I cannot get my rear window washer to function. I can hear the pump running when I activate the washer switch, but get no fluid. I checked the nozzle - no clogs. The washer tank is full, too. Any ideas on how to fix this or do I have to drive the 2 hours to the nearest dealer?

I didn't think I'd care about this thing not working, except the "boot" gets so dirty, especially after a few inches of snow.

Thanks,

Dave

 

are BOTH washer fluid reservoirs full?

 

My manual only references one (the one under the bonnet) unless I missed something. I looked in the boot, removed the side panels, scratched my head, etc.

Where is the other tank located?

Thanks,

Dave

 

If you have the headlight washers there should be 2 tanks. one over each wheel well, under the bonnet. One tanks is for the light washers and the other is for the Windshield and boot glass/wiper.

Are your windshield washer jets working?

 

I have filled both tanks and still have this problem. I was trying to find a blinker fluid reservoir in the back but could not.

 

I don't have headlight washers, so there is only one tank under the bonnet (passenger side).

My windshield jets are working just fine.

Dave

 

Check the hoses on the pass side.....They come out of the fender and then into and hole to feed to the back nozzle.....I noticed on some cars it gets crushed when you close the hood if the line isnt pushed down into the holder.

 

I checked the hose for kinks...none that I can see. Is there another likely place where the hose might get kinked or crushed?

 

Nah....Just in the right corner.

And you said the nozzle is not gloged!.

Maybe its just frozen on the rear line.

 

As 1FSTMINI said it could be frozen, where are you located with snow?
The nozzle can be removed then operate the rear washer to see if the hose is flowing fluid just to be sure. I had to clean and aim the small plastic nozzle orifice on my 03 MCS.

 

Sorry this is OT. But I remember when I got my 03 MCS the front jets shot over the car and hit the car behind me instead of at the windshield.

Now back to our regularly scheduled broadcast.

 

What was the solution to this problem? I'm having the same issue. Pump turns on, but no fluid. Pulled off the cap on the washer blade, and nothing comes out of the mast, and there isn't anything visible in the post. All I can think of is that the line is pinched somewhere. Does anyone know how the rear washer fluid line is run from front to back? There is a rubber conduit from the top of the hatch to the top center of the back of the car, but there it seems to disappear into the roof.

Any thoughts? I haven't pulled the line off the pump yet, I may do that next.

Thanks,

 

Gee, this is a blast from the past...almost 2 years to the day since I encountered this problem.

SailNavy, I ended up having the rear washer assembly replaced by the dealer (it was still under warranty at the time) and have not had a problem since.

 

Thanks. glad the dealer covered it for ya.

I found my problem this morning. I popped the cover off the tube that goes through the wiper arm mount and stuck a paperclip down in and found all sorts of crap. Gave it a squirt without the sprayer cover on, dug some more, another squirt, repeat until gunk removed. Clipped cover back in place, and problem is gone. I also removed the check valve, just upstream of the wiper motor under the hatch interior trim piece, and cleaned it out as well.

That check valve is pretty stiff, so you might need an air compressor to check it out. I couldn't blow through it, but it worked with the pump.

thanks for the reply.

 

Best fix to any problem like this...
Take it off!!!
Looks amazing!
Clean!

 

I am taking my car in for service tomorrow and one of the items on the list to be fixed is this very problem.

 

Once again, NAM comes to the rescue! My rear washer had quit working, so I checked on here for fixes. I found this thread, took off the cover and probed the tubing with a cake tester (wife wasn't happy about that), and out came gunky water. The washer is now working wonderfully, and the wife was happier when I told her about the money saved by being able to fix it myself with the info I found on here. Thanks, folks!

 

Thanks to this thread I got my rear squirter working this morning. After flipping open the wiper arm nut cover, I just got a length of safety wire and threaded it down into the fluid hole until it stopped. A little more pressure dislodged something, I think the check valve was stuck. A bit of fluid trickled out and it was fixed.
THANKS A MILLION!!!
SteveB

 

I was getting ready to pull the wiper arm off, take off the hatch trim, and start troubleshooting forward when I came across this thread. A few seconds of roto-router work with a foot of safety wire and it was good as new. Thanks for all that posted with their solutions.

- Mark

 

You probed a foot of safety wire into this? I got wire into here about one inch, then it stops. Tried a couple times. Still doesn't work.
Where is this pump under the interior trim? Check valve, where? Just inside that nozzle?

 

I doubt it went in a foot, but it definitely went in a lot more than an inch - perhaps 6-8 inches. If yours is stopping at an inch, that's probably your obstruction. I'd try again and be fairly vigorous. Perhaps put a tiny bend in the end which might allow a little more force. If your safety wire is too thick, maybe it's binding prematurely. I used .032" diameter.

I didn't take off the interior trim, but I undestand that's the next step. As I understand it, the washer pump is shared for both the front and rear and is in the right front fender well. (The headlight washers are a separate system in the left fender.) I assume it's just plastic line from there back to the rear wiper. There have been some reports of blockage occuring as the line snakes through the body - hope you don't have to deal with this. I'd first find the pump and attempt to blow out the line to the rear with compressed air. But first give the roto-router technique another go and/or remove the interior trim and see if you can find the problem back at the rear.

Good luck,

- Mark

 

Looks like Anchorage doesn't have car washes either

 

This happened to me a year ago. the dealer warrantied it and told me it was blocked. Now I have this problem again, and it only happens in the winter. With the amount of crap i've collected on my car, I would be surprised if it was a problem other than being blocked again.

 

First of all - THANKS to everyone who posted helpful info in this thread!

I have 2 MINIs: 03 MC and 03 MCS. The MC had been clogged longer, so I did that one first - followed the steps here and successfully unclogged it. Lots of black crud came out. I should mention that the little tiny rubber gasket stayed on the metal fitting when I did this - I put it back into the plastic cover before closing it up. It's all working great now.

Repeat the same procedure with the MCS: Not quite so good. Molded inside that hinged cover is a round plastic "collar" that snaps onto the metal "nozzle" - with that rubber gasket to seal the 2 together. Well, the plastic "collar" broke when I popped open the cover. This is an 03 w/128K - plastic gets old and brittle - what can you do, stuff happens. Now I need to get a new plastic cover. I'll try super-gluing it back together, but that never seems to work. But I know someone who might have a spare (he did a rear wiper delete on his car) - so maybe I can get this fixed tomorrow. Otherwise, I'm sure Jayson at Classic MINI will gladly sell me what I need...

 

My nozzle is clogged again. The nozzle just pops out, then operate the washer to flush out tubing and to make sure tubing is not blocked. A fine embroidery needle used from the back of nozzle will clear it. Then pop it back in and turn to adjust spay pattern on hatch. Good as new!