Rear Screen Washer not working. 1999 SLX

I have a 1999 Almera SLX and the rear screen washer is not working. The bottle is full and as far as I can tell the jet is not bunged up. When the switch is turned on the stalk nothing happens, no noise at all, no clicks or hums. Everything else seems to work so unless the washer motor has its own fuse ?? then it's not that so I am assuming a blocked tube or an electrical fault with the motor. I had a quick look under the bonnet but how do you get to the washer bottle as it appears to be almost totally encased so getting to the little washer pump bit seems almost impossible !

Help please.

Cheers

Brian.
 
there is a filter half way back the pipe. it is in the boot on the right (drivers side). if you pull back the carpet going up the side you might find the pipe. there should be a filter there its also acts as a non return valve im sure. take it out , wash it and blow through it and try it again.
I had the same problem and that solved it anyway. you should be able to hear the motor buzzing if the car was off tho
 
there is a filter half way back the pipe. it is in the boot on the right (drivers side). if you pull back the carpet going up the side you might find the pipe. there should be a filter there its also acts as a non return valve im sure. take it out , wash it and blow through it and try it again.
I had the same problem and that solved it anyway. you should be able to hear the motor buzzing if the car was off tho

Cheers. Found the little filter, cleaned it and it works OK.
BUT still nothing.
No water comes down the tube, I can blow down it and create bubbles !! in the washer tank but no pump action at all, motor is silent. Fuses all OK, checked.
So , from the wheel arch I have to remove the wheel and then undo the crosshead bolts that hold a plastic 'inspection flap' to the lower part of the wheel arch ( towards the front) and the pump should be behind this ??
As the front screen washers work perfectly I assume there is a pump for front and another for rear rather than a combined dual pump ?
More difficult than first appeared !

Cheers
Brian.
 
Last edited:
I give up !!!
Two hours yesterday trying to get the piece of trim off that is part of the inner arch trim and goes under the washer bottle. Bolts from wheel side came out easy as did the screw under the front lip but as for the others that seem to come through from the engine bay side ... no way..!! No socket seems to fit, can't see them to find out if they are bolts or plastic lugs, feel like bolts.
Off to the garage at some point and they can do it.
Brian.
 
gotta do this at weekend, checked nozzle, filter and all piping from pump to tailgate inlet to pump must be blocked solid so will dismantle washer tank and remove pump for cleaning as the pump works just no fluid through piping
 
I had a similar problem to this with my Jeep, but with the front washer jets. After many hours work i ripped the whole system out, and replaced with with some stuff i pulled out of a scrap corsa. It worked perfectly. I doubt that many people are going to try it with their almeras though :(
 
Check to see if your getting 12v to the pump connector first.If you are getting power to it,next put 12v direct to the motor,if you don't get any action from the motor then it's dead and needs replacing.

That's assuming that you have checked the fuse etc also like you say you have.
 
Pumps work off the circuit for wipers so if they work, in theory the pump should be getting juice
 
Yh pump works when activated by the stalk switch, so there's power to it just reckon it needs a gud clean
 
Glad I found this thread, having the same problem with an N15 Almera. Used the washer and think the nozzles were blocked as I heard the noise but no washer fluid came out.

Since doing that the pump has not made a sound, but the rear wiper still activates when the washer switch is put on.

Guessing it should be possible to do this without removing the front wheel? If the car is jacked up on the front offside and the arch liner removed, there should be sufficient space to get at the pump.
 
You might of burnt out the washer motor by continuing to use it while the washer jet's was blocked etc,as it's not working now but was.
 
It's not uncommon for the pumps to seize solid due to rust, pull the drivers front arch liner away from the bumper and have a look at the pumps.
 
Back
Top Bottom