Hi all , hope you had a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Got a problem with the windscreen washer on my dads Octavia 1.9 elegance, the thing is that the rear washers are working and so to are the front headlight washers. Also the front wipers are working, the problem is that the front washer isn’t working at all. Its not that any pipes have blown ether as the front motor is not coming on until the front head lights sprays come on.

could this be due to a faulty relay? , or has any one come across this problem befor. :confused:

Cheers for any suggestions.

Could the plug have worked its way loose from the pump? You could check for voltage at the plug to determine whether it's the pump at fault.

i dont thinks its the pump as correct me if i am wrong, the headlight washer are supplied by the same pump as the front windscreen washer are, which are working correctly. You can hear the pump when the headlight washer engage, there is no nose at all when i am wanting the windscreen washers to work, just a short delay before the wiper kick in.

I think there is a common pump and a couple of valves? The headlamp jets only function when the headlamps are turned on? Or certainly that was my understanding. I wonder if there was an electrical fault with the wiper switch on the steering column, or maybe a bloked hose to the windscreen washer jets.

I think there is a common pump and a couple of valves? The headlamp jets only function when the headlamps are turned on? Or certainly that was my understanding. I wonder if there was an electrical fault with the wiper switch on the steering column, or maybe a bloked hose to the windscreen washer jets.

i dont think it is a bloked hose as i would still hear the pump, and there is nothing, i to suspect a electrical problem, but i dont think it is the switch on the steering coloumn as the headlight washers work which would sugest to me that the conntact in the switch is working, that is why i am thinking it could be the relay box, but i think that it could be an expensive bit of kit, and i like conformation may be off someone who has had this problem, befor i purchest one.

I confess I don't know how the Octy system works, but if it were a common pump and the headlamp washers were enabled by a valve, I don't see how anything other than a mechanical blockage in the pipe (or pump) could give the symptoms you have.

try unblocking the actual jets, best way is to get a brissle of a wire brush and gently work in into the jet, this will dislodge any debris that may be blocking the jets, other wise blast the pipping through, if you have access to an air blow tool.

other wise blast the pipping through, if you have access to an air blow tool.

I find a track pump from my mountain/road bike can work very well here

Have you been using non VAG screen wash?

If to give the fan jets a clean out and use a toothbrush to remove the white skuzz on them.

Can't hurt and a nice easy one to rule out.

I use either Halfords or Asda wash in my fan jets, and never had an issue yet and mine get through loads of water (I do use water from a britta filter jug through).

Might be worth popping the t-juntions on the hose under the scuttle pannel and see if any water comes out.

surly if it was only a blocked pipe i would still hear the pump? the pump is not engaging at all but then when i hold the switch back the headlight washer are still coming on, there for it carnt be the pump either!

check the main pump

could be stuck washer grommit or something pump still works ok all round so it may have a bit of dirt on the outlet

I don't have a manual that I can read a wiring diagram in, but is there a relay controlling the pump? If so, I suspect it's not triggering correctly.

An Octy with headlight washers has two pumps. One which works purely for the headlight washers and one which is for the front and rear windows. I think the windscreen pump has two outlets, and my guess would be that the water is pumped out of one for the front windows, then when the current is reversed it pumps out of the other for the rear window.... That's my theory based on the diagram in ETKA, but it could well be wrong

That suggests the column switch if the rear washer works, and the motor if it doesn't.