Iq Front Washers Pressure Problem :-/

[Gordon in Angus]

Hello peeps,

Anyone had any problems with the front windscreen washer pressure? I'm getting good pressure on the passenger side but very poor on the drivers side. I've traced it to the tee piece located on the underside of the bonnet that splits the washer pipe to both sides of the car. I'm wondering if it has a valve in it & whether it be taken apart or not. Failing that I'll need a new part. I've tried soaking it in various things but it's not made much difference at all. Any advice much appreciated :-)

I've attached a pic, if that's any help :-)

Thanks

Gordon

[craggle]

It may have a non return valve in it just to stop the water draining back to the tank after use.

I doubt you can take it apart, it's probably ultrasonically welded together during manufacture. If you have access to compressed air you could try blowing in the ports to clear out any debris. Probably a standard part used on many Toyota's though so hopefully a new one won't break the bank.

Have you checked the nozzles on the bonnet just to make sure they aren't blocked? Maybe pinch the pipe going to each nozzle and get someone to operate the washer to make sure each blasts the same amount.

Craig.

[atkiman]

I had exactly the same problem.you can swap it around and get good pressure on driver side and p poor on passenger side.it is that t piece thats the problem .I tried everything you have to no avail.that bit from mr t is around 22 quid. Just get a plastic t piece from Halfords for a couple of quid, fit it to the pipes , works a treat.

tony

[Devon Aygo]

Part number 85321-28020, PM partsking for an up to date price

[atkiman]

Too !Removed! expensive is what is for what it is

[Gordon in Angus]

Hi folks, I'd reckoned it had a non return valve in it. If you try to blow back down the tubes it's not easy at all.

Yes Craig I've swapped pipes and nozzles about to check and they are all ok, which helped narrow it all down to the tee-piece being the culprit.

Thanks for the part number Lee, that will help get a new one. I bet our Rav4 had one as well, but it's hidden behind the sound insulation mat clipped to the underside of the bonnet. At least the IQ's one was accessible so I can sort it myself.

Too clever for its own good, though I can see why the non return valve is fitted, the jets on these new fittings are so wide the fluid would run back down into the tank as soon as the pump stopped, you'd always have a delay before screen wash reached the nozzle if it wasn't there. :-/

[tarquin]

You might want to try submerging it in a tub of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar or MR Muscle. It can only be "crud" thats jammed it up. Worth a a try nothing lost

David

[Gordon in Angus]

Thanks David, might try that as a last resort. Not got any mr muscle, we try to avoid that sort of stuff, it's bad for the septic tank which we are stuck with :-)

[atkiman]

Go and buy a bog standard plastic t piece from Halfords, works just as good , no waiting for the windscreen washer to start etc.works on mine It'll work on yours.steven egell toyota quoted me over 20 quid for that part, even he was gobsmacked at the price.go on save yourself 20 quid its a glorified overengineered bit of plastic

I tried everything to get the oe drap working , I even contemplated sawing it in half, believe me it aint worth the bother.

[tarquin]

Mmm see being an engineer, its ineresting to see how people deal with equipment failure. i would temporary replace it with a standard "T" piece but i would still have to know why it failed, hence my reference to cleaning it. If, having done that to no avail, i would try pressured air as was suggested earlier. If i still couldn't get it to function properly, i would carefully take it apart, not with an aim to repairing it , although if it could be repaired all the better, but to see how it was made and why it failed. I couldn't bring myself to just through it away without knowing what went wrong with it and predicting its life expectancy due to build quality etc and if i was going to replace it. What could i expect from it. Hey but thats me

David

[Soeley]

Have you tried giving it a good firm knock, to try and dislodge the stuck valve?

[tarquin]

Yes Mark

Could be grit in the washer bottle being pumped past the valve and not being able to get through the jet and returning to the valve and jammed it up

David

[craggle]

Mmm see being an engineer, its ineresting to see how people deal with equipment failure. i would temporary replace it with a standard "T" piece but i would still have to know why it failed, hence my reference to cleaning it. If, having done that to no avail, i would try pressured air as was suggested earlier. If i still couldn't get it to function properly, i would carefully take it apart, not with an aim to repairing it , although if it could be repaired all the better, but to see how it was made and why it failed. I couldn't bring myself to just through it away without knowing what went wrong with it and predicting its life expectancy due to build quality etc and if i was going to replace it. What could i expect from it. Hey but thats me

David

It's not just you David, Mechanical engineers think exactly the same way. Don't think I've ever thrown anything away without taking it apart first! :)

Craig.

[Gordon in Angus]

Same mindset as me, you lot :-D

I reckon its grit sucked up from tank as well, but no amount of sucking / blowing air etc. through its various orifices or soaking it in all manner of stuff is working. Car is still in warranty, so in theory I should get it fixed for nothing. Mind you, I do want to know what's in it and why its failed, since it could happen again, not just to me, but to any number of other iQs and other current model Toyotas. I have a suspicion most of the other current cars will have the same feature as well.

I'll possibly take the hit and buy a new part regardless, just so I can keep hold of the failed part and take it apart if I can to see why and share the results here...

;-)

[Soeley]

Universal 'T' or 'Y' splitters with none return valve can be found on eBay for under £4.

[tarquin]

Hi Gordon

Some lovely pics of it dissected would be great. Its only mechanical. Can only be diaphragms etc

David

[Gordon in Angus]

Phoned the local Mr T's parts desk this morning and surprise surprise they had a spare in stock (makes me think its a common part to many cars). Got it from them this lunchtime, price £15.37 inc. vat. Fitted it in 30 seconds in the car park & works a treat too.

I'll take apart the old bit to see how it fails... er... I mean works... :-)

[Gordon in Angus]

Okdokey, here ya go this is what's inside the thing. It's a spring that pushes against a plastic piston that has a rubber cup on it that blocks the inlet pipe when the pump is off. Pressure from the pump lifts the piston against the spring allowing flow to both left and right jet pipes. It was clean as a whistle inside, so I think the rubber cup was not seated right on the piston or something, which meant it wasn't opening right.

Looked like you'd not get it apart without breaking it :-)

[tarquin]

It does seem that way. When you opened it was it in a violent way or controlled? Was the black rubber still connected to the piston? If not, does it push back on as a tight fit? Is there evidence of it being machined or glued on?

David

[Gordon in Angus]

Opened in a controlled manner, though need quite a bit of force and did have to be done in a way that meant it couldn't be reassembled.

The rubber cup has a lip on the inside which holds it to the piston. It was quite tight in the housing when I took it apart, making me think it had dislodged from the piston and was being forced against the inside of the housing, meaning it couldn't move enough to allow screen wash to pass into the drivers side pipe. I had to prise the two parts out of the housing with a sharp blade. No sign of glue, just the rubber lip on the back holding them together. The piston has a pin hole to allow fluid through, it was clear too though.

:-)

[tarquin]

Maybe the rubber started to break down and swelled up a bit. Maybe its caused by the composition of the screen wash

David