Car windscreen washer woes.

[Box Brownie]

Hi all

This is a bit like a combo of WAMT & WBMT

I have a 69 plate Ford Kuga, only second owner (it was a returned Mobility scheme car) and because of Covid lockdown etc I have not added much mileage. Still under 4000miles.

It was serviced in Dec2020 and all good including the windscreen washer......nice strong jetting.

However, about 2 weeks back I noted the jets were all too feeble.....thinks top the wash reservoir up. It did not take much so certainly not run out???

But when I topped it up some dark slimy crud floated to the fill point. Damn I thought what the heck is that!

Fast forward to earlier today ~ I syphoned out the reservoir and refilled about 4 times. Thinking that the crud had blocked the pump intake so needed a way to try to get rid of it and some certainly was removed by the syphoning method

Left it topped full but still poor jetting , came back to the car a few hours later to do the click 'n collect shopping and the washer is worse......pump motor whizzing away but no water. I thought I had b*****ed the system with my syphon hose and it had leaked out! But no, a top up needed barely anything!

So, what the heck has happened.......

I can only surmise that though the pump motor runs the pumping action has now 100% failed. NB AFAIK the rear screen is a separate circuit and pump unit.....but that has also failed.

Sorry so long winded......

But has anyone had anything like this happen and I wonder if this system is covered by the warranty???

TIA for any insights

 

[sirch]

Sometimes the washer antifreeze turns to gloop and there is a filter in the bottom of the bottle that gets blocked with the gloop so no water gets through. If that is what has happened you need to take the bottom connector off the bottle and clean the filter which I have found can be a pain if the bottle is under the wheel arch because you have to take off the plastic cover off the wheel arch.

 

[LeeRatters]

But when I topped it up some dark slimy crud floated to the fill point. Damn I thought what the heck is that!

Going by that, I'd say a blockage could be pretty likely. AFAIK there is usually a gauze on the pump pick up pipe.

 

[srichards]

If you get gloop it's not good as it can end up harbouring legionella. Needs a good clean out and you need to use a stronger screen wash solution to stop the gloop growing again.

 

[g4aaw]

Had this a few years ago on a Ford Fiesta.
The fix was to poke a pin into the jet holes on the bonnet to unblock them - may be worth try.

Regards
Pete

 

[the black fox]

The problem has probably been caused long term by the previous owner using washing up liquid rather than screen wash as it’s cheaper , and not there car anyway . ,full system clean out unfortunately .. had a bmw like it years ago

 

[gman]

You'll need to get to the pump as mentioned and check the filter and clean it up. The washer pump may have burnt out from the crude stopping it from working properly. Sometimes running hot water through the system can help dislodge stuff.

Once you get it sorted I can highly recommend Autosmart Clearview screenwash. It is all that I use and is proper trade strength stuff. Their glass cleaner is insanely good as well.

Most importantly, always stick with the same screenwash. Mixing and matching can cause this issue, which maybe has happened with whatever the previous owner shoved through it.

 

[cosmicma]

seen this a couple of times which was caused by halfords concentrate screen wash ( cherry if i recall )
it causes a sludge that clogs the filter which means taking the filter out of the washer bottle and cleaning it but there is a quick fix which i have done by means of back flushing

you would need to separate one of the hoses feeding the jets and blast compressed air down it or blow down it so it pushes the sludge off the filter back into the tank
before you start trying to blow the sludge back off the filter use a hose pipe to continuously flush the screen wash bottle
if possible feed the hose pipe as far into the bottle as you can
you will see the sludge come out of the bottle in the overflowing water as you flush it
when your confident there is no more sludge to flush put the pipe back in place and away you go

sounds rather crude but it works

i heard a story where BMW refused to honour the warranty for the same reason because they had not used BMW screen wash

i only use pre mixed screen wash because of this very reason

 

[Box Brownie]

Many thanks all, for the insights

I have also been doing some Googling and it seems it is a widespread and common problem.

I also found guides as to the Kuga and how to access the washer reservoir and does actually seem very straightforward re: removal of the pump and its filter as well as 'how to clear' the water & crud out. However, perhaps more a case of whether I feel willing to do.

Though will check it out but I no longer have all the car DIY gear I used have back in the 1970's especially the hydraulic trolley jack and axle stands................so I would be reliant on the Ford car jack for the job!

