Touring rear screen wash

[AndyTouring]

Rear screen wash has stopped squirting so I went to top it up. Can't seem to get any fluid into the tank.

I ran a bit of tubing down the filler tube but couldn't seem to get it into the tank. Is there some sort of one way valve fitted?

Car is getting it's mot on Saturday & I don't know if this is a failure point.

[Simon]

Does your switch (the wash section) light up when you press the button?
This Q is unrelated to your Q really, it's just mine has stopped working too, and everything else is in order, but the wash section of the switch doesn't light up when pressed, but the wipe button does.

I'm 99% that they don't check the rear wash wipe for MOT, mine passed fine about a month ago and it wasn't working, I find it's very useful at this time of year though, with the shape of the touring and the amount of crap that get's thrown up behind the car.

[gcorky]

mine duff too ,works on its own so disconnected.

washer didnt work and blew the one way valve to bits and sprayed inside lol.now i wash the bugger every time i get it out

[oze30]

Just fixed my one.. The motor can burn out. Try swapping it for the windscreen washer motor..

As for the light, no idea! Could be the bulb. Pull the switch out and use a flatblade screwy to pry it apart and replace the bulb.

[Simon]

Just fixed my one.. The motor can burn out. Try swapping it for the windscreen washer motor..

As for the light, no idea! Could be the bulb. Pull the switch out and use a flatblade screwy to pry it apart and replace the bulb.

Did you mean the washer pump...if not, not sure if the front motor would fit?

When I mentioned the light, I was getting at the idea that it may be a faulty switch in my case, as everything at the rear works, but when I press the button, nothing happens or the switch doesn't illuminate, so..does the switch for the wash light up to?

[Dan320is]

The wash wipe on my touring doesn't work and it went through the MOT ok so it shouldn't be a problem. The garage where I took it are very strict.

I may end up doing what Dave did with his touring and take the motor out and put a flush fitting rubber bung in the whole in the glass.

I've never used it as my cars don't really have a chance to get dirty as I wash them so much.

[AndyTouring]

Motor works fine, just can't fill the reservoir.

[fuzzy]

same problem with mine, i can hear the motor pumping but no fluid sprays out and the reservoir seems to be fill as i cant get any more in

[Simon]

Can anyone tell me if the wash section of the switch is supposed to light up when pressed!?

[oze30]

Yeah.. They get brighter when pressed. Front motors do work, I have that at the mo. Check the pipes the water goes thru, and in the hinge area.. Could be something has moved and the hinge has crimped it. As for not filling, check the black hose for holes, and the washer bottle itself. (10mm Socket and twist/turn it to get it out)

I hjave an old wash/wipe switch if you need it. Still works, just the diagrams are faded abit.

[tourer-dan]

The switch illuminates on both sides by 2 separate bulbs. Pull the switch out and the bulb pops out from the back complete with it's white holder. I use the tip of an electrical tester.

If you can't fill the resevoir check the filler pipe hasn't twisted. Also check the breather pipe (which runs up over the relay). Lastly, check the resevoir itself isn't actually already brim-full (usually the case).

The wash motors on the E30 are ALL the same (front/rear/headlamp/intensive) and thus interchangeable.

The washer pipe is prone to kinking, so check it along it's length, especially around the hinges.

The jet is prone to clogging up too. Remove the interior trim and the spray nozzle/nut cover. Disconnect the water pipe at the motor, then poke some wire through from the outside while holding a cloth over the hole on the inside. The wire won't go all the way through because of the 90Ԛ° bend. Check it's clear by blowing through (your mouth will do).

The relay has a habit of playing up in conjunction with second fault. The switches are usually problem free. Check the pump by plugging it in the front and trying it there. If the wiper sweeps but doesn't wash when you press only the WASH side of the switch, suspect either the pump, relay or both.

When it's all working fine, the WIPE side will latch and wipe intermittently. The WASH side is only momentary (it doesn't latch) and sprays fluid onto the screen on the upsweep only, not the downsweep, even if you keep the switch pressed in. Release the switch and it will wipe a further one or three times, depending on how long it washed for.

Took me a few months to work this little lot out, but it's all here for you to try in an afternoon!!.......

[AndyTouring]

Thanks Dan, good info.

I had some plastic pipe left over from replacing the upper half of the rear washer system when I bought the car as it was leaking onto the load cover.

I pushed this pipe down the filler until it seemed to go into the reservoir. I gave it a good blow until water came out of the overflow pipe. The reservoir was indeed full although you couldn't tell unless you put a torch behind it.

The washer seems to be working again though the jet is pretty weak.

It seems all Touring owners have had issues of some type with the rear wash/wipe.

Thanks for the help guys.

[NigelA]

Mine went duff for a while, then I sussed that the end of the solid metal pipe inside the motor housing rusts and gets blocked. It's a simple matter to take the housing off (having removed the whole unit from the car, of course) and then clean out the end of the pipe where it fits into a rubber housing in the back plate.

Question is, does one put an anti-rust agent in with the screen wash to inhibit future corrosion?