Avant rear washer jet - a word of warning!

[mattpanton]

My rear washer jet packed up last week, just assumed something was frozen so kept trying it now and again, no joy, so tonight I decided to investigate further, found the culprit, a joint in the hose had popped apart, unfortunatly this particular joint was right above quite a large number of electrical multi-plugs behind the passenger footwell kick pod! All of which are now a bit damp, no electrical faults really apart from lots of interfearance on the radio when the heated rear screen is on which I'm assuming is a result of the wet, hoping everything will dry out ok!

Moral of the story is if your washer jets pack up, check those joints instead of doing what I did which was empty most of the contents of the washer bottle into the passenger footwell!

Sorry for the essay, hopefully this will help someone with the same problem in the future

 

[Paul B7]

Thanks for the report.This is a known and common fault on Avants and VW Golfs.

Paul B7

 

[ScottD3]

Mine split in the same place and again in the boot.

My mate had the same issue with his 06 Octavia avant.
He did the same as you but had a nice pool of water in his boot when he found the fault.
His bodge is great.

 

[mattpanton]

That is a fantastic repair job, thought I'd done a reasonable job using one tie!

 

[nwmlarge]

i never use mine i hate the moon shape but i have ocd

 

[welchy29]

i never use mine i hate the moon shape but i have ocd

well funny

 

[Jonion]

Oddly was just thinking about these problems, could this sort of thing also be the cause of a soaking wet driver side rear footwell?

 

[phoenixv6quattro]

Yes. The pipe on my Avant shat itself too a while back. The rear window washer stalk got stuck on permanent send due to loose cowling and the entire washer resevoir (I had just refilled it) was emptied onto the bare metal floor under the carpet. No electrical damage was caused (it was like this foe about 3 days) but the carpet/sound deadening was a complete write off. I have since removed the all the washer pipe from the interior and blanked it off, so it only supplies the front window. All in all a MASSIVE BALLACHE!

 

[Jonion]

Not sure if that's good news or bad now lol
At least it gives a likely cause, shame it didn't point at something simple.
Any info on how easy it is to get at the pipework to either sort or block?
Cheers.

 

[phoenixv6quattro]

Yeah its very straight forward mate. Left hand side (nearest the door) of the passenger footwell. You will find it located under or just behind/left or right of the plastic cowling that comes up from lining the door shutters and reaches up towards the glovebox. Takes about 5 mins to expose it.

 

[Jonion]

Cheers, will go and attack it now. Ta.

 

[phoenixv6quattro]

If your not ***** about water going to the rear window then your best bet is to remove the whole pipe and blank it off engine side. I removed my rear wiper, all badges and filled in the key hole on the plinth. Looks very clean. A generous amount of rain-x will compensate for the removed rear wiper, assuming you wash your car at least once a fortnight.

 

[Jonion]

Didn't get chance to do any pipework as took the opportunity to go for 200 mile drive instead. I only see this car every other week at the moment.

Will be looking at it though.
Question I have now...
The rear driver side is soaking wet and possibly getting worse but the rear washer has hardly been used at all and when it is it seems to be operating perfectly well, no struggle to squirt and a good amount of fluid.
So is there another possible cause?
Passenger side rear is damp but only damp, as is the front driver side.Yet rear driveside is literally soaking wet.

 

[phoenixv6quattro]

There are a few things it could be. Bear in mind that once the sound deadening gets soaked then it takes months (possibly longer) to dry if at all. So someone whom owned the car before you may have had a similar prob but didnt dry it out! When mine popped of it already had signs of a bodged repair done. Someone had used hose tape to try and repair it but it obvo didnt work for very long! It could also be the drain holes under/near the battery tray. My pipe didnt run via the drivers side when i removed it, it ran through the passenger side. Your best bet is to remove the whole carpet and dry it out. The car will start misting up and will get a damp musty smell. Plus any metal parts/wires it may come in contact with will perish before their time due to the dampness. Its a ballache of a job but well worth it. Chuck some underlay from your local carpet shop in before refitting the carpet, it has cut road noise by at least 50 %! I used 8mm stuff only cost a tenner!

 

[aragorn]

It'll be blocked scuttle drains given the description, probably along with a dodgy grommet on the bonnet release cable, and perhaps ECU box.

The water gathers in the rear footwell due to the shape of the floorpan.

 

[phoenixv6quattro]

Yeah thats right. if you look at it when the carpet is out is looks like a small canal! Its there for the heater ducting to go to the back of the car for rear passengers. First thing I would check is the bonnet cable grommet as Aragorn suggested, then the ECU, then the scutttle and then the connection on the pipe.

 

[Jonion]

Cheers folks.
Will check them once I'm back with the car, might be a while though.
Its definitely not blocked scuttle drains though, I pulled the rubbers out of them when I removed the five or twelve autumn's worth of leaves out of there.

 

[s4best4]

On the subject of the rear washer, can someone possibly guide me on the location of the rear pipe union in one of the rear cubby holes? I've read on here that it appears in the right hand one with the warning triangle, but damned if i can find it...
Any help greatly received!

 

[ScottD3]

Its in that area, above the wheel arch and mixed in with all the cables. Its will take a bit of fondeling to find it.

My rear wiper just packed up again. I think the pipe popped off again

 

[aragorn]

yep its in the right hand cubby.

Look up and towards the front of the car and you should be able to see the hose and its connection.

 

[s4best4]

yep its in the right hand cubby.

Look up and towards the front of the car and you should be able to see the hose and its connection.

Thanks guys-i'll try again tomorrow. I've found the front union by the passenger footwell and there is water in the pipe so need to check rear pipe for the same.. The pump seems to be making a noise so I think its after the front connection.