Replacing Windscreen Washer bottle

[Malx]

Afternoon all.

I went to fill up the windscreen washer fluid the other day only to find that everything i pour in comes straight out the bottom to create a nice puddle underneath the car.

I found links to sites that sell the part but my question is, how hard is it to replace the water bottle?
I did search before posting and could not find the answer.

Thanks

[TT Tim]

err, half an hour should do it.

Assuming your car is a 4.2 like mine..

...remove front engine cover, 4 allen bolts either side.

Disconnect live feed to washer pump,

remove water pipe.

Swap with new bottle

Should be that easy.

Good luck

Tim

[Malx]

Sorry, yes it's a 98 4.2.

That sounds easy, even i could manage that.

Thanks,

[volospian]

What are the symptoms? Are you getting water to the windscreen, but loosing water rapidly, or are you getting no wash to the screen and assuming the bottle has a hole?

There is no seal at the top of the bottle, just a pipe from the GF cover going into the bottle neck. If the bottle is already full and you add more water, it looks like it's going somewhere from above, as it doesn't surge back up the pipe, but pours out of the bottle neck onto the floor. If you're not getting any wash, it could be that the bottle is already full and the problem lies with the pump, switch or pipes.

[Ireland]

Are you sure it's the bottle?

Maybe it's a split hose after the bottle.

[Malx]

Interesting points. First time i noticed it i added abotu 2 litres of water, i did not notice if it was pouring out the bottom but the noise sound like the water was coming from the underside of the car. Went out for a drive and drive teh button which did spray water ont eh window. Did this a few times over the course of the drive and then it stopped. The motor noise still happens but nothing comes out.

I then refilled the bottle and it was then i noticed the water coming from the underside of the car. It could be that when the water was being sprayed it was the water already in the pipes.
When i try it now there is no water coming out and it would look to me (being very untrained) that the bottle is cracked or broken.

I tried having a quick look under teh car but need a set of ramps to have a look. If i can get the front off the ground is it quite obvious where the bottle is?

I am heading down to blackpool on friday for an oil change but it would have been nice to have clean windows enroute.

[volospian]

Try removing the GF cover. It's not bad to remove and you can then inspect the bottle, pump and pipes all in one go.

Hopefully it'll be something disconnected or split and you'll save a few quid on buying a new bottle that you don't need.

[Malx]

volospian said:

Try removing the GF cover. It's not bad to remove and you can then inspect the bottle, pump and pipes all in one go.

Hopefully it'll be something disconnected or split and you'll save a few quid on buying a new bottle that you don't need.

The GF cover is the big cover with the water bottle cap on it? Sorry.

[Ireland]

I'll have a search when I get home and see if I have any pictures of the location of the bottle.

I'll post them on here if I have.

That should help with locating it.

[volospian]

Malx said:

The GF cover is the big cover with the water bottle cap on it? Sorry.

Yeah that's the one, sorry. The glassfibre cover over the bottle. I don't know what it's correct name is

There are about 3 or 4 bolts down each side. You need to remove the airpipes above it. I just undid the jubilee clips holding the flexible pipes on each end and removed the pipes, rather than bothered removing the airfilter as well.

I seem to remember it was a bit tight to get out because of the water pipe near the rad, but it's do-able if you're careful.