BMW 320i 05 - Screen Washer

Noffles

Hi all,

Anyone know what could be the issue with my screen washers, there is very little pressure when I try and get some water from them... it starts ok, then simply dribbles down the side...?

Advice?

kdevitt

Probably a crack in one of the nozzles - did you try operating them when frozen?

Pkiernan

Noffles wrote: »

Hi all,

Anyone know what could be the issue with my screen washers, there is very little pressure when I try and get some water from them... it starts ok, then simply dribbles down the side...?

Advice?

If it has only just started happening, it is likely that the cold weather is to blame. The lines could be partially frozen.

On my car, I filled the reservoir with warm to hottish water, and a couple mins later, all was fine.

If this works for you, run most of it out before topping up with a cold weather solution.

Noffles

kdevitt wrote: »

Probably a crack in one of the nozzles - did you try operating them when frozen?

Yes, I did, what would this cause?

kdevitt

Noffles wrote: »

Yes, I did, what would this cause?

It can cause them to crack - the water can eventually decide to exit through the weakest point, which can be somewhere before the nozzle. Happened to me before.

Noffles

kdevitt wrote: »

It can cause them to crack - the water can eventually decide to exit through the weakest point, which can be somewhere before the nozzle. Happened to me before.

So it's a visit to a garage then...?

copacetic

Noffles wrote: »

So it's a visit to a garage then...?

sounds like it, or they could be blocked. Is it the same on both sides? Have you just changed screenwash or anything like that?

kdevitt

Noffles wrote: »

So it's a visit to a garage then...?

I would do it myself - but if you're not that way inclined then you might want to take it to a garage. Open the bonnet and operate the washer jets and see if you can spot and water coming out under the bonnet. The nozzles cost about €6 for a pair, and about €50 for a pair of heated ones if thats what you have.

Bonito

Noffles wrote: »

So it's a visit to a garage then...?

not necessarily, could be just a build up of ice inside the hosing, check for dribbles or small leaks/cracks along the hoses, as you said you're getting a dribble of water so that means the water is still partially moving through the tubing, also try filling bottle with warm/hottish water and see if that sorts ya out.

speedfreak

If it's an e90 it's a known problem so may not be due to cold weather. Bad design leads to gunk clogging up the bottom of reservoir. You can try blasting the gunk by sticking hose down to bottom of reservoir. By all accounts it's tricky to remove the bottle so may need trip to garage.

milltown

My money would be on a blocked filter. On the E46 at least, the pump just presses into the bottom of the tank and is sealed by the rubber "grommet" around the top of the filter it sits into. Pull out the pump, then the filter (if it didn't come out on the pump) and clean off the slimy algae that builds up on it. Hose out the tank as best you can while it's open like this too.

It's a regular enough 5 minute job on mine.

PS. If you have headlamp washers you'll have two pumps = two filters.

Noffles

Right, I tried again this morning and there is an initial light jet of water that is enough to clean the screen, it then dribbles out around the side of the nozzle housing.... I'll try the hot water first see if that cleans it out.

How do I get at the pump and bottle, is it underneath or from the bonnet?

E39MSport

Hi,

The nozzles might need replacing. I ripped out the entire system and cleaned it out (except nozzles) when I had similar problems. Finally brought it to main dealer. They replaced the nozzles. Cheap. Fixed.

Symptoms were very poor flow (when it managed to flow) out of the nozzles followed by a trickle even after disengaging the pump.

If the headlight washers work fine and the windscreen ones are problematic then likely nozzles.

Noffles

E39MSport wrote: »

Hi,

The nozzles might need replacing. I ripped out the entire system and cleaned it out (except nozzles) when I had similar problems. Finally brought it to main dealer. They replaced the nozzles. Cheap. Fixed.

Symptoms were very poor flow (when it managed to flow) out of the nozzles followed by a trickle even after disengaging the pump.

If the headlight washers work fine and the windscreen ones are problematic then likely nozzles.

There are no headlight washers so I should presume to replace the main nozzles then?

Where can I get these...?

E39MSport

Main stealer is the only place that I'm aware of.

