Johnjonjo Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 Hi all I'm so glad this forum is back up, I remember on the old forum there was a DIY write up on how on how to access the winsdscreen reservoir in order to clean the gunk that accumulates on the filter. Does anyone have a write up? many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canman Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 Remove front drivers wheel [ can be done by just turning wheel] but i find it easier to remove pop open the inner guard lining at side nearest drivers foot well to access pump pop pump out then remove filter dont drop [i did] and a bugger to fish out from sill while filter is out flush out tank with hose best you can clean filter and replace and replace lining . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnjonjo Posted October 14, 2023 Author Share Posted October 14, 2023 2 hours ago, canman said: Remove front drivers wheel [ can be done by just turning wheel] but i find it easier to remove pop open the inner guard lining at side nearest drivers foot well to access pump pop pump out then remove filter dont drop [i did] and a bugger to fish out from sill while filter is out flush out tank with hose best you can clean filter and replace and replace lining . Thank you for your reply. Can you remember how many fasters/bolts and locations to take off the wheel arch lining please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandyAndy Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 (edited) Or..... Fill with hot (NOT boiling) water... Crush up half a dozen denture cleaning tablets and add.... Leave overnight then flush with a hose the following day. Edited October 14, 2023 by HandyAndy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canman Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 If i remember correct it a couple of 10mm nuts and 4 or 5 fasteners need removing to give you enough room to to move lining back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnjonjo Posted October 14, 2023 Author Share Posted October 14, 2023 2 hours ago, HandyAndy said: Or..... Fill with hot (NOT boiling) water... Crush up half a dozen denture cleaning tablets and add.... Leave overnight then flush with a hose the following day. Will try that and let you know but will it completely clean the filter or a temporary fix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnjonjo Posted October 14, 2023 Author Share Posted October 14, 2023 1 hour ago, canman said: If i remember correct it a couple of 10mm nuts and 4 or 5 fasteners need removing to give you enough room to to move lining back Thank you, not had good experience with wheel arch liners on previous cars so quite cautious as I want it to fit back as was before. From you post it seems you don’t need to remove it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandyAndy Posted October 15, 2023 Share Posted October 15, 2023 17 hours ago, Johnjonjo said: Will try that and let you know but will it completely clean the filter or a temporary fix? Really depends on the nature of the gunk in the tank. If it's the usual gel from mix of chemicals, it breaks it down very nicely... like having a new tank and filter. It will not however, have a big impact on limescale buildup. Over here that's a big problem with people foolish enough to use tapwater. But 5 litre concentrate or ready-to-use bottles are very commonly sold in most supermarkets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted October 16, 2023 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Move to Scotland, we have perfect soft water that doesn’t cause things like limescale in hard water areas. In fact our water is so good we use it to make whisky. You only need to remove the rear section of the offside wheel arch liner. You’ll need an 8mm socket, a trim tool for removing the expanding rivets and a centre punch for the small rivets. A bit more explanation of how to get in there is here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnjonjo Posted October 18, 2023 Author Share Posted October 18, 2023 I tried the denture tablet approach but not difference so I tried a different method. I disconnected the pipe at the joint located on the underside left corner of the bonnet, I then pushed on a clear 5mm clear tube to the pipe from the reservoir that feeds the washer jets, idea was to blow back into the windscreen reservoir in order to dislodge any gunk on the filter. I blew down it and heard gargling as I had the filler cap open so a high pressure build up wouldn’t occur. There was some resistance I had to overcome but with a bit more pressure I heard the gargling of the water in the reservoir. now another issue has occurred, every time I fill up the reservoir the water slowly drips out on the bottom side of the wheel arch in the corner, any ideas from anyone? By the way, water still not feeding the washer jets, can hear the moter working at each attempt, the headlight washers work fine and obviously low washer fluid sign on constantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandyAndy Posted October 19, 2023 Share Posted October 19, 2023 If you can blow back into the tank it's likely one of the pumps is on the way out - they're supposed to be a one-way system to stop fluid backflow each time you stop squirting. Sounding like you're going to need physical access to them, I'm afraid. If I were experiencing problems and was going to the hassle of accessing the tank, I'd seriously be considering replacing one or both pumps regardless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy5150 Posted October 19, 2023 Share Posted October 19, 2023 (edited) On 18/10/2023 at 19:28, Johnjonjo said: now another issue has occurred, every time I fill up the reservoir the water slowly drips out on the bottom side of the wheel arch in the corner, any ideas from anyone? By the way, water still not feeding the washer jets, can hear the moter working at each attempt, the headlight washers work fine and obviously low washer fluid sign on constantly. I had exactly these problems. Last Christmas my jets stopped working. I could hear the pump but no water from the jets. I tried everything that was suggested into the washer bottle but that didn’t work. I then tried the reverse pressure trick that you’ve done - I agree, you have to blow quite hard before there is suddenly a drop in resistance and you hear the gurgling from the tank. That worked for about 5 mins before it clogged again.