Re: the grade/type of screenwash......I bought it from a Ford main dealer in August last year and the pre sales service they performed was done in Feb 2020 i.e. when it came to their forecourt. Plus I only ever topped up with plain tap water.

As per book I had it serviced in Dec 2020 at a different dealer who as I recall topped up the reservoir with fresh screenwash, so I surmise their fill-up triggered the sludge reaction. It may therefore be worth my while taking the matter up with them and decide my course of action depending on what they say???

 

[boogie man]

seen this a couple of times which was caused by halfords concentrate screen wash ( cherry if i recall )
it causes a sludge that clogs the filter which means taking the filter out of the washer bottle and cleaning it but there is a quick fix which i have done by means of back flushing

you would need to separate one of the hoses feeding the jets and blast compressed air down it or blow down it so it pushes the sludge off the filter back into the tank
before you start trying to blow the sludge back off the filter use a hose pipe to continuously flush the screen wash bottle
if possible feed the hose pipe as far into the bottle as you can
you will see the sludge come out of the bottle in the overflowing water as you flush it
when your confident there is no more sludge to flush put the pipe back in place and away you go

sounds rather crude but it works

i heard a story where BMW refused to honour the warranty for the same reason because they had not used BMW screen wash

i only use pre mixed screen wash because of this very reason

I had a Jaguar dealer state the same thing when we owned an XF. I originally thought it might be just a ploy to get you to buy their own brand screenwash but apparently it’s true.

 

[gman]

That was the case when I had my F30, only BMW screenwash went in and fortunately it was actually reasonably priced. A guy I knew who had the previous gen mixed brands and in particular used that Halfords Berry one and he suffered the sludge problem. He had to get the thing pulled apart to fix.

I've got an XF and I only use Autosmart Clearview screenwash. It's strong stuff.

 

[Sky]

Plus I only ever topped up with plain tap water.

That's your problem - the gloop is algae. You must put in an additive to stop this from growing.

 

[Box Brownie]

That's your problem - the gloop is algae. You must put in an additive to stop this from growing.

Oh! algae......growing without sunlight?

I thought from some other posts it was the potential mixing of 'types' of screenwash?

 

[Sky]

It probably is if different ones have been mixed, but plain water can cause it too - it just goes stagnant. Besides, although algae blooms really well with sunlight, some grows with very little.

I found Halfords 'pink' stuff to be the worst for glooping. Although, that was many years ago - hopefully, they will have fixed it now.

 

[boogie man]

That was the case when I had my F30, only BMW screenwash went in and fortunately it was actually reasonably priced. A guy I knew who had the previous gen mixed brands and in particular used that Halfords Berry one and he suffered the sludge problem. He had to get the thing pulled apart to fix.

I've got an XF and I only use Autosmart Clearview screenwash. It's strong stuff.

Not wanting to hijack the thread but which XF have you got and how are you finding the reliability? We had a 2013 3litre diesel that I loved, probably the most comfortable car I’ve ever driven, but we had a several instances where it would go into Restricted Performance mode for no apparent reason. Stopping for a few minutes then restarting it would always clear the fault but it was bum clenching time when it happened, which 9 times out of 10 was on the outside lane of a motorway. Sod’s law of course that the fault never got recorded on the data log and the dealer could never get it to replicate the fault when I took it in under warranty. It got to the stage where my wife was really dubious about driving it for any distance, so we traded it in eventually. Beautiful looking car but too flawed to keep unfortunately.

 

[sphexx]

Hi all

This is a bit like a combo of WAMT & WBMT

I have a 69 plate Ford Kuga, only second owner (it was a returned Mobility scheme car) and because of Covid lockdown etc I have not added much mileage. Still under 4000miles.

It was serviced in Dec2020 and all good including the windscreen washer......nice strong jetting.

However, about 2 weeks back I noted the jets were all too feeble.....thinks top the wash reservoir up. It did not take much so certainly not run out???

But when I topped it up some dark slimy crud floated to the fill point. Damn I thought what the heck is that!

Fast forward to earlier today ~ I syphoned out the reservoir and refilled about 4 times. Thinking that the crud had blocked the pump intake so needed a way to try to get rid of it and some certainly was removed by the syphoning method

Left it topped full but still poor jetting , came back to the car a few hours later to do the click 'n collect shopping and the washer is worse......pump motor whizzing away but no water. I thought I had b*****ed the system with my syphon hose and it had leaked out! But no, a top up needed barely anything!

