Incontinent washer reservoir on 04 CS
 

I filled Ruby's reservoir with a garden hose this morning and put an oil pan under it. Before the day was out the pan was full. Based upon your experience, does this mean I need new reservoir, or is it likely be a hose or seal? What parts should I have in hand before I take the fender liner off?

Thanks,
Rod

Could be any of those things. Coolant tanks on many cars are plastic and simply don't last the life of the vehicle in most cases. If it is the tank, there will be a visible split in it somewhere. But it could be a shrunken/hardened O-ring on a hose fitting or a hose with a split... only way to know is to observe where the leak is coming from.

Please report back what you find, my '06 is dripping from in front of the wheel in the bumper somewhere. I suspect an 'O' ring connector or the headlight sprayer.

Once my son gets his race car off the hoist, I'll have a look and report before buying any parts.

Rod

I haven't done it yet, but understand removing and putting back the wheel well liners is a major PITA. So you might slide out the right headlight assembly. You can get some visibility that way -- it's how I discovered the "funnel" that went into the reservoir from the fill hole had simply become disconnected from the top of the reservoir. I just pushed it back in and solved my leak that way. Maybe your leak is that simple and you can save yourself wrestling with the liners.

It's not the "funnel." I have figured out how to attach that by feel from above. It's no worse than delivering a calf. It's also easy to remove the headlight. I did that for the coolant tank. Probably I'll guilt my son into removing the fender liner. Strong fingers. That's how he re-attached the "funnel" when it came adrift on his CS. He didn't know you could do it by feel.

Sorry it wasn't that easy a fix, Rod. Good luck with the guilting...

I've done it a few times on mine, mainly to clean out the cowl drains.

It's not super easy, but I'd hardly call it a 'major PITA.'

You have to make sure all the fasteners are out, and there is a bit of wrestling to get it to pop out, and pop back in. But it's plastic and it flexes easily (at least when it's not cold out).

Today I examined Ruby's windshield washer reservoir. The culprit is a leaking pump. I removed it, took it apart, reassembled it and came within an ace of putting the fender liner back on, but I shook the pump a bit, just to be sure. The slow leak began anew. So I ordered a VW replacement from UAP. It will be in the local store tomorrow morning. $18.95 CDN.

The trick with the fender liner is to get it free of the two studs beneath the 10 mm bolts. Then it will come out. I hope things will go back together as easily as they came out.

For a 2004 automobile which has now undergone two Ontario winters, Ruby's undersides look very good indeed.

Yes, fender liner replacement is a pain.
 

First I asked the parts guy for a Golf washer pump, but then suggested a 2004 Tuareg, instead. He commented that both have the same part number. I ordered it for the following morning. On the UAP site it suggested that "This part may fit your 2004 Cayenne."

The only hard part of the project was replacing the fender liner. The cheapie VW washer motor works fine.

What is UAP and what was the part number?

United Auto Parts, a Canadian franchise with a good website. All you need to find the part is to look up on any parts retailer: "Windshield Washer Pump for 2004 Tuareg." If you make a note of the number you'll find it fits many other VW and may fit some Porsche products.

grommet
955-628-712-00
pump
955-628-172-01
which seems to equate to 3043125 with a 1000+ applications

Thanks Guys, i'll have to psych myself up to remove the fender liner, after checking the 'funnel'. I'll fill the reservoir and see if can see the dripping from behind the headlight first.