Windscreen washers not working.

[Crazyratgirl]

Not strictly an early bay, but 1973 T2 westy continental. The washers have stopeed working. The pump is working and everything is connected. When I pressurise the tank I get a steady stream from the nozzles which gradully stops. What is happening and how do I fix them?

 

[mike202]

Do you mean an electric pump? Do you have the dash push knob for squirting water onto the screen or a steering column stalk?
Water shouldn’t come out of the nozzles without you doing something.

 

[Crazyratgirl]

Do you mean an electric pump? Do you have the dash push knob for squirting water onto the screen or a steering column stalk?
Water shouldn’t come out of the nozzles without you doing something.

I have the push button on the dash. It was working originally but has stopped working recently. I have an electric pump.

 

[Coda]

It sounds like to me that someone has fitted an electric washer conversion and left the little schrader-valve hose connected - if you have an electric pump, you don't pressurise the tank, the electric pump is there to do that for you.

If it IS a conversion, then the washer button will have a tiny switch inside it. You should have someone with vehicle electrics knowledge take the switch out and test it. The first thing to do, is take a look at all the fuses, and see if there's any that are blown - IF (and this is a big IF) the washer switch was wired back to the fuse box, and not just connected to terminal 30 on the light switch as a lot of people seem to do (it's dangerous, ask me how I know).

If it's NOT a conversion (therefore an original system), then it's possible the seal inside the switch (*which is not a switch but a valve) has gone bad and is stuck open. The switch (sorry, VALVE) would need to be replaced.

 

[mike202]

If the electric pump is working, then either you’ve run out of water or he hose has a break in it somewhere.

 

[Crazyratgirl]

It sounds like to me that someone has fitted an electric washer conversion and left the little schrader-valve hose connected - if you have an electric pump, you don't pressurise the tank, the electric pump is there to do that for you.

If it IS a conversion, then the washer button will have a tiny switch inside it. You should have someone with vehicle electrics knowledge take the switch out and test it. The first thing to do, is take a look at all the fuses, and see if there's any that are blown - IF (and this is a big IF) the washer switch was wired back to the fuse box, and not just connected to terminal 30 on the light switch as a lot of people seem to do (it's dangerous, ask me how I know).

If it's NOT a conversion (therefore an original system), then it's possible the seal inside the switch (*which is not a switch but a valve) has gone bad and is stuck open. The switch (sorry, VALVE) would need to be replaced.

What is the schrader valve hose? Where would I find it?

 

[sparkywig]

It's the little rubber hose with a bike style valve at the end that you use to pressurise the washer bottle.
If you have an electric pump you don't need to pressurise the bottle, if you do it can force water past the washer switch valve and out of the washer jets.

 

[naskeet]

If it is indeed a 1973 model-year VW Type 2, it should have a steering-column mounted windscreen-wiper & washer switch. If the windscreen-washer system is still factory-standard, the washers will be air-pressurised as for 1968~72 model-years, with the switch-lever operating a valve with two hose connections.

If the system has been converted to pump water using an electric pump instead of using pressurised air (possibly with a substitute dashboard mounted switch), there needs to be a vent hole of some sort in the fluid-reservoir cap or elsewhere, to allow in air as water is pumped out.