So, what the heck has happened.......

I can only surmise that though the pump motor runs the pumping action has now 100% failed. NB AFAIK the rear screen is a separate circuit and pump unit.....but that has also failed.

Sorry so long winded......

But has anyone had anything like this happen and I wonder if this system is covered by the warranty???

TIA for any insights

I have a similar problem with a Kia, I think mainly down to lack of use during lockdown. Was doing a couple of squirts and then progressed to trickles and currently stopped entirely. Fairly sure it’s a blockage since one can hear the pump. It’s a nuisance because if it’s blocked at the jets (tried poking them) it’s a relatively major job to get them out .

 

[ancient_mariner]

A couple of years back I put a name brand screen wash (can't remember which, but it's bright yellow) in the mini, and within a short time the jets began to block, as though it were crystallising in them. Poking them clear helped, an eventually fresh screen wash of a different brand was bought & the problem went away.

 

[Nod]

Long term (as in a few months) of no use will cause the restriction and blockages. Blowing back trough the system can help but tends to just shift the clots and they'll be back! Rinse the main bottle out with a hose (to remove as much from the source as possible) and hope, unless you can get at all the junctions and clear the sections of pipe section by section. Not a quick job and can be a PITA. There might be a product to help deal with the problem but it'll probably be nasty to the paintwork and/or the pipes.

Not wanting to hijack the thread but which XF have you got and how are you finding the reliability? We had a 2013 3litre diesel that I loved, probably the most comfortable car I’ve ever driven, but we had a several instances where it would go into Restricted Performance mode for no apparent reason. Stopping for a few minutes then restarting it would always clear the fault but it was bum clenching time when it happened, which 9 times out of 10 was on the outside lane of a motorway. Sod’s law of course that the fault never got recorded on the data log and the dealer could never get it to replicate the fault when I took it in under warranty. It got to the stage where my wife was really dubious about driving it for any distance, so we traded it in eventually. Beautiful looking car but too flawed to keep unfortunately.

I'm on my 2nd, both 3l diesels. Not had any engine problems with either. Only changed because I wanted a Sportbrake rather than a saloon. As you say, sumptuously comfortable - almost to the point of hoping to get stuck in traffic because it's such a nice place to sit!

 

[Stumpy]

I used to put a good squirt of viniger in mine. Algie never came back in many years, also helped to cut through grease on screen. I thought it seemed to be caused by too strong a screen wash mix.

 

[gman]

Not wanting to hijack the thread but which XF have you got and how are you finding the reliability? We had a 2013 3litre diesel that I loved, probably the most comfortable car I’ve ever driven, but we had a several instances where it would go into Restricted Performance mode for no apparent reason. Stopping for a few minutes then restarting it would always clear the fault but it was bum clenching time when it happened, which 9 times out of 10 was on the outside lane of a motorway. Sod’s law of course that the fault never got recorded on the data log and the dealer could never get it to replicate the fault when I took it in under warranty. It got to the stage where my wife was really dubious about driving it for any distance, so we traded it in eventually. Beautiful looking car but too flawed to keep unfortunately.

It's been a good car for me, although the excellent suspension has finally started to show signs of wear from our disgraceful roads but I'm not sure if I want to invest any money in it or run it into the ground as being a Euro 5 diesel its days are numbered.

Reliability wise it has been good. When I bought it there was a failed door lock (common) and the boot latch had an issue. Both were fixed by the Infiniti dealership for free without question. During my 27 months of ownership so far the alternator failed (common at that mileage) and it's a pig of a job. I've also had a rear caliper seize up so I changed both the rears. I think that's it?

Maintenance has been a touch more painful due to unfortunately hitting the age/mileage where some big things needed to be done. But oil changes are very easy with the extraction method and the filter being on top, plus the fuel filter is easy as well. The air filter is a bit of a pain, stupid design.

I think where a lot of owners get caught out is not knowing about some of the inherent design flaws (below) which are very easy to fix, but if ignored can result in some pretty big bills. I have zero faith or respect for Jaguar main dealers and only use a local independent Jaguar specialist for anything I can't do myself. Jaguar customer service has been the worst I have ever experienced.


