Washer Jets On A Gen 7

May 6, 2008

First time poster here

My usually trusty 2000 140 Gen 7 Celica decided to misbehave tonight. This morning the washer jets for the front windscreen worked fine, then when the wife tried to use them this evening to get the dead bugs off the windcreen (yep.....summer is officially here! :D ) they refused to work so she just thought the bottle was empty. I went to fill it up when we got home and found it was still nearly full. I fired up the engine, tried the washers and got nothing, and then all of a sudden I got a good squirt out of the washer jets. That was only a short reprieve as they then stopped working again and have refused to start working again.

The rear washer works perfectly.

Anyone got any ideas? Or is it a case of phoning up Mr Toyota tomorrow morning?

May 6, 2008

There'll be a pump somewhere in there thats on its way out by the sound of it...

May 6, 2008

Or a blockage that dislodged and then got stuck again. Or perhaps poor electrical contact.

The pumps do go but usually if it's the pump it just dies - no temporary reprieve. Expect to be horrified by the price of the pump - about £60. It's usually the same pump for front and rear and is a push fit in the side of the washer bottle.

It can be a 2 minute job to replace if access is easy, or an hour if you have to go in through the wheel arch and the clips are rusty etc, etc.

As a temporary measure you can swap the front and rear pipes at the pump. That will also give you a better idea of whether it's the pump or blocked pipes.

May 6, 2008

Or a blockage that dislodged and then got stuck again. Or perhaps poor electrical contact.
The pumps do go but usually if it's the pump it just dies - no temporary reprieve. Expect to be horrified by the price of the pump - about £60. It's usually the same pump for front and rear and is a push fit in the side of the washer bottle.
It can be a 2 minute job to replace if access is easy, or an hour if you have to go in through the wheel arch and the clips are rusty etc, etc.
As a temporary measure you can swap the front and rear pipes at the pump. That will also give you a better idea of whether it's the pump or blocked pipes.

Any idea how to get at the bugger? Through the wheel arch or remove the plastic covering and go in from the top of the engine? I've had that off a few times to change the bulbs in the headlights so I know how to get it off, but the wheelarch is a whole new ball-game! :) It seems funny that it's one pump for both, yet the rear works a treat.....any idea the best way to get any dirt out of the pipes if it turns out to be that as the problem?

Thanks ever so much for your speedy replies and knowledge of the Celicas. Much appreciated.

May 6, 2008

Sorry, I don't know on the Gen 7. Time was there was space to get at the pumps very easily, but there's so much packed in there on modern cars. Someone will have done the job on a Gen 7 though and will be able to advise. Or if you ring Mr T for a price, ask what the fitting time is - that'll give you a good idea of how difficult it is.

The single pump is to save weight and cost I guess. It just spins in opposite directions to pump the water through two different outlets. Some cars do have two slightly smaller pumps, but that is very rare.

Once you get to it, it'll just be a push fit in the side of the bottle. But watch out all the water will pour out when you remove it so have something to catch it in. Not that I'd re-use the water because it'll be dirty, but it'll make a mess of your garage floor / drive. The pump inlet pushes through a hole about the size of a 5p piece almost at the very bottom of the washer bottle.

If it's just the pipes then the blockage is usually in the nozzle because dirt can travel easily up the pipe 'til it gets to the tiny hole in the washer. You may be able to blow the dirt out with an air supply perhaps from a tyre pump or compressed air cylinder. But you may have to remove it and try blowing through it.

A pin can be used to clean dirt out of older nozzles but be careful not to enlarge the hole or you'll need a new washer jet. On the latest cars with ceramic nozzles a pin is almost certain to damage the nozzle, but I think the Celica probably has the older style which are just like a small metal bead in a plastic casing.