I have a 2004 S and today the windshield washer fluid motor would not work. The resevior is full of fluid. When I engage the wipers and try to have some washer fluid discharge onto the front windshield or the rear window, it does not work. There is a whirring noise but nothing comes out. Has anyone elase had this problem and if so, what is the fix?

Many thanks for you thoughts.

 

Mine does the same for the rear, haven't found the problem yet. Hope someone has found the problem and it's an easy fix.

 

if there is juice in the bottle and you can hear the motor run then a common problem is the line came off the bottle.

The bottle sits behind the wheel liner on the pass' side. The liner is pretty easy to remove - or remove partially and just bend it out of the way for a look see.

for the record there is one pump that feeds two relays - front and rear - so if no juice at either front or rear suspect the problem b4 the pump. If one end works, suspect the problem after the pump.

 

This forum might be helpful: http://forum.minicooper.org/showthread.php?t=9947. Good luck.

 

One thing to remember....
two tanks....two pumps....
The rear window nozel often gets plugged with dirt if not used frequently....
Just use a pin....
Not sute for the front...but if BOTH are not working...sounds like some poor fluid might have clogged the nozels...do your headlight washers work (if equipped)?

 

Only one resevoir and pump for the front and rear wipers behind passenger fender.
MINIs with headlight washers have a separate resevoir and pump for that behind the
driver side fender.

 

Maybe the setup changed over the years.....
but my 2005 has one than/motor for the front windshield/xenon headlight washers, and a second one in the opposte fender for the rear....pretty sure that was how it was plumbed lastime i ran a tank dry.....
Since it is COLD in many locations...i kinda wonder if the op's car did not have winter washer fluid, and the fluid froze....
The car can be parked in a warm garage for a day or two....or wait till a warm spell...might not be a problem...if the tank is still intact....another thing to check...especially on the rear is gunk...in the sprayer nozele.dust cakes in...and nlocks it...solved with a pin...then ising it regularly.

 

not according to the wiring diagrams zippy. one pump for wipers at both ends and a pump for the headlights if so equipped.



38 = front/rear washer pump
39 = front washer pump relay
40 = rear washer pump relay



46 = headlight washer pump

reference Haynes

I will agree however - eliminate clogs and frozen lines first - don't have those problems in Florida!

 

I have a 2003 Cooper S. The washer worked for the front windshield but not the back window. As they are the same washer pump I started at the rear of the car.

I cleaned out the orifice for the sprayer for the rear and it still didn't spray. I took off the rear wiper and tried again, no fluid. I did not see a puddle of fluid on the floor so knew that it was a clog and not a disconnected hose. Also the sound of the washer motor was higher on the clogged rear wiper than the front, also indicating a clogged hose. I noticed that the fluid runs through the wiper shaft itself and had rusted the pipe closed. I took off the inner panel of the rear hatch (4-6 screws, then pry the panel off it is held with small metal clips, quite easy). I took off the back of the wiper motor gearbox (4 small screws) to get to the backside of the wiper shaft. I then used a 3/32 drill bit and by hand started auguring out the rust-filled shaft. The shaft and therefore the water passage is straight so will not be damaged by the drill bit. I was able to get the small bit all the way through the shaft. The shaft will accept slightly larger bit but it would not go all the way through even after a lot of spinning the bit (all done by hand). I then reattached the washer hose to the shaft and ran the motor without the wiper blade (so not to clog the washer nozzle) to flush out the rust particles and now I had fluid. I cleaned out the shaft several times and flushed it with fluid several times until the shaft was as clean as I could get it. I put it all back together and now have an operating rear washer.

I would imagine all of the older Minis will have this problem as the steel shaft will rust. I also think that occasional use of the washer would delay or prevent this as the microscopic rust particles from the shaft will get flushed out instead of collecting and closing off the passage.

 

I just cleaned mine last week. Took the whole nozzle shaft apart and inside it was all sand. I took a drill to clean it and it's working fine again.

 

I would:

1. Make sure lines are not frozen
2. Make sure the lines are all connected and didn't pull apart. If they did check the next step too as there must have been some sort of back pressure to push the tubing off the nipple.
3. Make sure nozzles are not clogged
4. Check pumps for functionality (Though it sounds like the original poster heard a whirring sound)
5. If pump doesn't work check the switch to make sure it's actually completing the switching function. Most pumps are 12v with a clip for easy replacement. If you remove the clip, take out the pump, put the intake part of the pump in some washer fluid, and connect it to the battery with alligator clips or something you should see it turn on. If it doesn't come on then you know it's the pump. While the pump is off I'd also check the other side of the clip with VoltOhm Meter to make sure the switch is functioning.

As a tip don't use the Bug Guts remover windshield washer fluid. It's green and kind of smells soapy. I had two cars that the washer pumps seized after using that fluid. I don't know if it corrodes the inside or if it leaves behind a soap scum or residue, but it kills them.

 

This is my first post to ask you gurus. 2009 Cooper hatchback base in Texas. Front windshield washers do not work but rear does. No pump noise in front but can hear rear. No puddle underneath. Disconnected hose near nozzle but before little check valve and nothing comes out. Jug is full. No headlight washer option. Searching blogs makes me suspect a relay.


If you think it is a relay please tell me where it is and how to access.


Thanks in advance, this is a nice forum.

 

Mine didn't work because the plastic clip for the hose was broken and the hose got pinched when the hood was closed. Washers only worked with hood open.

 

I am an embarrassed nut holding the wheel. When I finally pulled the stalk toward my head the washers worked perfectly. There has been a lot to learn about my new to me Mini.

 

Welcome newbie

FYI a 2009 hatch is a GEN2, and this is the GEN1 section of these boards. Things you see here many not apply to your car as there are SIGNIFICANT differences from GEN1 to GEN2 .... basically they are TOTALLY different cars.

Glad to hear you figured out your problem but in the future you might want to post in the 'correct' area.

BTW ... did you get an owner's manual? http://www.minimania.com/pdfile/2009...098.1460927871

 

Thanks Capt_bj I greatly appreciate the help.

 

 

In my case the motor wouldn't run for the front washer but it worked for the rear. Ended up being the Front Washer relay (K5, in the incredibly inconvenient placing behind the driver kick panel.) To make sure i had the right diagnosis, I swapped the two relays (one is for the front washer, one is for the rear) and the "problem" moved to the rear washer.

Hope this helps.

 

Do you have any photos of the relay? Having the same problem on my 2012 R60 but haven't been able to locate the relay.

 

Hello,

This is my first post here for help and even though this is an old topic, it was very helpful; so I thought I'd continue to post here to use post #8 as a reference. My 04 MCS doesn't have working front and rear washers. I bought a replacement pump from ECS and still no windshield fluids. I have since then checked the connector at the pump, the relays behind the driver foot panel... There is 12v at the pump connector when I pull on the stalk at the steering wheel using a voltmeter. The old pump works when I connect a 12v power source (12 AA batteries), and I applied same 12v to terminal 1&2 at the relays (K5 and K116?) and checked there is connection from 3-4. (These numbers are what's marked on the relay. You can see a good diagram here: https://www.amazon.com.au/BMW-Relay-.../dp/B009JXU01S)

I am not sure what else to check. Everything seems to be working. Can it be there is not enough current to drive the pump? Can the pump not make a noise if the water lines are clogged? I have just enough fluid in the bottle since I just removed/replaced the pump on the passenger side bottle.