1. Windscreen washer pump capillary action. Fluid wicks up the strands of copper inside the wire and heads back to the main fuse box causing corrosion and a new fuse box. Easy fix, just break the cable and insert a block of some kind. I put some solid core inline plus so butt connectors etc.

2. Sportbrake: boot strut comes loose over time and is located in the water channel. Water works its way to the rear fuse box eventually causing damage. A tell-tale sign before it causes damage is the Air Suspension Fault warning showing up. Easy fix, just remove captive nut, dab some sealant and tighten up properly.

3. Facelift: disconnecting the battery can cause the central locking to loose its setting. Ridiculous. But even worse is Jaguar main dealers wanting to replace both fuse boxes and then recode at the cost of thousands. Totally criminal because it only requires the recoding which can be done by an independent specialist in 20 mins for £60, which I can confirm from experience.

4. Brake judder. The jury is out on what is causing this but it can either be the caliper slide pins sticking, pad transfer onto the disc or the disc/hub mating surface imperfections.

5. Inlet Manifolds can split. This might have been what was happening to you as it would force a restricted performance when in the outside lane giving it some beans. It is thought to possibly be a result of the MAP sensor getting clogged up with soot from the EGR valves either from wrong spec/poor quality oil (cue dealerships cutting corners) or just over time and the MAP sensor not being cleaned.

6. Intercooler split. More plastic sh*te splitting. Just a matter of time I believe. Jaguar being cheap and carrying over the intercooler from the S-Type I believe.

7. Bowden cables in the doors have foam insulation which seems to wear away. The cables then bang together, very annoying and a bad design. Need to strip the door panel to fix, although cheap and pretty easy.


Probably seems worse than it is and besides, if you browse forums for almost any make they are usually full of issues but somehow manage to keep their reputations lol


Some of the big plus points for me are:

1. Powerful (well mine is ) yet still returns 35mpg local and into the 50's on the motorway. Doesn't drop much when driving with, erm spirit!
2. Excellent handling and good on our terrible roads
3. Huge boot (I have the Sportbrake).
4. Great sound system (I have the 825W Meridian system) plus lots of toys
5. Front windscreen heater (thank you Ford lol)

I've been tempted to get the 5.0 V8 supercharged, but you really need a Jaguar warranty as things like the e-diff can go (manufacturing defect), the suspension is electronic and probably costs a few houses to replace, and there's a timing chain tensioner issue which can wreck the engine. The supercharger needs regular maintenance as well I believe and isn't cheap. I just don't think I want to take those chances on a depreciating item as a car is probably the one thing I loathe to spend money on.

The 3.0 V6 supercharged petrol is probably a wiser choice as it's a decent engine but the rest of the car is standard I believe. Also, a Lexus GS-F appeals more for the bullet-proof engine, but alas no estate. I really don't know what my next car will be. I quite like the V90, although I've heard the transmission is a little lazy.

 

[Nod]

Not sure the Sportbrake can be had with the 3l petrol engine.
The boot of the Sportbrake is marginally bigger than the saloon. The flattened floor eats a bit of the space that the flat top frees up - the dimensions corner to corner are within a few mm. The flat loading area is the real advantage - no lip to lift stuff over! The ability to get bigger stuff in with the cover retracted/removed is handy but the slight extra road noise that the more flexible cover allows through mitigates that slightly. Having said that, if the rest of the car wasn't so quiet, I'm not sure I'd ever notice the noise! (20" wheels and low profile tyres don't help - much preferred the 19s I had on the saloon.)
Weird how the extra 10% power seems to make a 10% improvement in economy!

One of my golf buddies had AMG Merc estates as company cars but recently went for the self owned option and went down the V90 route - wishes he'd done it long ago!

 

[boogie man]

It's been a good car for me, although the excellent suspension has finally started to show signs of wear from our disgraceful roads but I'm not sure if I want to invest any money in it or run it into the ground as being a Euro 5 diesel its days are numbered.

Reliability wise it has been good. When I bought it there was a failed door lock (common) and the boot latch had an issue. Both were fixed by the Infiniti dealership for free without question. During my 27 months of ownership so far the alternator failed (common at that mileage) and it's a pig of a job. I've also had a rear caliper seize up so I changed both the rears. I think that's it?

