Leaking Front Windscreen washer jet pipe [2009 A3 3Dr]

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mcaddy

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After noticing rapid consumption of washer fluid over the last few months I started to have a look into where it was all going, after removing the wheel and the wheel arch lining I gained access to the washer tank, looks like the leak is coming from a crack in the pipe, shortly after the connection on the wiper side of the pump, any ideas how to fix this? I'm thinking that a bodge with some araldite will probably suffice but just wanted to ask what the thoughts where on the best solution?

How hard is it to cut and rejoin the pipe, it looks like it might be quite tricky?
 
If its the flexy pipe, then cut it & refix, there is a repair kit for the rear wash wipe that you could use for this type of issue, can you show me the crack & of course length of pipe so can see if it can be reused.
 
NHN said:
If its the flexy pipe, then cut it & refix, there is a repair kit for the rear wash wipe that you could use for this type of issue, can you show me the crack & of course length of pipe so can see if it can be reused.
Click to expand...

I'll try and get some time to disassemble again over the weekend and photograph, the crack felt less than an inch and was close to the union with the pump.
 
There wasn't enough slack in the pipe to rejoin, only need 5-10cm, ended up with a 1m length, the connectors weren't cheap at £4 each but DIY was cheaper than the £220 quoted by Audi to repair.

If anyone finds this thread in the future, although I was advised to access from inside the wheel arch, it transpires that you can get better access through the front bumper, just remove the fog lamp and trim and you'll be better positioned to fix.
 
I had this recently with one of my other cars, I tried a similar bodge but the pressure in the lines blew it out. I stripped the entire line out and replaced it all with some 4mm silicon hose from ebay for about 4 quid a metre. Easy enough to do and the silcon hose is easy to work with with a bit of hot water to make it supple.
 
This was no bodge, it was an 'audi approved' process using Audi parts! Had I stripped the entire line out I'd have had to do far more work as all cables and pipes in the engine bay are neatly wrapped in tape, this would have taken far too long, there are also a couple of bulk head seaa

Incidentally, they have changed the hose from the brittle plastic corrugated type over to more supple rubber option. Having looked at the section of hose removed, which I was expecting to see had cracked, it turns out that it must have been rubbing against the back of the Fog lamp as it had a grove worn out of it, resulting in two pinhole leaks.
 
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mcaddy said:
This was no bodge, it was an 'audi approved' process using Audi parts! Had I stripped the entire line out I'd have had to do far more work as all cables and pipes in the engine bay are neatly wrapped in tape, this would have taken far too long, there are also a couple of bulk head seaa

Incidentally, they have changed the hose from the brittle plastic corrugated type over to more supple rubber option. Having looked at the section of hose removed, which I was expecting to see had cracked, it turns out that it must have been rubbing against the back of the Fog lamp as it had a grove worn out of it, resulting in two pinhole leaks.
Click to expand...

Sorry I didn't mean that your final fix was a bodge, I was referencing the araldite bodge you mentioned in the first post. That said, the definition of a bodge is a short cut and you said yourself that it would have taken far too long to strip out all the piping....by that you surely mean you did less work than you could have done and if I was being provocative I could argue it was still a bodge.... :lick:

Anyway I agree the original piping which is hard corrugated plastic is substantially less than an ideal choice for the application. It gets brittle through the heat cycles in the engine bay and where it is required to move it will give up. Replacing with silicon is the way to go, no doubt.
 
Same happening on mine at moment 2009 still with corrugated tubing . Needs going on ramp any way as its killed load resistor for rh fog . Thanks for the info
 
Hi
I have a similar problem with my washer pipe ( leaking behind front offside behind foglamp ) what size of pipe did you use from ebay?
 
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