Technical windscreen washer fluid going missing?

[ravingdave]

I've got a T reg Fiat Punto 60SX. Recently it seems to be losing water from the windscreen washer fluid, but only when the car is moving! Squirters back and front are working OK, with plenty of pressure.

Filled up the bottle to the top, and left it without moving for 2 days - no drop in water level.

Took the car out and drive locally for about 20 miles during the day (without using the washers). Get back and find approx 1 litre has been lost from the system.

Any ideas why this is happening, or where I should look?

The water bottle itslef appears to be embedded inside the wing, so I can't even see it, and the pipes also disappear into the wing, so I can't actually see where they connect. Can't see any obvious leaks from the pipes in the engine bay where they are visible, but highly puzzled why the water would disappear only when driving - if there were a leak I'd expect it to be dripping out all the time.

Thanks

 

[Ziggy122]

vibration and heat mate

heat makes everything open up
and vibration help get anything that dont fit to fit if that makes sense?

Ziggy

 

[ravingdave]

...makes sense, but any obvious places to look to track down the leak?

Anyone had a similar fault who was able to track down the cause and fix it?

thanks

 

[StevenRB45]

These are the two places mine has leaked the one that splits into 2 is on the underside of the bonnet but you'd know if that was leaking the second one is in the washer fluid pipe behind the battery tray, this one dribbled for months without me noticing as it feeds the rear washer, which I don't use much also don't measure how much fluid i put in, its below the level of the bottle so always dribbled even when the washer wasn't operated and because of the position of it didn't produce obvious puddles as all the water was collected by the wiring loom(!) also there wasn't a noticeable drop in pressure either only saw some drops after I washed the rear window while stationary on a dry day, believe they are some sort of safety valve to stop frozen washers bursting pipes

 

[ravingdave]

Thanks StevenRB45 - It is indeed dripping out of the valve you highlighted, but only when squirting pressure, but also presumably when hot and vibrating during driving. Currently temporarily fixed with Gaffa, but need to get a replacement valve. Are they easy to source, or will it be a Fiat special?

 

[Moose_UK]

Thanks StevenRB45 - It is indeed dripping out of the valve you highlighted, but only when squirting pressure, but also presumably when hot and vibrating during driving. Currently temporarily fixed with Gaffa, but need to get a replacement valve. Are they easy to source, or will it be a Fiat special?

replaced my valves with ones from halfords, seem to work ok!

 

[Shunter]

Replaced the same valve on mine. £2.20 from Fiat

 

[StevenRB45]

I er...went to scrapyard looking for a mirror and pocketed 2 while I was on..

 

[Moose_UK]

I er...went to scrapyard looking for a mirror and pocketed 2 while I was on..

smooth, lol

 

[ravingdave]

Got one from Fiat. £2.10+VAT.
When I took the old one out I noticed that the input and output connectors were different diameters (output side is much smaller), whereas on the replacement part they were both the same size as the input. Initially could not get the larger connector into the small pipe. Checked with Fiat who said this was the only part made now, but mechanic suggested putting the end of the flexible pipe into boiling water to soften it up, and sure enough after that it went in easily. So hopefully now fixed.