Headlight screenwash dribble

Post by **Andy's-Old-Beast** » 05 Feb 2006 09:26 pm

Just recently I noticed that there is screenwash dripping steadily from the washer jet on my front right headlight.

The only way I can stop it is to get under the bonnet & unplug the rubber hose at the base of the washer pump and blow down it (mmm, alcohol) until there is no screenwash left in the pipe, then it seems to stop, presumably by breaking up the syphoning effect or something. Otherwise it keeps going overnight until the resovoir is empty.

Trouble is, every time I operate the screenwash (and headlight wipers) the drip comes back afterwards. I haven't recently done anything to the whole screenwash system, apart from refilling it when it got empty, but it just started doing this a week or so ago.

The headlight wipers are below the level of the screenwash resovoir, so there must normally be some kind of something in place that's supposed to stop this happening.

Has this happened to anyone else before? Or anyone got any ideas what could be behind the mystery? Only I could really do without all the underbonnet tomfoolery at the end of every journey.

All sugestions greatfully received...

Cheers

Post by **pettaw** » 05 Feb 2006 10:03 pm

There's a tee-piece behind the front bumper that acts as a pressure valve. Sounds like the little diaphragm in it has gone. You'll need a new one.

Post by **Andy's-Old-Beast** » 05 Feb 2006 10:24 pm

Aha! Sounds like that could be it. I'll get amongst it on my next day off and see what I find.

Thanks matey!

Post by **KeithB** » 07 Feb 2006 04:58 pm

I remember having the same problem sometime ago. If I remember rightly, I simply turned the diaphragm around the other way and this stopped the problem.

Post by **Andy's-Old-Beast** » 12 Feb 2006 01:58 am

New T-piece bought from Volvo parts centre. A quick rummage behind the front grille, and... job done!

Thanks muchly for the helpful suggestions, guys!

That's what I like about this forum; as well as having a good chuckle at things (especially when they involve an abscence of fuel!), there are always plenty of people ready to offer advice if anyone has a problem. It's a great, friendly community and I'd love to meet some of you in person. Unfortunately my job has again succeeded in it's mission of weekend-social-life-thwartery and I have to work on the weekend of the nottingham meet.

But I'm sure there will be other chances over the summer!

Until then, thanks again for the help.

Cheers