Windscreen washers, whats what?

[Michael999]

My front right winscreen squirter (drivers side) did not work when i got the car, i have taken 1/4 of the inulation clips off and gotten at it.
One of the 2 barbs on the back of the unit is broken (the same one that the hose goes into), and the when i pushed my garden hose up to the back of it only a tiny trickle came out, and the unit leaked from the sides.
Okay so its stuffed and i need a new one?

But whats the 2nd barb for, nothing was connected to it.
And there is also an electical wire nearby unconnected, and i cant see what it connects to.. has a plug with what looks like 1 pin and 1 socket in it, whats this?

Im guessing someone tried to fix something under the hood and made a few mistakes and tried to cover it up (there was masking tape holding the hose onto the barb!)

The picture in my bentleys is too small/blurry to get a good look at the squirter so i cant tell what the 2nd barb is for.

Help appreciated! :D

Oh, and where in Aus can i order a new squirter from?
I dont care if its aftermarket, it can even have lights in for all i care :P

[Paul in NZ]

wire is for heated washer jets
second connection is for intensive clean circuit
get a pin or needle and you might be able to clear it

[Michael999]

intensive clean circuit?
Where in the car do i activate this?, and where is the hose for it?

[Omega]

But whats the 2nd barb for, nothing was connected to it.


I also had exactly the same problem. Does the other (passenger) side also have the 2nd barb? If so get some washer hose and join the two 2nd barbs together.

The problem is the washer jets do not have one way valves in them so when you try to wash the screen, the water goes in barb #1, hits the tiny holes in the nozzle and then pours out of barb #2, making the bonnet sound proofing very wet.

The intensive clean circuit is a completely seperate system, using a seperate water supply. I would suspect that you have 2nd hand washer nozzles or, like me, a previous owner swapped the complete bonnet (hood).

The electrical wire is for heater nozzles. If you don't have the wiring to connect to them, it may be wrapped behind the kidney grills I really suspect that your hood is a replacement. If the wire is there, your bonnet has been removed someting in the past.

[myles]

The later E34 and E36 have a different design washer jet that works well, but don't have the intensive clean connection. I swapped my old ones for the newer design and they work well.

[Paul in NZ]

intensive clean is indeed a seperate circuit .I think it is actually part of the headlight washer system

[Michael999]

ah well i dont have headlight washers.

Im considering just buying new squirters, a local store has chrome ones with little white LEDs.
Its a bit rice.. but i think it may suit the car. They are cheap so i will let you know how it turns out :)

[Paul in NZ]

good luck its the little things sometimes that are most annoying.For the record my intensive clean system doesnt work anyhow...