Windshield Washer Pump
A windshield washer pump is a mechanical device that injects windshield washer fluid onto windshields. Every vehicle that has a windshield usually needs a windshield washer pump to inject this fluid to clean off the windshield. The pump is motorized and creates pressure to force the fluid out.
You can find the windshield washer pump under the hood of your vehicle. It will be connected to a reservoir that holds the wiper fluid. It is typically connected by rubber hoses which transport the wiper fluid to the windshield wiper pump and away from it as it is being pressurized to spray onto the windshield.
Each vehicle has switch inside the vehicle on the windshield wiper control arm that allows the driver to manually activate the windshield washer pump and wiper blades. When the driver turns on the wiper pump it will suck up fluid from the reservoir and pressurize it to spray onto the windshield. If the pump is broken it will not be able to pressurize the fluid to spray it out and you could not clean off your windshield unless you got out of the vehicle and manually cleaned it yourself. The wiper fluid effectively enhances the wiper blade’s ability to remove rain, dirt, bugs and debris. Every vehicle should have windshield wipers to clean off the windshield to be driven on the road safely during rain, snow and fog.
If your windshield wiper fluid is not flowing freely there are a few things you can do to determine the cause and fix it. Sometimes the problem may be as simple as dirt blocking the spray nozzle or a disconnected hose or even an empty washer fluid reservoir. The windshield washer pump can break and will need to be replaced on occasion. To determine if it is still operating, you must first locate the windshield washer pump underneath the hood of your vehicle. You will generally hear a humming noise if it is working. You can listen for it by having a friend operate the windshield washer pump for you as you stand outside of the vehicle with the hood open listening for it. The humming noise can be coming from something else so make sure that you recognize and locate the windshield washer pump under the hood. Once you have located it, place your hand on the windshield wiper pump to determine if there is vibration coming from it as well as well to determine if the humming you hear is coming from the same source. If you do not hear a humming noise or feel a vibration that means the windshield washer pump is not working at all. The problem then could be a blown fuse. If you know how to access the fuse box in your vehicle you can locate the one that goes to your windshield washer pump to determine if it is blown. If is blown then replace it and your then your windshield washer pump should work just fine
If it is winter time and your windshield wiper fluid is not spraying out even though the windshield wiper pump is working it may be that the fluid is frozen. You can also check the hoses to make sure they are not crimped or torn. You may need to replace any damaged hoses that go to and from your windshield washer pump. You can find a replacement hose at your local auto parts store or at many online auto part websites. If the hoses are just blocked by debris you can use any air compressor to force air through them to clean out and dislodge any dirt. If on the other hand you find that the spray nozzle is blocked by debris you can clear it out by using a needle or a pin.
