seb928s

Ok so I bought my 996 the other day. Today I notice a leak from the driver side right behind the tire. Not slick like coolant and doesn't smell like it either. Then I thought about the night before I went for a drive. I used the headlight cleaner worked once then nothing afterwards. The headlight washer doesn't work but the windshield washer does but I'm getting fluid dripping on the floor. How are the system hooked up? I haven't had the time to remove the wheel well cover yet to take a look. Also my question is what can this fluid be? I pretty sure it's washer fluid but the strange thing is that the windshield washer works but not the headlight washer. Any inputs?

95M3CSL

I believe this happened to me. My WW and HW do work. The dealership filled the WW reservoir up to the top in cool weather. So, I move my car outside of the garage in warmer weather and after a while I get drops just in front of the door on driver's side, and, at the end of the Mk2 aero side sills right before the rear wheel opening in the fender. Since it was dripping I collected a little in a jar. Just like you felt it and it was slippery, shook the jar and generated suds. Opened the WW reservoir and fluid was right at the top and almost overflowing. Conclusion: my leak was WW fluid. So, I took a syringe and took out as much as I could so this doesn't happen again. And, this also explains the semi-sweet smeel from the vents after hot/hard driving (finally....thought I had a coolant leak hidden somewhere.). Can't help with why the HW don't work.

Regards,
Marc
04 40th 911
06 M3 ZCP

gota911

seb928s - Do you have a '99 - '01 996 or is it a '02 - '04? The reason I need to know is because the headlight washer system on a pre-facelift 996 is different from the post-facelift models.

I can supply you with a couple of diagrams from the PET. One will be the windshield washer system and the second will be the headlight washer system. That should help you track down the leak which could be caused by a clogged or disconnected hose.

seb928s

It's an '99 that would be great. I don't think it's anything else that is leaking.

seb928s

It's leaking at the front driver side wheel. So it leads me to believe it's the washer bottle or one of the hoses.

gota911

SEB - here you go. The first diagram is the Windshield Washer System and the second diagram is the Headlight Washer System for '99 - '01 model years. Hope this helps. Good luck with teh fix.

seb928s

Thanks for the diagram. Now that I'm out of washer fluid no leak. So when I have some spare time I'll take it apart.

gota911

Well then, I guess you solved the problem!

kurtp

Hello Tim,

Not sure if you are looking at this thread any longer, but thought I would try contactaing you this way first.

My 2003 996 developed a leak just below the driver side headlight. It is washer fluid. The HW on the passenger side lifts when activated, but the driver side HW doesn't, and neither of them spray water. The problem is that when activated LOTS of soapy water leaks from below the driver side headlight. I crawled under the car today and could see the high pressure lines and header through some openings, but nothing that is accesible. I would have to take apart some of the front of the undercarriage to do this, but I am not sure what is connected where and which should and shouldn't be removed. Could you please send me a service diagram and any other helpful information that might walk me through correcting this? I would really appreciate it.

I had purchased a PDF service manual last year for this car, but when it arrived it was corrupted and wouldn't work. It turned out that the company that sold it to me hadn't identified the file as corrupted, and didn't have another to send me. It was inexpensive anyway, but they gave my money back.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, as these sort of things shouldn't go to the dealer in my mind.

Thanks.

Kurt

gota911

Kurt,

Here is a diagram of the '02 -'04 headlight washer system. I am not sure but you may be able to access some of this by removing the headlight (instructions are in the manual). Let me know if there is another diagram which you think could help you.

kurtp

Thanks Tim. I will let you know what was causing the leak.

Looking at this assembly from under the car it appeared that it might be most easily accessed from teh underside. Do you have any schematics showing how to take off the panel under the driver-side headlight? There is one screw, another unknown connector or two, and some apparent interlocking between panels of some sort. Will this small panel directly under the driver-side headlight remove simply or is it too fitted with other panels to be an easy RnR?

Thanks again.

Kurt

gota911

Kurt,

Here are two more diagrams. The first is for the under body panels and the second if for the wheel liners.

kurtp

Thanks Tim. I will work with these sometime this week.

A hesitation I have is whether special tools are needed to separate some of the fittings that hold some under-body panels together. Do you know if there are special tools needed for this? I have a full compliment of non-specialty tools.

Thanks for your time and help.

Kurt

gota911

I am not sure if you need special tools or not. Sorry I can't help you there.

kurtp

Thanks for all of your help. I will let you know how things go and what caused the leak.

Have a nice week.

Kurt