The tube for the windshield washer fluid of the rear window has broken off (see pictures). At the local car part shop I bought a fuel hose with an inner diameter of 7 mm; but the outer diameter is too big to fit into the rubber cover...

 

At the local workshop I was advised to remove the cover of the C pillar, and try to connect to a new tube there, all the way to the end of the existing tube (thus replacing it as from the new hose).

 

Does anyone have any experience with this issue? Or with removing the C pillar of this model? I found this YouTube video, but it's about a Mk 1 Fabia, not a Mk 3 Combi...

 

Thanks in advance for anyone's feedback!

 

 

(The sharp edges of the broken tube had damaged the insulation around the electrical wiring, and my trying to get the fluid to the window caused the fluid to run over the exposed wiring, hence the tape around them...)

Edited 25 January, 20251 yr by ErikDB

Hi, welcome.

 

None of the taping on the wires looks great but if the wires are securely joined and protected then OK.  The red crimp connector has different levels of indent in the connector so check the wires are fully working before completing the job.

 

There are all sorts of connectors and tubing available on the internet are you sure there is nothing available to successfully bridge the gap on your washer tube connection without having to remove c-pillar cover.  HatBoyHarvey's videos are usually very good pity he has not got a Mk3.

 

To take the C panel out it seems to be move the door seals away and a bit of gentle pulling persuasion to get at the clips behind it then squeeze or push the clips a little.  It seems it might be one of those jobs that you find out what to do as you go along.  Have something to gently raise the panel away to feel by resistance where the clips are, like a plastic trim tool or lever, I use old kitchen spatulas and my fingertips for such jobs (always 'fun' and a 'pleasure').  It's all fantastic-plastic so careful not to break anything.

 

With the combi (estate) there is  another panel with clips and hooks to the top of the panel that look like they go into the metal car body frame (oh, the joy of it all).

 

Things will be clearer as you go along with the job, not something I would rush to participate in but probably easy enough after you have done it once.  I would sooner fill the gap in the water tube. obviously making it is very secure joints and flexible enough for location and refitting of all for door opening and closing.

 

HTH.

  

Edited 25 January, 20251 yr by nta16
typos

My apologies for the late response... First I let the problem lie for weeks, and then I finally went to a Škoda garage. There I bought this:

I then left that piece in my car for weeks, until I took it to another garage for a major service. I had already been to that garage before with the problem of the windscreen washer fluid pipe, and then they said "Oh, oh, that's difficult; remove a lot of panels" and so on.

I was therefore very surprised that they had now installed a piece of pipe very easily: "Something of nothing"...

So the result is there, and I have done work. But there is no connection between those two facts. ;)

One late comment I'll make here, I'd never ever fit a crimp joining piece within the area of this wiring that gets flexing when the hatch is being opened - that might just be what caused the pipe to separate at that point, always make two repairs to any wires that get damaged for broken within that flexing area, one within the car's body and another within the hatch body.

Also fitting a general purpose "crimp joining piece" is just being very lazy, there are better ways to effect a wiring repair so that the repair lasts long enough.