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- Sep 14, 2009
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I have an MOT next week and the windscreen washer motor has gone AWOL. Fuse 53 all good (though horrendous to access) so it had to be the motor.
Jacked up the car, pulled off the wheel arch liner and sure enough no worky at the pump motor but 12V power is getting though.
The front bolt holding the washer bottle was seized. I pulled out the motor (easer than expected) as shearing the bolt would have meant removing the front bumper to drill it out. Thankfully, the motor just slides up and out of its slot into the washer bottle. Make sure you have a bucket handy to collect your screen suds.
I have a new motor on order (under £10 on fleabay) but thought I'd have a look to see why the old one is refusing to turn. The motor cover is a simple press fit but it's tight enough to feel like it's moulded on. I put the pump in the bench vice (carefully) and used a hammer and flat screwdriver to drift off the cover cap. It slides off to reveal the motor inside. Once free of its cover, mine ran nicely but refused when checked on the car. I pulled out the motor and used a jewellers screwdriver to make sure the pump rotor was turning. Put it all back together (contacts and D slot have to align) and I now have a working screen washer. yay!
It's a shame that Fiat made access so difficult (jack up car, remove wheel. remove wheel arch liner, etc.) but for now, my washers are working so MOT should go ok.
Jacked up the car, pulled off the wheel arch liner and sure enough no worky at the pump motor but 12V power is getting though.
The front bolt holding the washer bottle was seized. I pulled out the motor (easer than expected) as shearing the bolt would have meant removing the front bumper to drill it out. Thankfully, the motor just slides up and out of its slot into the washer bottle. Make sure you have a bucket handy to collect your screen suds.
I have a new motor on order (under £10 on fleabay) but thought I'd have a look to see why the old one is refusing to turn. The motor cover is a simple press fit but it's tight enough to feel like it's moulded on. I put the pump in the bench vice (carefully) and used a hammer and flat screwdriver to drift off the cover cap. It slides off to reveal the motor inside. Once free of its cover, mine ran nicely but refused when checked on the car. I pulled out the motor and used a jewellers screwdriver to make sure the pump rotor was turning. Put it all back together (contacts and D slot have to align) and I now have a working screen washer. yay!
It's a shame that Fiat made access so difficult (jack up car, remove wheel. remove wheel arch liner, etc.) but for now, my washers are working so MOT should go ok.
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