the sides of the motor housing and sprayed a little Deep Creep/PB Blaster around the shafts of the cogs and left for a while and then carefully turned the cogs with a blunt screw driver to loosen off the cogs. Then using a battery charger on a 2A setting and 2 small screwdrivers clamped in the clamps tapped the motor to shock it into action and let it run for a short time and then re-assembled it. FCP and some other companies sell units that look identical for under $20.

Same with the front motor. Other option is to get some from PnP yards.

Other issue is the front headlight wiper washer and that is a 'T' valve hidden to the right of the RH headlight when viewed from the front of the car. It has a small rubber diaphragm that fails and can prevent water flowing and/or hold no pressure in the system so it takes a while for water to reach the headlights. Replacing the valve usually fixes that issue, or use an air line to blow out the headlight washer jets.

Neil.

elmwoodblues · Post by **elmwoodblues** » 17 Jun 2017, 18:42

Hey Sommerfeldt and scot850, my issue was almost exact opposite scot's: there are indeed two pumps, nestled in cavities formed in reservoir, and my front pump failed...I suspect due to more use than rear pump. I started to physically swap both, and abandon rear washer (car has 185k miles on it, and who uses rear washer anyway?) when I realized it would be ghetto easier to just switch the wet tubing and use the rear washer switch to activate the front washers. That was when the front pump black wire broke, confirming my decision...how does that wire go into what looks like a solid plug??? Hopped in car, verified that rear washer switch produced fluid from front washer nozzles (albeit with rear-wiper activation, no biggie), and buttoned up all the front bumper/undercarriage gear.
Got in car satisfied all was well, and now nothing. No noise, no spray. Fuse is good. Searching the google for washer wiring harness.
One thing about Volvo: all the random gremlins HAVE TO be good at keeping senility at bay!

Teddy1975 · Post by **Teddy1975** » 17 Jun 2017, 19:22

The wire is crimped onto a connector that goes into the black plug, which is later filled with hard epoxy like glue to make it water tight. If it was me, I'd try with a very small drill bit to carefully get about 1 cm of the blue stuff out from around where the wire broke and hope the copper wire in the plug can take a bit of solder... If that's the case, it should be easy to mend the two. For kicks, try disconnect the wire harness from the pumps and put a 12v supply directly on them to see if the fault is in the wiring or the pumps. Seems weird to me they would both just go out like so. Could be a small blockage in the hoses or maybe the filter at the bottom of the resevoir is jam-packed with debris that would cause the pumps to work much harder to pump the fluid through to the nozzles.

Good luck,
Teddy

Sommerfeldt · Post by **Sommerfeldt** » 19 Jun 2017, 11:18

Nice job getting some pics of that stuff - I've never seen a pic of that mess down there. I'm no help in finding a new harness, but best of luck to you. And those pictures are sure to help someone out some time!

- S