Maintenance has been a touch more painful due to unfortunately hitting the age/mileage where some big things needed to be done. But oil changes are very easy with the extraction method and the filter being on top, plus the fuel filter is easy as well. The air filter is a bit of a pain, stupid design.

I think where a lot of owners get caught out is not knowing about some of the inherent design flaws (below) which are very easy to fix, but if ignored can result in some pretty big bills. I have zero faith or respect for Jaguar main dealers and only use a local independent Jaguar specialist for anything I can't do myself. Jaguar customer service has been the worst I have ever experienced.


1. Windscreen washer pump capillary action. Fluid wicks up the strands of copper inside the wire and heads back to the main fuse box causing corrosion and a new fuse box. Easy fix, just break the cable and insert a block of some kind. I put some solid core inline plus so butt connectors etc.

2. Sportbrake: boot strut comes loose over time and is located in the water channel. Water works its way to the rear fuse box eventually causing damage. A tell-tale sign before it causes damage is the Air Suspension Fault warning showing up. Easy fix, just remove captive nut, dab some sealant and tighten up properly.

3. Facelift: disconnecting the battery can cause the central locking to loose its setting. Ridiculous. But even worse is Jaguar main dealers wanting to replace both fuse boxes and then recode at the cost of thousands. Totally criminal because it only requires the recoding which can be done by an independent specialist in 20 mins for £60, which I can confirm from experience.

4. Brake judder. The jury is out on what is causing this but it can either be the caliper slide pins sticking, pad transfer onto the disc or the disc/hub mating surface imperfections.

5. Inlet Manifolds can split. This might have been what was happening to you as it would force a restricted performance when in the outside lane giving it some beans. It is thought to possibly be a result of the MAP sensor getting clogged up with soot from the EGR valves either from wrong spec/poor quality oil (cue dealerships cutting corners) or just over time and the MAP sensor not being cleaned.

6. Intercooler split. More plastic sh*te splitting. Just a matter of time I believe. Jaguar being cheap and carrying over the intercooler from the S-Type I believe.

7. Bowden cables in the doors have foam insulation which seems to wear away. The cables then bang together, very annoying and a bad design. Need to strip the door panel to fix, although cheap and pretty easy.


Probably seems worse than it is and besides, if you browse forums for almost any make they are usually full of issues but somehow manage to keep their reputations lol


Some of the big plus points for me are:

1. Powerful (well mine is ) yet still returns 35mpg local and into the 50's on the motorway. Doesn't drop much when driving with, erm spirit!
2. Excellent handling and good on our terrible roads
3. Huge boot (I have the Sportbrake).
4. Great sound system (I have the 825W Meridian system) plus lots of toys
5. Front windscreen heater (thank you Ford lol)

I've been tempted to get the 5.0 V8 supercharged, but you really need a Jaguar warranty as things like the e-diff can go (manufacturing defect), the suspension is electronic and probably costs a few houses to replace, and there's a timing chain tensioner issue which can wreck the engine. The supercharger needs regular maintenance as well I believe and isn't cheap. I just don't think I want to take those chances on a depreciating item as a car is probably the one thing I loathe to spend money on.

The 3.0 V6 supercharged petrol is probably a wiser choice as it's a decent engine but the rest of the car is standard I believe. Also, a Lexus GS-F appeals more for the bullet-proof engine, but alas no estate. I really don't know what my next car will be. I quite like the V90, although I've heard the transmission is a little lazy.

Wow that’s quite the list of common defects. The Restricted Performance was the only issue I had with ours, but it was only 5 years old with 45k miles on it when we part ex’d it. We had a premium luxury model so plenty of toys, nice quality leather and the Meridian sound system. If it hadn’t been for the RP issue I’d have kept it a while longer, although it’d still have gone eventually as we need to make regular trips into the London ULEZ and would’ve got clobbered with Mr Khan’s tax.

 

[mj4456]

We would get this quite a lot on cars on the forecourt, I’d stick the open end of a hose down into the bottle and with the water on jiggle the hose to agitate anythingin the bottom of the bottle, a little vinegar in the mix help prevents build of gunge, on some cases it would also be foul smelling, a mix of hot water and Milton sterilising fluid helps. Some cars require a partial front end strip to access the pumps, a real pain in the ****.

