Exterior

Windshield Washers Don't Work

>I am confused when it comes to diagnosing the inoperative windshield washers
>on my '82. should I first be checking the pump in the engine compartment
>or the pump on the bottom of the tank?
>
>Paul Barick
>'82 928 5-speed

My suggestion is to start on the main pump on the bottom of the reservoir tank. It's located behind the right front wheel. You need to remove the access panel. I recollect that someone posted a procedure on this a few weeks ago. Do a search on the archive. You'll be amazed at how much gunk is at the bottom of the tank. Another area to look for is the rubber hose at the top of the tank. This is the fluid entry point. There is a steel tubular insert on the tank's neck to prevent it from collasping when you tighten the rubber hose clamp. Well, after so many years, this steel insert will rust and guess where it goes. You guessed it. Right into the tank. Eventually the insert will be fully rusted out and settle at the bottom of the tank. This in turn clog the main pump's inlet.

Once you have the tank off, remove the main pump from it and flush the tank throughly. Do a voltage measurement on the pump's terminal and check for proper operation. If all goes well and you still don't get action at the windshield nozzle, then move on to the secondary pump. You might as well replace all the plastic check valves located inside the hood if you haven't done so.

When you get to the windshield nozzle and found that it is clogged, don't try sticking in a pin to unclog it. You will damage it and distort the spray pattern. I would remove the nozzles from the hood and put it in boiling water for a few minutes.

Vince Yu
'83 928S
'78 928


> I am having a problem with my windshield washers. Here are
>the symptoms:
>
> 1) Winshield washers do not work at all. No matter how long that you
> hold in the lever, not one drop will come out.
> 2) The headlight washers work fine.
> 3) The high concentrate washer works, but very weakly. The fluid barely
> comes out of the driver nozzle.

First of all, I'd caution you to quit testing the washer system, since the fluid may be accumulating inside the hood and it's tough to get out. Your problem sounds similar to mine, which was due to a broken connector nozzle on the feeder tube, inside the hood.

I checked the fluid, obviously. I also could hear the washer motor running when I activated it. So I figured the system was either plugged with debris, or one of the tubes was disconnected, severed, or kinked.

Follow the main feeder tube from the washer fluid tank up to where it goes into the underside of the hood. (Yes, it's supposed to go into a grommet on the underside of the hood. If it doesn't, then keep reading).

The main feeder tube runs from the fluid tank, up into the right-hand grommet beneath the hood, through a channel on the underside of the hood, and then connects to a T-nozzle. The T-nozzle, in turn, connects to each individual washer nozzle (the things on the top of the hood where the fluid is supposed to come out.) by means of two more tubes.

You can't get to the central T-nozzle unless you disconnect one of the washer nozzle tubes (I'd recommend the left-hand one), and then drag all the tubes through to the other side (preferably the right side, where the main feeder tube enters the channel). NOTE: If you do this, make sure you tie a string or something to the left-hand tube, so you can drag it back through and reattach it when you're finished.

Hope this helps.

Tim Baynes
South Bend, IN
'88 5spd Platinum/Gray



Daryl Reece has supplied a schematic of the windshield washer hoses.