Hoping you can help me. I looked in my service manual, but did not find reference to a non return valve in the washer line to the wiper blade. Indeed, I couldn't find reference to the line/pipe at all. Lots about the pump, but nothing about the pipe, that I could find. Maybe I was looking in the wrong section. If there is one, I'm suspicious that mine is not working, and if there isn't, I think I need one, so what type would I need, and where would be the best place to put it?

Here's what happened. 1998 XJ8, and the washer fluid just barely dribbled out. I took the jets off the wiper arm, checked them, and they were clear. Well, I could blow through them freely, but also water still barely drippled out of the end of the open flopping pipe, without jets. I decided I would help it, maybe it just needed to get going, because it had probably not been used for many years, but it has now become my daily runner, and I need it. Anyway, to help it, I sucked on the pipe, and water came through, gushing through. Done, I thought, so I refitted the jets module to the blade, and connected the pipe, and all was well.

A week later, exact same issue, barely spitting out of the jets, so I looked for more info. I discovered the gunge issue, covered in several threads, that can float around, periodically blocking the pump, causing the problem to return, whenever it chooses, so I set about cleaning the reservoir. I'd only just put the wheel arch liner back, and the undertray, for a different job at the front, so I'm familiar with how to do that, but I went for the least effort route first, of just repeatedly squirting water into the reservoir from the top end, with the filter, in the neck of the reservoir removed, and then syphoning out all the disturbed gunk. What a mess.

Anyway, it got better and better and better and after ten or so cycles of fill and drain, I could disturb no more gunk, and all was well, again. Put some more Jaguar gunk creating detergent in, lol, filled it with water, and tried it. Wow, prefect, better than it had been for years. I'd forgotten it had six jets, two per side for wetting the blades along their entire length, and two for the screen, yet there it was, happily doing just that. A beautiful even spread of water.

Roll on another few days, of not needing the washer, and when I come to try it, no water coming out. When I get home, I ponder if the water has backed out of the pipe, all the way back down to the reservoir, so I run it for an extended duration, and off it goes again, working fine, but taking far too long to get there to be useful, when needed, on the road, if not used regularly.

So, does it have a non return valve, in the line, or is the pump just meant to do it, and it no longer can, because of some fault? If it does have one, where will it be? If it doesn't have one, where would be the best place to put one, and what size/type should I get? Looks like there are a whole bunch of cheap ebay options, all for under a fiver, if they will do?

Thanks in advance.

Sutty

 

it’s in the elbow on the cowl it’s a little check ball

mine was clogged with nasty white gelly stuff

 

I can easily imagine how some of that gunge settled in it, and stopped the ball moving, allowing it to slowly drain back. Can't look now, nearly 1AM, but will check it out tomorrow, thanks. Is the top of it the pipe sticking up that I connect the wiper hose to? If so, I presume I have to take the cowl off, to get to both sides to take it off?

 

Well, I took a look, but it was inaccessible, without a lot of work, as far as I can see, and moreover, they worked today, first push, instantly dispensing water, so I'm thinking it must have cleared itself after extended presses to get it going the last time. I pressed and held until it timed out, 20 seconds, several times in a row, long after the water was coming through correctly, so maybe it just got cleared out? Anyway, for future reference, in case it repeats, because in fairness, I had only left it a day, do I have to remove the cowl, and as such, I presume I have to remove the blade, for which I will need a special tool?

Whilst I'm at it, in that area, I just took the cover off, in front of the cowl, and underneath saw my wiper motor. Looks like I'm missing a cover? Looks in pretty good condition, in that area, for 23 years old, but it definitely looks like there should be a snap on plastic cover plate. Can anyone confirm if there should be one?



Thanks all.

Regards

Sutty

 

the blade usually falls off otherwise just use some vice grips or whatever

 

Thanks, at least I now know, if I have to.

 

Just discovered your post, as I've got exactly the same problem you had. Removed jet and water not coming out at all from open pipe. I syphoned water out of tank with thin bore pipe, and there is lots of gunk in there. I've just bought a wider diameter pipe and intend to do same as you, flush with warm soapy water from top and syphon, and repeat until clean. Just hoping no gunk has entered pipes blocking them.
But if that doesn't work going to have to access either tank/pipes/motor from below and/or pipes at top, but not sure whether I just need to remove covers in engine bay or the plastic cowl where the windscreen wiper sits.
Also I tried blowing into the pipe at the top but couldn't but not sure whether it's because the non-return valve is stopping this, or the pipes are clogged with gunk.