 

[gman]

Not sure the Sportbrake can be had with the 3l petrol engine.
The boot of the Sportbrake is marginally bigger than the saloon. The flattened floor eats a bit of the space that the flat top frees up - the dimensions corner to corner are within a few mm. The flat loading area is the real advantage - no lip to lift stuff over! The ability to get bigger stuff in with the cover retracted/removed is handy but the slight extra road noise that the more flexible cover allows through mitigates that slightly. Having said that, if the rest of the car wasn't so quiet, I'm not sure I'd ever notice the noise! (20" wheels and low profile tyres don't help - much preferred the 19s I had on the saloon.)
Weird how the extra 10% power seems to make a 10% improvement in economy!

One of my golf buddies had AMG Merc estates as company cars but recently went for the self owned option and went down the V90 route - wishes he'd done it long ago!

Only diesel and the 5.0 v8 in Sportbrake for the x250 but I was considering the 3.0 v6 petrol in the saloon, but I think I'd regret moving away from the estate. My BMW was a saloon and restrictive at times, even with the roofbox.

 

[sphexx]

Only diesel and the 5.0 v8 in Sportbrake for the x250 but I was considering the 3.0 v6 petrol in the saloon, but I think I'd regret moving away from the estate. My BMW was a saloon and restrictive at times, even with the roofbox.

But how was the screenwasher? .

 

[gman]

Wow that’s quite the list of common defects. The Restricted Performance was the only issue I had with ours, but it was only 5 years old with 45k miles on it when we part ex’d it. We had a premium luxury model so plenty of toys, nice quality leather and the Meridian sound system. If it hadn’t been for the RP issue I’d have kept it a while longer, although it’d still have gone eventually as we need to make regular trips into the London ULEZ and would’ve got clobbered with Mr Khan’s tax.

Lol aye, it's not as bad as it seems but frustrating because Jaguar with all their heritage and experience shouldn't be making such inherent design issues. I think this plastic composite stuff used probably doesn't help in modern cars but that's just a guess.

Thinking about your issue reminds me of another one I forgot about lol which is the secondary turbo actuator, although that would have been easy to diagnose. It can stick, but as the second turbo doesn't activate until 2800rpm it can go unnoticed if your driving style is relaxed thanks to the 8 speed transmission keeping the revs low, which can also be a reason for it seizing up from lack of use.

But then when that time comes that you give it some beans it won't work and throw you into RP, which unfortunately can be at the worst possible time.

 

[gman]

But how was the screenwasher? .

It's similar to trucks in that it is attached to the wipers. Much better when driving at high speed and need to wash the screen

 

[sphexx]

We would get this quite a lot on cars on the forecourt, I’d stick the open end of a hose down into the bottle and with the water on jiggle the hose to agitate anythingin the bottom of the bottle, a little vinegar in the mix help prevents build of gunge, on some cases it would also be foul smelling, a mix of hot water and Milton sterilising fluid helps. Some cars require a partial front end strip to access the pumps, a real pain in the ****.

Thanks! This is the best bit of advice I’ve seen, despite googling etc. Mine has been blocked as a result of lack of use for the past year. It was mostly usable on short trips because it would give a few shirts and then dribble but recently stopped altogether and poking the jets had no effect. Flushing the reservoir with water from the garden hose produced an immediate improvement and adapting a thinner tube to reach to the bottom has nearly cured it with the benefit of siphoning out the contents too.

There is obviously still some crud in the lines I think but we’ll see.

Seems to me it might be worth flushing the reservoir from time to time since they don’t make it easy to get at the filter.

 

[gman]

Thanks! This is the best bit of advice I’ve seen, despite googling etc. Mine has been blocked as a result of lack of use for the past year. It was mostly usable on short trips because it would give a few shirts and then dribble but recently stopped altogether and poking the jets had no effect. Flushing the reservoir with water from the garden hose produced an immediate improvement and adapting a thinner tube to reach to the bottom has nearly cured it with the benefit of siphoning out the contents too.

There is obviously still some crud in the lines I think but we’ll see.

Seems to me it might be worth flushing the reservoir from time to time since they don’t make it easy to get at the filter.

I suppose I better start getting some good points in here for Jaguar to balance my earlier post. With the Jaguar it's simply wheel off, a few bolts and pull back the wheel arch cover and hey presto, washer pumps, reservoir, filters, lines, wires etc. Which is just as well considering point 1 of my negatives.