…. So reluctantly I went to the dealer, bought about 20 of the plastic push rivets and a replacement filter all of which was well under £10 plus some BMW own brand screen wash (£19.99) and spent the rest of a cold day with the wheel arch line folded back and my hand cut to ribbons! So basically the filter (which sits in the opening of the washer tank and which the pump intake pushes into) was totally blocked with a slimey white mucus-like substance which forms from mixing different brands of screen wash (apparently). Removing the pump with limited space and prising out the filter is easy but you’ll need some effort to prize the intake of the pump down into the new filter… it’s not hard in theory but because access is so limited it’s a case of trial and error - took me 1.5hrs in the dark with my torch! Before I replaced the filter however I used a simple hand pump and rubber tubing to pump out the remaining screen wash and “snot” from the bottle as best as I could and then flushed it with copious amounts of water before draining it down again and filling with a strong mix of the BmW winter screen wash. After I finally reinstalled the pump (tip, angle it downwards using a flat nosed screw driver) I tested everything and it all worked fine… wheel arch lining back on and off I went to enjoy Christmas… All forgotten about until May when I noticed the dripping from behind the wheel exactly as you’ve found. Off with the wheel arch liner again (nice warm weather this time) and discovered that the C clip that holds the pipe to the pump must have been weakened when I removed it back in December as it was no longer tight and fluid was leaking from the union. With a bit of squeezing and pressure I was able reestablish a tight fit and touch wood been problem free ever since. My recommendation would be to replace the filter if you have a dealer nearby, the part is so cheap but just give yourself enough time for then re installation as that pump is a pain. Finally, just going on research on the web, I’m sticking with only BMW screen wash from now on but that might be a load of old nonsense. If it prevents me spending another freezing December night in the driveway with lacerated hands I’ll gladly pay the price! Hope this helps - sorry for the long post Andy Edited October 19, 2023 by Andy5150 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadwell Parker Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 10 hours ago, Andy5150 said: I’m sticking with only BMW screen wash from now on but that might be a load of old nonsense. That's what I've done and had no bother with my washers in 4 1/2 years with my car. Mrs CP puts any old screenwash in her F20 and the washers exhibit the same symptoms you described. I did tell her not to mix it but.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy5150 Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 11 hours ago, Cadwell Parker said: Mrs CP puts any old screenwash in her F20 and the washers exhibit the same symptoms you described. I did tell her not to mix it but.... Interesting, so there does seem to be a correlation between mixing and getting these blockage problems then…? We had it on my wife’s Vitara although the fix was MUCH easier - like Mrs CP she puts anything in there 🙂 The strange thing is that until lately I’ve never seen this problem in any other cars I’ve owned, it’s almost as if something has changed in the ingredients which makes modern screen wash more susceptible to coagulating.. As for me, I’ll continue to play it safe with BMW-own brand… that filter replacement is not something I’d want to go through again anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Back the truck up You boy's have wife's who fill up their own screen wash? Nope, I don't understand that concept. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyjawa Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 Only ever used bmw screen wash, and not just in BMWs and never had an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadwell Parker Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 10 hours ago, Andrew said: You boy's have wife's who fill up their own screen wash? Yes but I fitted a rear wiper blade for her the other week. I even paid for it 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 12 hours ago, skyjawa said: Only ever used bmw screen wash, and not just in BMWs and never had an issue. Likewise. I fill my wife’s car with BMW fluid too Perhaps that’s why my wife’s car doesn’t have an issue either, unlike you boys who have wife’s that fill up their own screen wash. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve84N Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 Is this £7/litre or is it concentrate that makes more? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195811477469?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ivhsJMteRHm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=yzapL6MWRMu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted October 21, 2023 Share Posted October 21, 2023 That will be 1 litre of concentrate. You can buy 5 litre containers of it for better value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadwell Parker Posted October 22, 2023 Share Posted October 22, 2023 (edited) I've bought 5l containers from Ebay sellers as well as Lloyds BMW in Carlisle. I think the last lot I got came from Lloyds and cost around £22. I've probably got the receipt somewhere. When I took the car there for the airbag recall they gave me three of those 1l bottles for nothing to make up for the inconvenience. Best price on Ebay just now looks like... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386211238118?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=x6wlfvforuu&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=QkJWgt6FS6O&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Edited October 22, 2023 by Cadwell Parker 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyjawa Posted October 22, 2023 Share Posted October 22, 2023 Might be worth asking Cotswold on here for a price…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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