Hey, i have a 03 plate 1.9tdi 130 comfort

since we had one of the coldest winters here that i can remember, my car has had a small issue.

At first, i thought the washer jets would just be frozen as they both werent working. but now its thawed. last week i had both jets working, however the drivers side one was very very week, only spraying a small area of windshield directly infront of it. then it packed up completely.

now i immediately thought that this is a blockage. but when i went to inspect i saw that when i activated the washer, the passenger side worked fine, but on the drivers side i had a stream of water pouring out of the lower corner of the bonnet and going down the drainage channel to the ground!

ive just removed the nozzle (gently i might add) i found that the whole washer jet + short corrugated tubing + 90 deg fixing came out of the hole.

what i think has happened is that water trapped in the feedline has, like it would in the pipes in your house, has frozen, expanded and damaged the pipe... pushing the connectors apart. then when i went to use them, the water pressure from the pump has been enough to completely push the connectors apart.

with all the grime on the road lately, washers are pretty vital.... else i cant see where im going! i have to drive tactically, avoiding lorries and hanging well back from people to avoid the dirt their tyres kick up ending up as a translucent sheen on my screen! What can i do about this? i've had a look and it seems that the washer feed line lives inside the bonnet and there appears to be no way of getting to it!!!!! everything is sealed!

I seem to have developed a similar problem, except neither of my front windscreen washers are working at all. (The headlamp washers and rear washer are fine, though.)

If I poke my fingers into the grill under the bottom of the windscreen, I can see that the tube from the driver's side washer isn't attached to anything - it's just flapping around. I suspect we will have to remove the wipers in order to gain access beneath the black plastic panel, but I'm hoping somebody else will confirm this before I start dismantling!

In the mean time, I've been able to clean my screen by firing the headlamp washers between 10 and 15mph - at this speed, the spray lands nicely on the screen! Turn the headlamps on and hold the windscreen washer on for more than a second to activate them.

There are a coupe of plastic caps on the under-side of the bonnet which allow (restricted) access to some of the connections in the washer pipes.

If you cant get to them this way then I would suggest a piece of semi-rigid wire to try and 'fish out' the lost pipe.

More than likely that the washer jet pipe has popped off.

Pull the rubber seal off from infront of the wipers and lift the edge of the scuttle panel, reach in and find the pipe and press it back on the washer jet until it clicks.

Then refit in reverse.

Thanks, Phil and Browny.

I'm a bit wary of breaking the scuttle panel, which seems to be obstructed by the wiper arms. How far can it be pulled?

Edit: Just realised I'm in the Superb forum. Mine is an Octavia mk 1.

Edited 17 January, 201016 yr by will_

Sorry, i've just realised its the Superb. Im not entirely certain, i thought we was on about the Octavia II.

My error, i cant comment for the Superb.

My washer jets always freeze, despite there being a wire going to each one, indicating that they are heated. How you activate the heating element, I have no idea. But the washer jets, if they dont have the wire coming to them are about £5 to buy for a set of two from a Skoda or VW dealer, as they are the same. So maybe replacing them would be an option?

I'm not on my own then. I had thought that the washer jets would be heated on an Elegance spec Superb. Anyhow, the entire washer bottle froze solid so it was never going to work during the really cold spell it was -15 C round here in the morning.

I seem to have developed a similar problem, except neither of my front windscreen washers are working at all. (The headlamp washers and rear washer are fine, though.)

If I poke my fingers into the grill under the bottom of the windscreen, I can see that the tube from the driver's side washer isn't attached to anything - it's just flapping around. I suspect we will have to remove the wipers in order to gain access beneath the black plastic panel, but I'm hoping somebody else will confirm this before I start dismantling!

In the mean time, I've been able to clean my screen by firing the headlamp washers between 10 and 15mph - at this speed, the spray lands nicely on the screen! Turn the headlamps on and hold the windscreen washer on for more than a second to activate them.

my car doesnt have Xenon headlamps so doesnt have head light washers..... or if it does have them, i dont think they work. i know Xenon lamped cars have to have them by law (though if u have retrofit them its fine)

My washer jets always freeze, despite there being a wire going to each one, indicating that they are heated. How you activate the heating element, I have no idea. But the washer jets, if they dont have the wire coming to them are about £5 to buy for a set of two from a Skoda or VW dealer, as they are the same. So maybe replacing them would be an option?

they probably work like the heated mirrors... theyre just on auto matically so you dont have to worry

I wish i had the elegance model haha, i really wanna chop mine in and go up a spec but my gf just rolls her eyes at the idea and i have an unwritten rule that you cant buy the same car twice in succession, you have to go for something different

im gonna try get a nice flat blade and prise off those two plastic bung like things on the underside of the bonnet.... if they come off that is. im hoping ill get some sort of access to the tubing from there, at least enough to have a better idea of what im trying to fix

my car doesnt have Xenon headlamps so doesnt have head light washers

Mine doesn't have xenons, either. The headlamp washers were there as standard (Octavia I with Elegance trim).

they probably work like the heated mirrors... theyre just on auto matically so you dont have to worry

I wish i had the elegance model haha, i really wanna chop mine in and go up a spec but my gf just rolls her eyes at the idea and i have an unwritten rule that you cant buy the same car twice in succession, you have to go for something different

im gonna try get a nice flat blade and prise off those two plastic bung like things on the underside of the bonnet.... if they come off that is. im hoping ill get some sort of access to the tubing from there, at least enough to have a better idea of what im trying to fix

The mirrors are not automatic, only when you select the heated symbol on the door stalk. The rubber things on the underside of the bonnet come off with your nail, quite easy to get off really.

^ i bite my nails..... bad habit.... so i have no nails to get at those plugs. and yeah ok you have to twist the knob to the heated symbol, but when you arent adjusting the mirrors its gonna be in this position anyway so for all intents n purposes its pretty much fire n forget

lot of people with or refering to the octy in this thread.... did i post it in the wrong place? im sure its in the superb forum. Octavia has headlight washers as standard yeah, but i dont think the superb does unless you have xenons

Edited 18 January, 201016 yr by Otispunkmeyer

Just to add to this, I have the same problem on mine and all you need to do is as follows:

1) Open the bonnet;

2) On the underside of the bonnet there are two black oval rubber bungs, one next to either washer jet, remove these;

3) Now you will see the connection to the back of the washer jets, if the pipe appears to have come off then de-fit it if you can see the pipe, if not then you need to fish around to fine the pipe and re-connect it;

Hope that helps.............