Washer jet disconnected

[simblo]

One of my front windscreen washer's stopped working, so I had a look inside and saw that the pipe has become disconnected at the t-junction. It looks like it was previously connected with some tape and that the pipe is too short to reach the t junction.

Any ideas on how to reconnect the pipe to the t junction would be greatly welcomed!

[KenONeill]

You'll definitely need to buy some more washer pipe. The "right way" to do this would be to make a new run a few inches longer; the bodge way is to insert a right-angle piece, in-line, or one-way valve (whichever you can get cheapest).

[ap0gee1978]

Sounds like the fluid in the pipe froze and popped the joint. Never heard of it happening under the scuttle panel before, though. It should reach - you may need to take the panel off to get yourself some slack on the free end of the pipe...

[simblo]

There's no slack there, I've tried to make it reach, but it just won't!

[ap0gee1978]

You'll have to extend it then, like Ken says. Don't quite understand how it can reach one day and not the next, though. Unless it was cut and extended in the past, and the repair's failed... :ne_nau:

[KenONeill]

I've seen something similar happen in the past, actually with my Xantia.

The hose split where it was bent round next to the bonnet hinge so I could have:-

1) Run a new hose, but the tank and pump on the Xantia are inside the wing void.

2) Cut the hose and hoped it would stretch to the nozzle.

3) As above, used an adapter piece to join the split ends, which was what I did.

I'd suspect the previous owner of this Furbie did (2).

[simblo]

Thanks for your comments guys - I'm the only owner of this car, so noone should have done any hatchet jobs to it before I got my hands on it! It did look like the pipe never met the connector, and that they must have done a dodgy job in the factory of "connecting" them together using some kind of tape. Any ideas where I can get some pipe or something I can use for connecting?

[ap0gee1978]

Pretty much anywhere that sells car parts should sort you out - it's generally just generic parts rather than Fabia-specific for things like that...

[KenONeill]

:iagree: - other than the VAG "fan jets" this stuff is all generic kit that pretty much any decent accessory shop should carry. If you need pipe, I'd suggest not going to Halfrauds though, because they'll only sell rolls that contain enough to replumb the whole whole system!

[ap0gee1978]

...I'd suggest not going to Halfrauds though...

Good point - if you have a local garage you're friendly with, see if they'll throw in the bits for nothing if you get the car serviced with them next time or something. Or see if an independent factor will see you an offcut and just two individual connectors - it won't just be the pipe Halfords sell you too much of; you'll probably need to buy a pack of 20 connectors too!

[simblo]

Thanks very much guys, all very helpful stuff!!:orb_cool:

[kwacka]

or your friendly scrappy, any old car will do