Rear Washer Fluid Dispenser Broken

Did this happen when the temperature was below freezing? If so, does your washer fluid have anti-freeze properties? It may be that the line to the rear window froze up.

This happened to me once when it got to below freezing while I still had summer washer fluid in the car. As soon as it warmed up, the rear spritzer worked again.

 

Both squirters can't run from the same motor unless there is a valve system, otherwise you would have to wash the windshield and rear window at the same time. I would imagine it is cheaper to use two pumps rather than fool with valves. That leads to one of the following being your problem:

1) Fuse.
2) Rear washer pump.
3) Rear pump switch.
4) Clogged nozzle.
5) Obstructed hose.

If it is a clogged nozzle or obstructed hose you should hear the pump run. If you don't hear anything, suspect #1-3.

Tom


Tom

 

With the hood open, have another person listen as you hit the rear wash. If they hear the motor running, but nothing squirts out, usually the rear squirter is iced, or plugged.

Try a needle, like you would use for sewing - like I know anything about sewing - and carefully try to clean out the squirter. I require a magnifying glass and strong light to see what I'm doing

Both my Prius and my FJ have required this procedure, front and back. I use -45 C rated washer fluid from Canadian Tire. The squirters always plug after I do a wax job, I obviously get wax into the squirter holes

 

Probably a bad prostate.

Tom

 

In that case, I recommend Flomax and Proscar. That squirter will soon be able to p*** like a race horse

 

45 deg is not cold enough to freeze over night. And, if it was frozen when you parked, it should thaw by the morning.

 

In My VW Polo, it was a single motor, turning clockwise it sent water to the front and counter clockwise it sent water to the back, I guess it's cheaper and simplier this way than two pumps two motors etc...

 

That makes sense. Very clever idea.

Left to me to design, a washer system would have four pumps, eight modulating valves, and a couple of PID controllers.

Tom

 

Cascade control?

 

Only if it were a dishwasher.

Tom

 

:doh:

If I had to design the Prius windshield washer system, I'd just have a squeegie in the car. The instruction card would read:

"You wash your own windshield!"

 

Sunroof and a bucket maybe?

Tom

 

Yep, that would work too

 

I've had a question asking what I mean "cascade control"

In a PID loop, instead of one controller, you have two controllers. The OP of the primary controller directly controls the SP of the secondary controller, thus "cascade"

This sort of control loop is fairly common with heat exchangers, eg a certain process fluid must be heated or cooled. In this case, the primary controller takes the PV off a TT on the output of the HX. The primary controller is Temperature

The secondary controller regulates a valve to the heat exchanger, eg steam or hot water from the plant recovery boiler. The OP of the primary controller is directly connected to the SP of the secondary controller, which is Flow

You still have to program the PID's, I can get into Ziegler-Nichols if anybody desires