mj1pate

The engineer who designed this system was surely the same who designed the whirly-gig trunk release and wheazy sounding door locks. I'm sure there is a schematic posted in the forum somewhere for the benefit of the uninitiated.

The drivers side squirter nozzles both stopped working and investigation illustrated that the problem had nothing to do with water pressure from the pump.

Where the fault wasn't: The windshield washer system is a closed loop circuit in which water is routed from the pump to both windshield squirter nozzle modules, and then back to the reservoir. There are pressure check valves all along the route to (it seems) maintain line pressure at the input of the nozzles; since the nozzles are sitting on a water circuit.

Where the fault was: When the washer switch is activated, the washer pump is turned on, and solenoids contained within the nozzle modules open up, to allow water to be squirted out. The driver side squirter solenoid electrical connections had come loose and so no water could escape through the nozzles.

Question: I'm sure that this arcane, over-designed system has an effective cheaper replacement.
1) Must we use the solenoid actuated washer nozzles, and if we use a replacement nozzle, what else must be replaced?
2) Can we do away with the close loop system entirely and replace it with a simple pump to nozzle connection?

Alan

There are no solenoids - only check valves - there are heaters in the nozzles on all but the earliest cars. The fluid does not generally recirculate - though there is a relief valve near the pumps - the extra plumbing is the feed from the intensive washer circuit - both circuits go to both nozzles and are isolated by check valves.

http://members.rennlist.com/pirtle/z..._schematic.pdf

Alan

ew928

Any of the plumbing clogged?
Did you wax the car recently and waxed the nozzle?

There's nearly more clear tubing running up into the hood than in a typical aquarium.

mj1pate

Thanks Alan....boy did I read that wrong. Thanks for the schematic reference.

leperboy

I have a question about the washer system. I understand the diagram. I recently replaced my pump because it was dead. Now I get a few drops on the passenger side and nothing on the driver.

Is there a good way to remove the lines that are inside the hood so I can check the lines and check valves? I looked at it, but didn't want to do much for fear of ripping or breaking something (and the fear of trying to put it all back in.

Thanks,
Matt

Alan

Try to preserve the final hose to the nozzle - remove & replace everything else.

Get long nose pliers with angled ends, small hands and lots of patience. Its easier on your back with the hood off incidentally...

Clean the nozzles mechanically including pumping through them indiviudually.

Replace the tubes & all T's & check valves (this is what often gets gunked up).

Don't try to replace the nozzles unless its a last resort....

Alan

RET

IIRC, the following technique worked fairly well on my '89.

Pop loose the plastic plugs on either side of the rear bottom of the hood (driver side has the cable for the nozzle heater, the other the washer tubing and cable). Use a hot air gun ("heat gun" for heating heat shrink tubing - sort of a glorified hair drier) to warm the tubing where it connects to the nozzles. Pull the tubing from the nozzles (You might not want to try this without heat softening the plastic tubing first...). Tie a cord to the driver's side tubing assembly in the hood. Disconnect the tubes from the plastic plug on the passenger's side, and pull the tubing/check valve assembly out of the hood, and be sure to pull the attached cord in as you do so, untie it, and leave the cord in place - it really is helpful in getting the new assembly back in.

Put the old tubing/check valve assembly on the bench and duplicate it with new parts (make sure that it hasn't been "modified" by a PO... see WSM). Tie it to the cord that should still be strung through the hood, and pull it into place. Reconnect the tubing to the nozzles.

You can also easily (? - mine popped out with no problem...) remove the nozzles while everything is out and flush them too.

Hope this helps.

Bob

VehiGAZ

First - the above procedure will work fine.

Second, this is not correct - if fluid is going "back to the reservoir" then I think your check valves are not checking. Replace them all.

But there are actually two reservoirs and two pumps - the big one on the passenger side is the main one, the small one on the driver's side on the firewall (not at front of engine as the schematic shows) is for the extra-$pecial Porsche silicone-removing intensive cleaner. When my nozzles were completely clogged up just like yours, the pump sent the fluid from the main reservoir through the blown check valves into the silicone cleaner reservoir (since the fluid couldn't get through the nozzles).

If you want a simple (but non-stock) system, then bypass the silicone cleaner part of the system entirely - just route hoses and check valves from the main reservoir to the two nozzles. It'll make for a lot less junk to stuff back into that channel under the hood!

Good luck!

Grey Wolf

Mike, I just did this on my 84S. It's easy, you dont even need to tie off a line to the hose to re-thread it. You only need to have one hose between both nozzles. There are two "tee" check vales and two "90" check valves in the original configuration. You only need one of each type of check valve for the fix. For appearences connect both washer tank hoses to the hood plug, after that you only need the primary tank hose. My passanger nozzle quit working which prompted me to do this fix. After I did said fix the drivers side didn't work. I had an extra "90" check valve which solved the problem. Now I can get the car inspected.........

6mil928

I need to also do mine this is good info thanks guys

Mrmerlin

and the reason things are getting clogged??? If you open the right fender rear block off plate look at the washer resivour, if it looks orange then the metal collars inside of the tank inlet and the fill tube outlet are rusting. The best fix is to remove the metal collars the fill tube is usually replaced, dip the end of it into some boiling water then slide out the metal(this works well on the new fill spout).
Then you will probably have to chip out the collar on the tank after this remove the tank fill it wit a few handfuls of small stones and some simple green add some water and agitate slosh around till the tank is clean rinse it out then install it, Dont over tighten the connector tube its only a conduit for the fluid to get to the tank

Tails

When my check valves failed I renewed them with stainless steel check valves that have spring loaded spherical ***** valve instead of the plastic/rubber unitts that were fitted to my car. Try an automotive shops for stainless steel check valves.

I replaced mine about 8 years ago and no problem since/

Tails 1990 928S4 Auto

VehiGAZ

For my car, it seems that they got clogged by some sort of biological growth - they PO mainly used the car for DEs and Auto-X, so he was not driving it often or using the windshield wiper system. It took a lot of poking with pins and pumping with a syringe before that junk came loose and flushed out. I assume my headlight nozzles are in the same condition, but those are not as easy to get at.

6mil928

Anyone have pics of getting to the windshield washer bottle and pump?

mj1pate

Unfortunately I don't. But I can offer this as information. The windshield washer bottle is substantial enough to be an emergency water reservoir, in case of national disaster. You can access it by removing the front passenger fender well lining. There are pictoral procedures for removing the lining if you do a thread search on "charcoal canister", as the canister is above and right of the washer reservoir and there are canister replacement threads. BTW: if you're going to this trouble, inspect your canister and hoses, as many older canisters have begun leaking charcoal.

The pump is visible if you raise the car sufficient to get underneath it. It is mounted (and visible) on the inside of the front passenger fender, inside the engine bay. Yes, you would have to reach up to get at it, but it looks possible to reach and replace.