 

I sucked on the pipe, so you might want to try that. As you say, blowing is against the check ball valve, so would achieve nothing. Sucking worked, but wasn't pleasant, and may not be too sensible. Be prepared to rinse your mouth out with fresh water, immediately, several times. If you have any other way to suck, use that method, but I didn't, so I just went for it. Maybe something piped up with an intermediate reservoir would work.

Mines worked ever since, once it had finally got going, what with it being my daily runner now.

 

I'll give the reservoir a good clean out first, hope it doesn't take too many times of filling with hot soapy water and syphoning. I'll use a stick to stir it around before syphoning it out.
I'm hoping it's just sludge against the inlet pipe stopping the water flow, and by clearing it it will work. If not I'll give it a good suck and see, as I don't really want to start messing around removing covers and cowl and wheel liner/under tray to access pipes/pump.
Did you manage to find the location of the non-return valve? Just wondering whether I could access it by removing the engine bay covers, because if I could disconnect it I could then try blowing down the pipe after it. I don't know the route of the pipes and no-one seems to be able to help.

 

No, I never saw it/needed to find it, because it cleared up on its own. Once I got it going, and did many 20 seconds bursts, the timed limit, the next day it hadn't drained back into the tank, so the check ball must have cleaned up, and started to operate correctly.

Every chance that the washing trick, from above, will work, so yes, do try that first, then sucking, and if it starts working, run lots through it.

I don't disagree with your thoughts about not wanting to do further disassembly, I didn't want to do it either, and fortunately got lucky. I hope the same is true for you.

EDIT: By the way, I really jetted the water in with a jet nozzle, direct from my hosepipe. Not warm, and I didn't use soap, but it worked, and it did all come out, after a whole bunch of goes. Seemingly, I said about ten tries, above. Not sure if a stick might have the potential to damage any internal filter, if there is one. Others may know better, and comment accordingly.

 

I tried filling and emptying with warm soapy water a few times, and lots of crap did come out, and seems to be better, but feel I need to do it more times, and use a hose to jet water into it to get more out.
I did try sucking on the pipe but couldn't so am worried that there's a blockage somewhere.
Guess after "power flushing" I could try the pump again at the same time as sucking to help it.
I wish someone could tell me the location of the non-return valve, whether it's under the engine covers which I can easily remove, or the cowl under the windscreen wiper which might be too tricky.

After first flush. A lot of crap in there, but it's not hard and breaks up easily with your fingers.

 

I think it was mentioned earlier in the thread that the cowl has to come off, and to do that you have to get the wiper off. In my case, I had sufficient interest to try and get the wiper off, so I looked at it, undoing whatever needed to be undone, but then it wouldn't pull off. Xalty said earlier that the wiper either 'falls off, or use grips or whatever', but mine didn't fall off, and I didn't fancy putting grips on it, and had no other tool that I thought might help, so I abandoned it, especially seeing as the cleaning approach seemed to have worked, and it was getting better and better. In the service manual it says a special tool is required, but I'm sure many have managed without, and no doubt a good search of the forum will reveal how others have done that, without the specific tool.

 

Wiper arm pullers are quite a common tool. The ones I've seen look like a small two or three legged puller.

 

I do have a couple of different wiper pullers that I can use, unless it's on so hard now after 25 years! I'd rather not take it off, but if I have to I have to. I'm not convinced it's under the cowl as looking at the schematic it looks a bit further down from the elbow, and there's not much distance from where it goes into the cowl to the engine bay, presuming it routes through there.
If I approach from below to look at pump and pipes there do you need to remove the undertray or can you just access by removing the wheel arch liner?
Also when you sucked the pipe, did you suck it at the same time as pressing the washer button to help it, or just suck?
Flippin pain in the bum this, but I've got a couple of months before the MOT.

 

Ahhh, so there's the non return valve under the cover. Question is what do I tackle first, where is the blockage more likely to be: there or at the bottom where the pump is?