 

[Nod]

Tempted to do that and a good blow through!

 

[sphexx]

Tempted to do that and a good blow through!

Most advice seems to advocate disconnecting the hose near to the jets and blowing air or water back towards the reservoir and thereby unclogging the filter. Finding a suitable way to connect to the relatively thin tubing probably is the hardest part.

 

[Nod]

I used the old fashioned "apply lips and blow" method which worked for a bit but haven't unclogged the whole system. My compressor came with an air blower which has a fairly narrow end but I'm a bit wary of blowing all the junctions apart if I use that.

 

[cosmicma]

iv'e got quite an old 3.0 ltr diesel XF s portfolio ( 2010 ) with 160,000 miles on it the engine is still smooth and strong
one thing that has been missed in the list of common faults is the inlet manifolds on the 3ltr diesels which split causing restricted performance but if your handy with a spanner can be replaced for not a lot of money
another is the expansion tank float which stops floating and cannot be replaced it's a new expansion tank which arn't cheap
while i'm on a role the TPMS system has a mind of it's own and keeps losing connection to the module or TPMS sensors in the wheels
with mine being a pre facelift it doesn't suffer from the washer bottle wicking problem or the boot full of water due to the air vents in the arches

as much as i like the car if i had to rely on dealerships or indi jag centres for repair i would never own one some of the bills can be eye wateringly expensive

 

[cosmicma]

I used the old fashioned "apply lips and blow" method which worked for a bit but haven't unclogged the whole system. My compressor came with an air blower which has a fairly narrow end but I'm a bit wary of blowing all the junctions apart if I use that.

if your compressor has a variable air valve just turn it down and go from there

 

[gman]

iv'e got quite an old 3.0 ltr diesel XF s portfolio ( 2010 ) with 160,000 miles on it the engine is still smooth and strong
one thing that has been missed in the list of common faults is the inlet manifolds on the 3ltr diesels which split causing restricted performance but if your handy with a spanner can be replaced for not a lot of money
another is the expansion tank float which stops floating and cannot be replaced it's a new expansion tank which arn't cheap
while i'm on a role the TPMS system has a mind of it's own and keeps losing connection to the module or TPMS sensors in the wheels
with mine being a pre facelift it doesn't suffer from the washer bottle wicking problem or the boot full of water due to the air vents in the arches

as much as i like the car if i had to rely on dealerships or indi jag centres for repair i would never own one some of the bills can be eye wateringly expensive

Point 5 in my earlier post of woes. Eight hour job is too much for me.

I forgot about the fuel tank slap when over half a tank of fuel, that's another one. Jeez, this is starting to sound bad lol

 

[Mikesphotaes]

Jaguars are unreliable, full stop!

 

[Nod]

Bull.
Neither of mine have let me down in 8 years.

 

[ancient_mariner]

if your compressor has a variable air valve just turn it down and go from there

You could probably use a camping pump if there's one to hand.

 

[gman]

Jaguars are unreliable, full stop!

I prefer to call it 'personality'...

No other car gives you that rush where you push the start button... and the engine starts.

But in all seriousness, it's actually been a very reliable car. Much of which I put down to doing my own servicing and staying far away from main dealers. Electrics tends to be the weak point.

 

[sphexx]

It seems I did not update my experience from last year. It eventually clogged again and I cleared it using filtered white vinegar, both front & rear unclogged.

Fast forward to March 2022 and it was due for MOT. Washer was working OK but not perfectly so I thought I’d stick some vinegar (forgot to filter it) and nearly completely blocked again on the front and rear completely. It passed the MOT though .

Further search on the internet suggested Steradent so I popped 2 tablets and warm water, left for a few hours and worked washer -- perfect result, replaced with clean water ditto .

Couldn’t understand why this was happening as I’d always used screen wash not washing up liquid etc as some do.

Anyway, emptied wash reservoir and started to fill up with the ready diluted screenwash — glop glop, a big lump of bacteria/fungus entered the reservoir! Screenwash bottle was opaque so not readily visible but on inspection was harbouring a considerable lump of bugs! I guess this whole sequence is COVID related and low use of car.

Luckily I had noticed it before operating the washers so I just deployed the Steradent again and all is well.

I think I’ll try these screenwash tablets that are available now since you make them up fresh.