Windshield Washer Pump Replacement Procedure

[BeMyWheels]

Hi all, fellow TV.com member just signed up here! I am having a problem with my front windshield washer and I am pretty confident it is due to a bad pump. I started noticing last year that the front washer only worked intermittently. Now it just doesn't work at all anymore. The rear washer works fine but when I activate the front one I hear no sound coming from the front pump. I swapped the fuses between the front and rear, but the rear washer still worked with the fuse of the front washer, so it is not a bad fuse. I was able to remove the airbox, but how do I get the bad pump out? There is a hose connected to the pump. When I pull off the hose the windshield fluid starts flowing out of the pump and all over the engine compartment. Is there a way I can avoid that? I would really appreciate it if you could give me a procedure on how to do this - pictures would be a plus too. I am not very good with working on cars yet but I am trying to learn. Unfortunately my search didn't yield good results.

Oh and also, I am going to get the ACDelco part (10386722). Is there any reason I should avoid this and get a different part?

Thanks!

 

[djthumper]

The only way that I know of to avoid the spillage is to drain it before you work on it.

Welcome to the Nation!

 

[Wooluf1952]

The service manual say to remove the fluid reservoir to change the pumps.

You may be able to do the R/R without removing the reservoir. Your call.

However, before changing the pump, make sure you are getting power to it.

Just because the fuse is good, doesn't mean the wires ( + and - ) are good.

Also, check for a good connection at pump connector.

 

[BeMyWheels]

Thanks for your inputs!

I once swapped the hoses and used the button for the rear washer to activate the front washers and got it to work successfully. How do I check if the pump getting power though (not very experienced with working on cars)?

 

[Simon01]

I think you should be able to weasel the pump out without removing. I looked at my TV and there's enough room- you just kind of tilt them out (prepare for washer fluid spillage) and pull up.

To test, disconnect the harness- get a multimeter and stick the probes in the connector (one probe in each terminal of the harness) and have someone hit the washer paddle. If you get ~12V, it's getting power.

 

[Wooluf1952]

Thanks for your inputs!

I once swapped the hoses and used the button for the rear washer to activate the front washers and got it to work successfully. How do I check if the pump getting power though (not very experienced with working on cars)?

Swapping hoses just tells you the hose isn't plugged.

If you don't have a multi-meter, you can try swapping the connectors and try the buttons.

 

[Mooseman]

I don't think they are swappable. Could just use a test light on it.


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[91RS]

You just pull the top of the pump out and pull the whole body up to remove it. You don't need to remove the tank to replace the pump. There is also no way to avoid fluid loss, just change it quickly.

 

[BeMyWheels]

I went and got a multimeter today and will test the connection tomorrow. I also have the part coming my way from Amazon. Since I already tested the hoses and relays, I think the problem will be definitively narrowed down to the pump if the power test tomorrow passes. I will report back with my findings.

Yes, like Mooseman suggested, the connectors for the front and rear pumps are different.

Thanks guys!

BTW, whereabouts in Ottawa are you from Mooseman? I used to live in Ottawa... for a while by Dow's Lake and later in Nepean. Man it's almost been ten years...

 

[BeMyWheels]

Tested the terminals with my newly-acquired multimeter and voila, 12V. Attached the new pump to the harness and tried activating the washer and boom, there comes the sound. $12 later I'm the happy owner of a fully-functional anti-inclement weather system on my Envoy.

Thanks again to everyone! :wootwoot:

 

[Wooluf1952]

Congrats.

 

[SBUBandit]

Tested the terminals with my newly-acquired multimeter and voila, 12V. Attached the new pump to the harness and tried activating the washer and boom, there comes the sound. $12 later I'm the happy owner of a fully-functional anti-inclement weather system on my Envoy.

Thanks again to everyone! :wootwoot:

I apologize in advance for the thread resurrection, but were you able to replace the pump without removing the reservoir? My front washer quite recently, so I'll have to take the meter out and see if the pump is dead.

 

[mrphoenix80]

Yes. I do take out the air filter however and then the pumps are right there.

 

[BeMyWheels]

I apologize in advance for the thread resurrection, but were you able to replace the pump without removing the reservoir? My front washer quite recently, so I'll have to take the meter out and see if the pump is dead.

Yes I was and it wasn't bad at all. You do have to remove the air filter. Then, reach in there with your hand and unplug the hose that's connected to the pump. Be sure to have the new pump ready so you can install it right away as the windshield liquid will start flowing out as soon as your remove the old pump. When I did this I saw now way of avoiding this unless you drained the fluid first. No big deal though - I didn't lose that much fluid.

To make sure the pump is indeed dead and that it's not something blocking the hose or a bad fuse, I swapped the hoses/fuses and used the switch for the rear pump to activate the front washers. That worked so I knew it must have been the front pump. I would recommend you doing the same before you buy the pump. Good luck!