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      03-09-2016, 04:26 PM   #1
Mike200
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Blocked Washer Jets

Last week the windscreen wash bottle ran dry before I had chance to top up. I always use Halfords screen wash that is diluted by adding water, which I used to refill the bottle.

The day after the wash system seemed to be working fine until I left work in the evening. At first both jets had less powerful streams of water but then they both stopped working altogether.

Has anyone else had similar issues with an easy fix. I have booked the car into a local independent next week, if all else fails.
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      03-09-2016, 04:32 PM   #2
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As you ran it dry, it has probably sucked some $hite through the pump up towards the nozzle.

Disconnect the pipe where it attaches to the nozzle and use a garden hose with a small tip to flow water back through thae pipework to the tank, this should clear any sludge and back flush the pump.
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      03-09-2016, 05:15 PM   #3
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Bmw nozzles/in tank filters are notorious for getting gunked up with crap if anything other than official bmw screenwash is used!
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      03-09-2016, 05:22 PM   #4
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What kind of washer fluid are you using? Only use the BMW stuff. I just read another post about a similar issue. The splash brand stuff gunks up and can ruin the components
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      03-09-2016, 05:39 PM   #5
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I've used both of the following options on my previous E90, which was very prone to this problem.

1. Disconnect both tubes at the end that feeds the nozzles. Clamp one tightly then stick the other one in an air line & a few blasts of compressed air will clean the blockage. Then fill washer bottle with very hot water (no additives) and use the whole bottle up to clear the grunge out. Reconnect to nozzles & you're good to go.

2. Leave everything as it is, use a small amount of Mr. Muscle drain unblocker in half a pint or so of water & put mixture into the washer bottle. Activate washers for a few seconds then leave it half an hour. Get a hose pipe ready... Activate washers again. The blockage should have cleared & nozzles back to working. Run the washer bottle empty straight away & refil with hot water. Activate washers to flush any remaining drain cleaner away. This is where the hose pipe comes in... Blast away & thoroughly drench everywhere on the outside of the car to get rid of all traces of where the drain cleaner has been. This must be done immediately & thoroughly. Then you're good to go.

Method 1 is the safest. Only use method 2 if you can't get use of an air line. Top tip... Prep for method 1 then go use a free air line at Sainsburys
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      03-10-2016, 01:52 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SkyJawa View Post
Bmw nozzles/in tank filters are notorious for getting gunked up with crap if anything other than official bmw screenwash is used!
What he says ^^^^^^

I learned the hard way too with my E87. Dealer put it down to the wrong fluid used.

The official stuff can we diluted down a lot (neat it goes to -63 deg/C) so it's actual not bad value.
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      03-10-2016, 03:10 AM   #7
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Ref: http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1234912
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      12-01-2016, 02:03 PM   #8
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Wash jets blocked

I had the same problem. Posted on here a detailed description of what to do. It was simple. Look it up for the details but what I did was disconnect the hose by the jet (pulls out) and then used tyre inflator to blow air down hose and back to bottle. Added warm water to the bottle and let air blow through bottle and push muck and stuff out. Loads of bits came through. Washers were like new afterwards whereas before they did not work!
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      12-01-2016, 02:14 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SkyJawa View Post
Bmw nozzles/in tank filters are notorious for getting gunked up with crap if anything other than official bmw screenwash is used!
It's more to do with mixing it with other brands.

As long as you drain it & flush thru, any additive will be ok to use.

Mix them & then there is a good chance of gunking up
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      12-01-2016, 02:18 PM   #10
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Could they be iced up?
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      12-01-2016, 02:46 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by planemad View Post
Could they be iced up?
No, but I'm pretty sure the cold weather helps to congeal the screenwash, my 330d's washers blocked up but only in winter.

Last edited by teaston; 12-01-2016 at 04:42 PM..
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      12-01-2016, 03:26 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by simon. View Post
It's more to do with mixing it with other brands.

As long as you drain it & flush thru, any additive will be ok to use.