Seth Brundle

Hang on.
Before you bend over for the dealer, do a few simple checks.
Open the bonnet and fill the washer fluid with water. Did it all piss out and if so from where?
With the bonnet still open, turn the ignition to position II (all lights but engine not on) and open the drivers window. Standing outside the car, operate the washers. Can you see/hear any leaking?
Often if the fluid freezes, it puts pressure on the system when you try and operate it. My car has often had a pipe become uncoupled. Pushing the two ends back together solves it for me.

Noffles

kbannon wrote: »

Hang on.
Before you bend over for the dealer, do a few simple checks.
Open the bonnet and fill the washer fluid with water. Did it all piss out and if so from where?
With the bonnet still open, turn the ignition to position II (all lights but engine not on) and open the drivers window. Standing outside the car, operate the washers. Can you see/hear any leaking?
Often if the fluid freezes, it puts pressure on the system when you try and operate it. My car has often had a pipe become uncoupled. Pushing the two ends back together solves it for me.

I did this exact thing yesterday, standing outside with the bonnet up and pressing the water washer... lots of pressure if the sound is anything to go by, then a trickle of water on the screen... the rest of the water seems to trickle from underneath the nozzles....?

Seth Brundle

underneath the nozzles on the underside of the bonnet or on the outside of the bonnet?
Check the connections to the washer nozzles and make sure that they are secure (you may need to expose them from under any soundproofing material.
Does the water level go down much after squeezing the jets?
You could also try using a pin in the nozzle to see if that unblocks it.

milltown

You haven't said yet if it's an E90 (new shape) or E46 (old shape) 3 series. I don't know about the E90 but on the E46 when you open the bonnet the bottle is on the left hand side as you look in, in front of the wheel arch/suspension strut. Look down the engine side of the bottle and you'll see the pump with an electrical connector plugged into the top of it, that can be unplugged and the water hose coming out the side of it. There may also be a black plastic piece that just unclips from the side of the bottle.

With the electric bit unplugged, turn the pump a 1/4 turn so the hose tail can move straight up, and pull the pump up and out. Just leave it hanging there and pull out the rubber bit that's (most likely) left in the tank. That is the filter. It's probably blocked with algae from the water so run it under a warm tap to clean it. As I said, pour a load of water into the bottle to let any more of that carp out through the opening. Put the filter back, put the pump back and turn it back where it was, reconnect the electric plug and try it.

I have had to do this a few times on two of my own 3 series, my sister's one and my mate's one.

Also worth pulling off the hose from under the nozzles and seeing what the flow is like that far.

Noffles

milltown wrote: »

You haven't said yet if it's an E90 (new shape) or E46 (old shape) 3 series. I don't know about the E90 but on the E46 when you open the bonnet the bottle is on the left hand side as you look in, in front of the wheel arch/suspension strut. Look down the engine side of the bottle and you'll see the pump with an electrical connector plugged into the top of it, that can be unplugged and the water hose coming out the side of it. There may also be a black plastic piece that just unclips from the side of the bottle.

With the electric bit unplugged, turn the pump a 1/4 turn so the hose tail can move straight up, and pull the pump up and out. Just leave it hanging there and pull out the rubber bit that's (most likely) left in the tank. That is the filter. It's probably blocked with algae from the water so run it under a warm tap to clean it. As I said, pour a load of water into the bottle to let any more of that carp out through the opening. Put the filter back, put the pump back and turn it back where it was, reconnect the electric plug and try it.

I have had to do this a few times on two of my own 3 series, my sister's one and my mate's one.

Also worth pulling off the hose from under the nozzles and seeing what the flow is like that far.

It's an E90, how much different is this?

Noffles

kbannon wrote: »

underneath the nozzles on the underside of the bonnet or on the outside of the bonnet?
Check the connections to the washer nozzles and make sure that they are secure (you may need to expose them from under any soundproofing material.
Does the water level go down much after squeezing the jets?
You could also try using a pin in the nozzle to see if that unblocks it.

It leaks on the outside of the car, rather than on the inside of the bonnet

milltown

Noffles wrote: »

It's an E90, how much different is this?

Looking here:
http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E90/Sedan/Europe/320i-N46/RHD/N/2005/browse/vehicle_electrical_system/reservoir_windscr_headlight_washer_sys/



It looks like the tank itself is different, now moulded to closely fit the wing, but the pump and filter still look to be the same sort of idea. If you look at the tank there will be two items fitted to it. The lowest one will be the pump (#8) and slightly higher up will be the level switch (#3). #9 is the filter I'm on about.