About to take car out today and even in the garage the windshield is covered in ash from the fires. Turned on the wash system and nothing? No fluid. Later tested system after making sure the reservoir was full, nothing? Wipers sweep, pump runs but no fluid delivered. Pulled off one wiper delivery hose, ran pump - nothing. Any ideas on what could be stopping the flow or is the pump impeller off?

 

Could be a perished hose. There's a fair bit of hose from the left wheel well under the windscreen scuttle to the wipers. I had a perished hose near the reservoir in the wheel well. Can you see any washer fluid under the car anywhere?

 

No fluid on the floor.

 

Hmmm! Then I suppose it could be the opposite - a blockage perhaps. A sure-fire way to check is to get into the left wheel well and start at the pump outlet.

 

Gained access to the pump by just turning the wheel hard over and removing the plastic access cover. Tapped the pump a few times with a small hammer and tried the system - it pumped fluid but only to the base of the windshield. Took off the plastic cover at the base of the windshield to find the T fitting had blown. Went to local hardware store and for $1.00 got a plastic fitting from a household plant watering system. Put it all back together and works fine! The failed fitting had probably put sufficient back pressure to stall the pump and a little tap freed it up. Cheap, simple fix.

 

Well done....