Problem with the wiper fluid

[dcfan40]

I have a 1983 300D. On Sunday I went and tried to pull the windshield wiper fluid and just my blades moved and no fluid came out. The wipers worked fine. On Monday I tried it again and this time the wipers didn't work when I pulled it and no fluid came out either. My wipers do work when I turn them. I do hear something..maybe the motor. But it can't be the motor if I turn them and they do work..right? Do you think something came unattached? The hoses could be clogged but I know they aren't frozen...Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Bill

[Larry Delor]

Sometimes crud will get into the little washer pump. Pull it out (stick something in the hole so you won't loose all your fluid) and eyeball it. If you are able to, put some power to it (12V) and see if it whirrs or spins or whatever you want to call it. You can also try and take a deep breath and blow through the tube. I suppose it is also possible that a line got pinched in the hood linkage or some other area near the lines...-look for tell-tale indentations on the tubing.

Hope this helps...

[Hatterasguy]

Could it be frozen? It has been cold enough, I use the cheap blue stuff straight.

[dcfan40]

Thanks,

I will check it out this weekend...

Someday I will learn how to actually fix my own car. Maybe this will be the start of it. I have the Haynes manual. Any other reading material you recommend for me?

Thanks,

[Astroman]

If you're using cheap blue stuff, is is almost certainly frozen. That's the first place I'd start. Speaking from experience, cheap washer fluid will freeze in the tank, in the lines, when it comes spraying out. I've even had it coat the windshield and freeze solid. I had to pull over and scrape it off once. Don't use cheap fluid in the winter...

[H-townbenzoboy]

I had a similar problem. Here's the long story. The previous owner only had one hose running from the fluid reservoir to the driver's side nozzle, leaving the passenger's side with no spraying abililty. I went to the dealership and purchased some new tubing, and a valve. I connected the valve and new hose. The washer fluid still wouldn't spray. I was doing these repairs at the Houston MS meet we had last November, and either RLeo or halman, I can't remember determined a small bit of the old line was clogged. So, we replaced it, and everything sprayed fine. What I didn't know is that the rest of the line was old and clogging up as well. So flashfoward to two weeks ago, no fluid was spraying! So, in the process of removing the old line, I pulled with too much force and broke the driver's side nozzle. No problem, so, I replaced the nozzle with a new one and reconnected everything. Still, no fluid would come out. I was going to replace another clogged line as well. The old 22 year old rubber line was hardened around the tube to the pump on the reservoir. I pulled and broke the little tube on the pump, and the fluid went everywhere. After it all drained out, back to the dealership again to get a new pump and more tubing. After all of that, I finally had a properly working windsheild washer fluid system. I had to practically replace the old components to get it to work. It was well worth it though. But back to you, check your tubing. It probably needs replacing, or the nozzles are dirty. Poke the nozzles with something like a pin while spraying and see if some dirt comes out.
-Joe

[dcfan40]

So on Sunday I finally went and replace the windshield washer pump and it still doesn't work. I even flushed out the hoses. I am now thinking something must be wrong with my blink because when I go to press it just the highbeams light up and no wipers come on at all. Thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Bill