Washer bottle mould

[wingman]

Nothing in the search about this one! I've been having trouble with the windscreen washer jets blocking. I've done the pin in the nozzle thing with no effect. I discovered that my washer bottle was clagged up with mould (photos taken but came out shite). I think that maybe some bits of this gunk have blocked up the system. I was thinking about dropping some bleach in there and flushing the system. Does anyone see any potential problem with this? I would assume that the bottle/pump/hoses could take it.

[Zeuk in Oz]

Nothing in the search about this one! I've been having trouble with the windscreen washer jets blocking. I've done the pin in the nozzle thing with no effect. I discovered that my washer bottle was clagged up with mould (photos taken but came out shite). I think that maybe some bits of this gunk have blocked up the system. I was thinking about dropping some bleach in there and flushing the system. Does anyone see any potential problem with this? I would assume that the bottle/pump/hoses could take it.

Worth a try, Tony, but I ended up having to replace the nozzles on mine when they played up.
Let us know how you get on.

[SRR2]

The pump does not like being run for unusual amounts of time without a break for cooling off, so you might want to invent some way to flush the lines and tank that don't involve the pump.

[shogun]

I would try with compressed air. Disconnect the hoses after the pump, disconnect the nozzles and blow air through it. Worst that could happen is that your hoses would 'explode', but in such a case they would have been blocked up too much to clean.
The nozzles I disassembled and cleaned for 1 day in vinegar concentrate, assembled and they work fine again.

[mikell]

Agree on compressed air - you might try blowing it in the reverse direction - with the pump disconnected, of course. Can't say I'd be reall keen on squirting bleach out of the nozzels all over my paint.

[SRR2]

BTW, how did you manage to get mold in your W-washer? In more decades of car ownership than I care to admit to, I've never seen mold in the washer system. I use the blue fluid straight up though. Maybe that's why. If so, it's a pretty good reason to use it all year round, 'cos cleaning up mold isn't my idea of fun.

[wingman]

BTW, how did you manage to get mold in your W-washer? In more decades of car ownership than I care to admit to, I've never seen mold in the washer system. I use the blue fluid straight up though. Maybe that's why. If so, it's a pretty good reason to use it all year round, 'cos cleaning up mold isn't my idea of fun.

Yes it's odd. It's more like sludge than actual mould. The car had been 'one ownered' by a Sydney lawyer who drove it from Vaucluse (snobby suburb) into the city 5 days a week. He probably never washed the windscreen and I would say that he NEVER opened the bonnet himself so the water is stale and smells bad. I'm taking the water bottle out today I just have to work out how to do it.

[wingman]

Agree on compressed air - you might try blowing it in the reverse direction - with the pump disconnected, of course. Can't say I'd be reall keen on squirting bleach out of the nozzels all over my paint.

Yes I've decided against running bleach through the system for that very reason. I also dont want to bleach my black trim around the windscreen base.

[zhandax]

Try some de-icer windshield fluid. Most of it has a small amount of alcohol
in it. Should do the same thing, just take a bit longer. (Or you could waste some good Stoli, but then we would report you for alcohol abuse)

[athflying79]

My washer pump wasn't working when I bought the car. About a month ago I replaced it and when I took the top off the bottle, I nearly gagged. It was disgusting. I pulled the whole bottle out and washed it. The lines looked pretty clean, I think the water had just sat in there so long, it got really nasty. Once I put it all together, everything is working. Now she's filled with blue washer fluid that will hopefully keep anything from growing.