 

Yes, I believe that's correct, which is why people were telling me to remove the wiper, thus to then be able to remove the cowl. As for, 'where is it most likely to be blocked', I can't say, it's only happened the once, to me, but if it were me, I would go with the route of least difficulty. Since you have a wiper puller, why not try taking off the arm, and the cowl, and see what you can see. If you can disconnect the valve, at that point, you can try the washer again, and if its the valve, in its absence, it should pour out of the end freely, when pressed. You can then work on the valve, to clean it up, or replace, as necessary. If it still doesn't flow freely, you can tackle it from the other end. No point deciding the wiper is stuck, until you've tried. It might just come off easily. Mine didn't, but it might have done, had I had an appropriate tool? It simply wouldn't pull off by hand, trying quite hard, but that's nothing compared to the direct pressure from a tool.

I sucked whilst being pressed, and got a right gob full. I don't remember having someone help me, so maybe with the jets removed at the blade, and the arm up and the door open, it's possible to reach the button inside whilst doing so. It must be, because I'm almost sure no one was helping me at that moment. Certainly you could extend the pipe, with a coupler and a length of pipe, and that might also save you getting a mouthful?

If you need to work at the bottom, the wheel arch liner is not tricky, so start with that. If you need to remove the front undertray too you will be able to tell at that point. Sadly, I can't remember. For one thing I think I had the undertray off anyway, for something else. What I do remember, is that the liner had resuseable rivets/clips, but the undertray was nearly all single use plastic pop rivets. If you do need to do the undertray, do not buy Jaguar pop rivets, as replacements, they are ludicrously expensive, for what they are, in my opinion. You can find perfectly adequate plastic pop rivets from ebay or similar. The ones I got were so much cheaper it was silly. Setting them can be done without the real tool, by watching a few you tube videos. Basically, a a flat sheet, with a hole, to protect the tray, and a pair of curved pliers. Two or three the pins didn't snap off inside, as they should, but that was no big deal, they were still set, and those that didn't I just trimmed off the extra with a shape modelling knife.

Just found the video I followed, in case you need it.

 

Thanks Sutty, that's all useful info. Presume you tried using the pump, and sucking alone without success, but together they managed to shift it: I'm hoping that will work for me. I'm going to try a few power flushes with a hose into the top as you did, and then have the syphon going with a slight constant flow in with the hose so I get it really rinsed out as best I can for quite a time. But before I do that I'll give the wiper nut/spindle a good soak in anti-seize oil in anticipation that I may have to remove it.

 

Update: I used hose to jet water under pressure into reservoir and drain using syphon, repeating, about 7 times until water ran clear with no bits in it. Tried washer, and sucked pipe but water still not coming out.
Next step, check one-way valve under plastic cover. Removed pipe from cover connector, removed windscreen wiper nut. Thinking I was going to have trouble getting wiper off got my puller tools out. Oh dear there was no way either was going to fit under wiper. Pulled wiper arm by hand and it came easily. Phew.
I noticed spline looked a little worn, and the inside of the wiper arm hole looked quite smooth, so a bit worried it's not going to secure properly when it goes back on. Has anyone else seen this when they've removed their wiper? There might be just enough grip when it goes back on that it won't slip, but time will tell. That's it for now until I remove screws on cover.

Kept flushing until no bits like this appeared.

Removed pipe from cover.

This aint going to fit under there. Luckily it pulled off by hand.

 

Update: I've fixed it! For the benefit of others who may have same problem: After removing the windscreen wiper, and the 5 screws I removed the plastic panel to gain access to the pipe. I removed the pipe from the elbow, then the small one way valve. Tried the washer again and water came out of the pipe, so likely the valve was blocked. You can see the small ball in it. I could push the ball, but couldn't blow down it. Took it inside, pushed ball in and blew down it the wrong way. Some crap came out. Then flushed it using a syringe. More crap came out. Kept flushing until clear. Took it back to car, ran washer into bottle, as likely to be crap in pipes and didn't want to risk blocking it again. Sure enough crap came out so kept using washer until clear. Refitted one way valve. Sure enough it now works again. Phew! So glad I was able to fix it myself rather than having to pay a garage a few hours labour, and also glad it was that and not something blocked at the reservoir end so didn't have to remove wheel, liner etc!

 

Patience, persistence pays