Has anyone come across the water jets on the windscreen washer becoming blocked. Just a dribble of water comes out. I have tried inserting a pin into the nozzle but it makes no difference. Any/all advice appreciated!

It may sound daft but have you checked there is water in the bottle?

If so can you hear the pump working or does it sound weak / slow? Could it be on its way out.

The Octavia is fitted with fan jets which project a fine wide mist onto the windscreen instead of the traditional single jet of water.

The problem with fan jets is that they can easily block if you don't use the proper strength / no screenwash and it's also not recommended to try and clear them using a pin as you widen the holes.

Take them off and leave them overnight in some hot water mixed with vinegar or if you have an airline give them a good blast to get rid of any limescale or debris etc.

Finally buy some good quality screenwash (suitable for fan jets) as the more expensive stuff contains additional ingredients that help to prevent the build up of contaminents and prolong the life of the jets.

The entire wash system on the Octavia is a weak point so the more you can do to keep it clean then the less problems you will have...

Thanks so much for this. And yes, there was some water in the bottle!

Of course low pressure or a lack of screenwash on the windscreen could indicate a leak, if there doesn't appear to be any dripping from the underside of the car check for damp patches in the passenger footwell, above the rear door and down in the spare wheel well in the boot - these are all common leakage points when the frail pipe joints split or pop off.

As the fan jets become blocked the pressure in the system raises as the resistance is increased, this (together with frozen pipes) often identifies a number of different weak points on the Octavia.

Out of interest does the rear screen wash work OK? If so this will illiminate the pump as I'm sure a single pump feeds both screens.

On the last day of my 3 year warranty, the rear washers stopped working.

Skoda deny it is covered by warranty. As I need to pay for a half hour labour I've asked for it to be retained properly.

And I thought this only happened with frozen pipes in winter. :sun:

Mine blocked frequently using cheap screenwash. Brushing /squinting various things into them has solved the problems but damaged the spray pattern. But not enough to bother me.

New nozzles are not that expensive apparently if you get stuck.

Get the VAG screen wash when you pass a dealer. It actually works out cheaper than the supermarket stuff and doesn't block the jets. I diluted mine 4:1 and that was fine all through winter.

Edited 3 July, 201213 yr by Aspman