Mix them & then there is a good chance of gunking up
Agree with this, once my initial tank was used I flushed through with water and changed to the type I've been using for years from VW, use in all our cars all the time, never had an issue in 4 years with the BMW's.
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      12-01-2016, 03:43 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lobb View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike200 View Post
Last week the windscreen wash bottle ran dry before I had chance to top up. I always use Halfords screen wash that is diluted by adding water, which I used to refill the bottle.

The day after the wash system seemed to be working fine until I left work in the evening. At first both jets had less powerful streams of water but then they both stopped working altogether.

Has anyone else had similar issues with an easy fix. I have booked the car into a local independent next week, if all else fails.
I've never used BMW screen wash, but always add a couple of shots of urine to each top up. Never had a blockage in twenty years of BMW driving.
Are you taking the piss??









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      12-01-2016, 05:18 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lobb View Post
Not all all. An old trick we learnt on the eastern front. Something to do with the enzymes in urine.
Only drama is potentially getting arrested when plod sees you cock out, pissing in your engine bay in Waitrose carpark


Had a nozzle blockage on my E92. Dealer asked if I'd been using OEM BMW screenwash to which I looked at him like a naughty boy and said 'no'. He was very good about it and got it sorted for free - so long as I bought a bottle of screen wash (Ł9.99). Good deal considering the chaps in the back have to do about half hour of work to dig out the filter, clean nozzles etc.

Go OEM screen wash. Its not much different in price to any other but it shouldn't clog the overly sensitive filter and if it does clog, the dealership should sort it for free.
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      12-01-2016, 05:43 PM   #15
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Unlikely the jets will be blocked, there is a very fine filter in the washer bottle that gets blocked. I had to strip it out on my e90 when I used some cheap screen wash, never again. BMW fluid only
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      12-01-2016, 11:50 PM   #16
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Never used BMW screen wash. However I never use tap water for diluting. Always use distilled water. And I've never had a problem.

You just have to look at what happens to your kettle/shower etc to know that tap water in most of the country should never go near a precision system.
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      12-02-2016, 02:11 AM   #17
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I always use BMW fluid - had problems on my 2008 3 series with blocked jets.
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      12-02-2016, 02:26 AM   #18
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Is the bottle itself still tucked away deep in the wheel arch like on the E90?
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      12-02-2016, 03:15 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lobb View Post
Not all all. An old trick we learnt on the eastern front. Something to do with the enzymes in urine.
Kidney stones could be a problem.
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      12-02-2016, 03:39 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GEP77 View Post
Never used BMW screen wash. However I never use tap water for diluting. Always use distilled water. And I've never had a problem.

You just have to look at what happens to your kettle/shower etc to know that tap water in most of the country should never go near a precision system.
Must admit I do use demineralised water too, although the water here up north doesn't create much scale in our appliances.

I cant see BMW screenwash being different to other 'decent' brands, I'm convinced its the mixing that causes issues with different additives.
It will be re-branded stuff from somewhere ?
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      12-02-2016, 06:31 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dangerous_al View Post
Unlikely the jets will be blocked, there is a very fine filter in the washer bottle that gets blocked.
^^^ this

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...2&postcount=20

Sticking to official BMW screenwash isnt going to help the filter stay unclogged unless you are all putting it in neat
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      04-29-2019, 05:39 PM   #22
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Had same problem. Two quick fixes. If small buildup, disconnect the tiny pencil diameter sized hose that runs from the tank to the wiper eyes. It is located on passenger side and runs horizontally with bottom of window. Pull off end and blow hard. You’ll hear it bubble from your air. Do that for about 30 seconds and reattach.

That was working fir me but would clog back up every 4 or 5 days and stream would get weak again. So to fix, I hooked up shop vac to the fluid reservoir and sucked everything out. Then with a good suction, I blew in hose end like before to force loose any other debris that was on that side of the pump. The wet vac sucked everything up. I put new fluid in and works like a charm.

Both methods a lot easier than taking of wheel and disassembling.
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