Date:         Mon, 28 Sep 2015 18:05:55 -0400
Reply-To:     Larry Alofs <lalofs@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Larry Alofs <lalofs@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Low windshield washer pressure
In-Reply-To:  <OF20FBA8A2.C6D3BF23-ON88257ECE.00626D39-88257ECE.0062DA63@rfan.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

About a year ago I was trying to get the washer to work on a '91 GL.  There
was a good ground at the pump and when tested with a meter, there was also
12V.  I pulled the tank and motor out and could not find a problem.
Checked wiring and fuses etc. and still could not find the problem.  I
finally began to try to get at the switch, I pulled the plastic cover off
the bottom of the steering column and found that the switch contacts were
right there, easily accessed.  Very fine sandpaper and contact cleaner
solved the problem.  Corrosion of those contacts caused a high resistance
which would pass enough curent to show 12 V on the meter, but would not run
the motor in the pump.

Larry A.
  everything keeps deteriorating


On Mon, Sep 28, 2015 at 1:59 PM, Pat Spragge/RFAN <Pat.Spragge@rfan.com>
wrote:

> Thx Stuart,
>
> I had dropped the fuse panel thinking I could check voltages with the
> relay in place, but the bundle of wires made it too difficult to do that.
> So I just pulled the relay and checked to see that it was seeing 12V.
> While the panel was dropped, I looked at the ground 'star' but didn't
> check for a voltage drop across it...I should have but it looked clean,
> dry and corrosion free.  I may have disturbed the ground connections on it
> just enough when I tried pulling the wire bundle out far enough to get at
> the connectors on it.
>
>
> Pat
>
>
>
> From:   "Stuart MacMillan" <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
> To:     "'Pat Spragge/RFAN'" <Pat.Spragge@RFAN.COM>,
> <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Date:   09/28/2015 10:52 AM
> Subject:        RE: Low windshield washer pressure
>
>
>
> Intermittent pump is often a bad ground at the ground star under the dash
> behind the fuse panel. I've seen corrosion cause this as well as complete
> disintegration of the spade connector.
>
> Stuart
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Pat Spragge/RFAN
> Sent: Monday, September 28, 2015 9:15 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Low windshield washer pressure
>
> For all of you who think that the washer fluid pressure is low...
>
> I was adjusting the spray pattern yesterday trying to compensate for the
> lackluster spray pressure when the washer just quit on me..no noise from
> the
> pump but the wipers continued to work.  Pulled off the fuse cover and
> checked all of the fuses associated with the wipers..everything looked
> good.
> Pulled out the Bentley schematic and located the relay terminals for the
> pump and pulled the relay to check for voltage when the wiper stalk was
> pulled..12V + or -...OK
>
> Crawled under the van and dropped the washer tank and disconnected the
> wire...hooked up the DVOM to the connector and checked for voltage
> there...12V OK...pulled the pump motor off and took it to the bench and
> tested it with a 12V battery from my drill...worked perfectly?????
>
> Went to reinstall and while this shouldn't affect the pump, I noticed that
> the tubing was crimped...spent a few minutes massaging it back into a
> 'tubular' shape and finished the reinstall.. pump worked AND more than
> enough fluid flow and the fluid takes much less time to initiate.
>
> Still not sure why the pump went dead for a bit.
>
> Pat
> '89 Westfalia
>