Late model F150 windshield washers just piddle now…

fieldgrade

fieldgrade

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What’s the fix.
For the truck.
Reservoir is full. 2017 truck.
You can hear the pump motor. Sounds normal. No visible leaks. It squirts one feeble squirt on the glass and that’s all it can manage.

Once y’all get done having fun with this, let me know how to fix it.
 
Drop one of these in the reservoir?

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My guess is that even tho the pump motor is running, the pump itself is shot.
 
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The windshield washer pump is a small, 12 Volt DC pump located in the bottom of your washer fluid reservoir. They generally run about $10 to $20, give or take.

It could be the motor going bad, an obstruction in the tubing from the motor to your windshield, or an obstruction in the reservoir at the pump suction. Might also be a bad connection.

Disconnect the tubing from the motor outlet at the reservoir and activate your washer pump. If it's a strong squirt, then the problem is with the tubing from the pump to your windshield.

You can also jump 12 Volts directly from your battery to the pump to verify there isn't a problem with a bad connection elsewhere. Again, if you have a strong squirt this way, but not normally, then the problem is a bad connection somewhere.

You can remove the pump from the reservoir, clean the reservoir and the pump suction. Then try the pump again. If it works, then either you removed whatever was clogging the suction or your mechanical movement of everything has at least temporarily made the pump work better. If it still doesn't work well, then replace it. At this point, good or bad, I would just replace the pump with a new one anyway, since they're so cheap.
 
Oh, by the way...sometimes the nozzles next to the windshield get clogged. You can disconnect the tubing right at the nozzles and check the pump again. If it squirts good, then clean the nozzles.
 
fieldgrade said:
Once y’all get done having fun with this, let me know how to fix it.
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You expect a serious answer before next week?

Both sprayers? Check to see if there is fluid in the tank
No? Fill it (it's not the Atlantic Ocean and needs to be filled once and a while) and have a drink, you're done.
Yes? Disconnect the washer hose at a connection you can get at. Run the pump. Flow?
No? Change pump. Get a drink, you're done.
Yes? Check for obstruction in the sprayers.
Put a pin in each sprayer, push water back towards the, again, opened junction, connect back up. Test again.
Spray? Have a drink, you're done.
No? Take it to a professional as you obviously don't have the brains to fix it.
Have a drink like the rest of us.
 
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As you can see, getting at the bottom of the reservoir requires dragging the tool box out, so I posted here first.
0AD1D06E-CA40-4A8B-84AF-85F78E8DA136.jpeg
However, I was able to disconnect the line at this elbow. I tried it again and it would get one pitiful squirt. I then blew it out with the air compressor. Success!
Let me add this PSA. Don’t stand directly over a full windshield washer reservoir with a closed lid when you apply 80PSI of compressed air to the line. There was obviously some kind of schmutz at the bottom of the reservoir that I am now wearing.
4A3C657E-E0F9-484E-AE85-8264639C8E3C.jpeg
 
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fieldgrade said:
Let me add this PSA. Don’t stand directly over a full windshield washer reservoir with a closed lid when you apply 80PSI of compressed air to the line. There was obviously some kind of schmutz at the bottom of the reservoir that I am now wearing.
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I did that once on an oil tank on a cold heading machine. If I hadn't had my mouth open it all would have went on my face.
 
beamernc said:
Sounds like it might be worth flushing the reservoir out, maybe with some rubbing alcohol, and refilling with fresh cleaner. Unless you think you got all the "schmutz" out.
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So then I remembered I have about four siphons of various descriptions so I didn’t have to disassemble the truck to flush the reservoir out. I blasted it out with the hose, and siphoned it out about a half dozen times.

The offending schmutz.
CB3F445A-AD78-448D-BAF1-F944941FEB7A.jpeg
 
Mike Overlay said:
Is the screen on the pump clogged with gel like crud?

Remove the fluid line at the hood and blow air “backwards” to remove the crud. May need to remove the resivour to clean out to prevent reoccurrence
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By the way, I always expect the right answer from a trained professional, and this was the right answer.
Thank you.
Again.
I am sure this is not the first automotive conundrum you’ve easily solved for me on these pages over the years.

And @RetiredUSNChief as well.
 
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fieldgrade said:
So then I remembered I have about four siphons of various descriptions so I didn’t have to disassemble the truck to flush the reservoir out. I blasted it out with the hose, and siphoned it out about a half dozen times.

The offending schmutz.
View attachment 398665
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Looks like you've been using the blued died washer fluid.
I've seen junk floating when I used that stuff before, now I used better fluid (ie name brand).
 
ronn47 said:
Looks like you've been using the blued died washer fluid.
I've seen junk floating when I used that stuff before, now I used better fluid (ie name brand).
Click to expand...
The driveway looked like a congealed salad my wife served once.
 
fieldgrade said:
So then I remembered I have about four siphons of various descriptions so I didn’t have to disassemble the truck to flush the reservoir out. I blasted it out with the hose, and siphoned it out about a half dozen times.

The offending schmutz.
View attachment 398665
Click to expand...


Looks like Smurfette's back....
 
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