MOT test this morning and I had great news that everything was superb with my 1993 6.0. Apart from the washers for the wipers that is! Usually I guess it’s something simple like a blocked jet but a bit of fault finding later it seems to be the pump.

Checked fuse but as the wipers are on the same fuse and they work fine, it rules that out.

Plenty of water in the reservoir

Headlamp washers work just fine. I guess they’re only supposed to come on when the lights are on (and run on a separate pump) but they operate as they should do.

Am I right in saying the pump is pictured below? I’ve taken off the access cover in the RHS wheel well. If so I’ll run a voltage check over the wires.

Anyone know if this is a common fault? Or anything else worth checking?

Thanks for any assistance!

 

Most likley the pump, which that looks to be. Check the loom connectors for voltage when the washer switch is pressed to be sure it is the pump that is the problem.

 

That doesn't look genuine Jaguar to me - both pumps should be housed in the bottle itself - they are not self priming (although they will a few times) so if you don't have a good one way valve in place the water may be running back, running these pumps dry too long is the end of them.

That tank looks the same as one I have on order for a refurb - there should be a vent where that pump seems to be - I found the pic below on a certain auction site - if you look just above the roll of tape you will see two black rings and recesses - this is where the pumps go. I believe you are suffering a botch it and scarper solution by person or persons unknown.

 

Thanks for the info. Are you sure all of the above applies to 1993 6.0’s? I read somewhere earlier that the pumps were relocated on later models to outside the housing. I may have misread. I think it was there also that stated the pumps can be accessed through the wheel well (although they removed a wheel which doesn’t seem to be necessary), so it may be whatever is in the picture isn’t the pump at all!

Either way, if mine is the same as yours, do you know if the pumps are interchangeable please? I’ll happily swap them and use the headlight pump in place of the windscreen as they just make an absolute mess anyway. Thanks again.

 

What you see in your image for sure is a pump, I would expect to find a no return valve below it where it draws from, I'm not familiar with the relocation proposition. My information for this is based on upgrading the cooling system on my own vehicle which is an 87 so I had to source this tank from a facelift vehicle, I had to do quite a lot of digging to make sure I got all the correct parts.

I do have some experience of the pumps used in such locations for all kinds of reasons, but I have none as an owner of a facelift XJS. As modeller I have occasionally required a pump, originally I used to use such pumps, they don't like running for long periods and they hate being dry.

Not saying there isn't a relocation 'mod' but I'm not familiar with it.

 

Thanks for this info. I’ll spend an hour tomorrow having a poke about and see what I can work out. Swapping with the headlamp unit may be a great way to fix things in the interim. I’ll report back.

 

Genuine Screenwash Pump For Jaguar Xjs Sports Coupe/convertible 1975 - 1996 Classic | Jaguar Land Rover Classic Parts

 

Thanks again for this info. I had a play about this morning. My tank is located in the wheel arch too beneath the pump and you are right, the pump pictured looks an aftermarket add on or at least a replacement unit at some point. The tank looks different to the picture you sent but does have one pump in it which I assume is the headlamp pump as the one in my picture certainly runs the windscreen.

I disassembled the pump, have it an oil and checked it over, all seems ok. Plugged back in and it runs ok but didn’t push any water through it. It’s not obviously not gravity fed bring above it nor is it self priming. I’m unsure how to prime it but resorted to syringing water into the inlet pipe and the pump itself. This ran briefly before it started running dry and stopped working again. It seems you are right, it doesn’t like being ran dry, gets hot and stops working.

it’s currently having a bit of a soak in wd40 but I’m unsure how I would fully prime the system correctly so that the same doesn’t occur. I can’t find a one way valve above it all or where the outlet pipe runs through the engine bay.

any advice welcome! Thanks again.

 

Would help to see an image of the tank and where the pump sources the water - there needs to be a non return valve - the ads for these pumps always say they can prime themselves, when they're new they kind of do but once they get some wear on them that all stops, better to have the pump below the water level if possible.

 

The pump sources the water from the bottom of the tank. I blew through the pipe to ensure it wasn’t blocked and I heard bubbles. I couldn’t find any valve on either end of the pipe (it should be after the outlet of the pump?) and there was no slack at all to lower the position of the pump. The tank sits right at the bottom of the wheel well, behind the front bumper I doubt there is room anywhere anyway.

Unfortunately I didn’t take any images as it was so tight in there but there wasn’t much to see. All the piping runs behind the tank so there’s only a tank with a pipe running behind it to be seen.