Windscreen washers not working

[stevende85]

Hi everyone

Having a bit of trouble with the window washers on my MK3 Fabia, which have stopped working recently. Hoping someone could maybe point me in the right direction?

• Front and Rear window washers are not working. Window wipers both work fine normally, just not the washer function
• When engaging either washer the wipers will come on but nothing else happens - no noise from the pump either
• The washer reservoir is full of fluid. Admittedly this was a very poor mix of concentrate and water, and temperatures have recently been -5c
• I topped the reservoir up with roasting hot water in the hope it would thaw out any frozen water in the system, I could then clear it out and fill it up with proper screenwash. This didn't work
• Sprayed hot water on the washer jets in the hope it would thaw them. Still didn't work
• Checked 10amp fuse for Front & Rear washer system which hasn't blown

The car has been booked into Skoda on Monday morning for a diagnosis, but I suppose I am really just looking to save myself the embarrassment if it has been caused by something I have done.

 

Can anyone confirm that the pump on their MK3 does indeed make noise when either A - the system is frozen, or B - the system is completely out of water?

Any other advise offered would be gratefully appreciated

Thanks in advance

Steven

[moley]

You should be able to hear the pump running, if the nozzles had frozen the worse that should happen is that a pipe might pop off, then you would see water on the floor, but you would still hear the pump running.

[rum4mo]

I'm sure that you will not be the first person to end up allowing the washer fluid to freeze up in winter. Hopefully now you have learned from that lesson, personally I tend to keep "winter" strength fluid all year round - buy concentrate and mix in bulk! 

Your dealer will also know what has probably happened so should be able to resolve it quickly - sorry I have not studied the fuse usage of these cars, but I'd hope by today that your system should have thawed out - I opened the bonnet of my daughter's late 2009 Ibiza yesterday now that the thaw had started, and the entire underside of it was laden with water from thawing frost! Took it for a run so that should have dried things up a bit.

 

As said already, the failure mode at least on previous models has been :- blown pump fuse or pipes getting forced off at couplings.  Sometimes, it seems that at winter with new model, fuses get uprated??  In extreme case, I could guess that the pump could fail.

Edited 27 November, 2016 by rum4mo

[stevende85]

Thanks for the replies. Turns out it was a dodgy fuse. Strange as I checked the fuse in the handbook and it was fine. Never asked which one it was, I was just happy it was fixed - oh and free wash and hoover too

[Panther_uk]

I am having similar issue with a Fabia III, no noise from the pump, fuse appears OK, any ideas ?

[AGFalco]

 

On 5/2/2018 at 11:07, Panther_uk said:

fuse appears OK, any ideas ?

 

Check fuses 22, 27, 31 and 46.

 

Thanks AG Falco

[Panther_uk]

Will do thanks

[johnh510]

There seems to be quite a few* electrical things not working on the front of that "pranged" Fabia - is the loom damaged? or a connector popped?

 

I have no idea where the loom runs, or if there is a connector down there somewhere, sorry.

 

 

 

* indicator, front assist, screen washer.

Edited 4 May, 2018 by johnh510
itemising issues

[Panther_uk]

Don't know what's going on with it as the front radar nor the washer pump worked before the 'prang'

 

It's off to get the front end repaired in the next week or so and then off to Webuyanycar !!

[FABvirgil]

On 03/05/2018 at 21:52, AGFalco said:

 

 

Check fuses 22, 27, 31 and 46.

 

 Thanks AG Falco

that's a great tip. I checked the obvious fuse (46) and it was ok so I was then worried that it might be something more serious ... but it was fuse 22 !! Many thanks for that.

[FABvirgil]

On 28/11/2016 at 21:07, stevende85 said:

Thanks for the replies. Turns out it was a dodgy fuse. Strange as I checked the fuse in the handbook and it was fine. Never asked which one it was, I was just happy it was fixed - oh and free wash and hoover too

You may have done what I did: checked the obviously labelled fuse 46. But it turned out it was fuse 22 (thanks to AC Falco) .. they probably found fuse 22 but the free wash was worth it!

[nigelbradleyfabia]

Well, My washers front and rear just stopped working during this cold snap. Unfortunately today, despite the mild weather there was still no life. I had researched and found fuse 46 to be the culprit. Swapped that out but still no joy. On finding this thread I tried fuse 2. Bingo, it worked - thanks very much

[Bromptonaut]

On 03/05/2018 at 21:52, AGFalco said:

 

 

Check fuses 22, 27, 31 and 46.

 

Thanks AG Falco

 

Mine in a 2016 (Mk III) 1.2 were working OK until the cold snap. 

 

Thought it was just the jets frozen but still nothing after the thaw. 

 

Handbook suggests fuse 46 is washers but that was complete. 

 

Was about to book it into the garage when I read the above. Fuse 22, a tiny little 7.5amp jobby - Bingo!! 

 

No 7.5 amp in my spares kit but there was a 10amp of the same profile. Fitted that and normal service resumed. 

 

Will get a 7.5amp and fit it asap as I'm well aware of the maxim about not solving problems with a bigger fuse... 

[Bromptonaut]

Meant to add thanks to A G Falco for the steer here. 

[Hintza]

Thanks Falco, was all set to head to the garage.

[ReggaeManStan]

Just bought a 2017 Skoda Fabia Mark 3 and the only issue was that the screen washers were not working. Pulled out fuse 22 and saw it was blown. Swapped it with the radar fuse below it (for now) and the washers now work! Thanks for the tip, AG Falco!