Clogged windshield spray nozzles

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JHZR2

JHZR2

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I rarely use windshield spray for fear of it stripping wax, but with the winter coming, its always good to have for safety and visibility.

My 91 BMW has the right side nozzles clogged for some reason. It sprays fine from the other side.

Whats the best way to fix this? Go fishing in the nozzle with a pin? Disconnect under the hood and put high pressure air through there?

Suggestions?

THanks!
 
Make sure the underhood hose isn't kinked first. My Pathfinder had its driver's side hose kinked and that would stop the flow after about a second of spraying. Even my local dealership did not notice and suggested that I purchase a new nozzle.
 
Typically this is a replaceable item. Check with your local parts store and see if you can just replace them. Lot of times it is cheaper to replace then fix.
 
I usually start with some alcohol to clean it really well, then use a can of compressed air. If that still doesnt clean it I usually try to remove the hose from the back of it and pass a fine wire form the inside out
 
Pin first up, then back "flush" with compressed air.

I find if I use tablet type cleaners, they clog.
 
Be careful with the pin, the nozzle may be heated. Also , it may be a boogered up check valve in the tee. These are problems I had with my E 28. The E 30 may be similar. BTW, the check valved tee (Bavarian over-engineering) can be replaced by a hardware store tee for a buck.
 
This happened to me once on our old Accord and I bought a replacement from the dealership for a couple bucks.

Of course the nozzles on that car were in the hood; replacement could be more difficult if they're elsewhere.
 
I had it happen on my 89 Accord. I ordered a new pair - $20 each - ouch! While I was waiting for them to come in I figured it wouldn't hurt to play with the old ones. I got them cleared up by using a fine wire and hot water from the sink. I ended up giving the new ones away to one of the guys on my Honda forum after I got rid of the car.
 
Had this happen with our E39. I found the 'T' and hooked a straw up to it, after i detached part of the hose leading back to the solution bottle and blew the sediment out thru the nozzle. I figure better to push it out versus shoving it back down by utilizing the pin method.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
My 91 BMW has the right side nozzles clogged for some reason. It sprays fine from the other side.


All the suggestions here are good. If you can't get it fixed, check online. You may be able to get them cheap. I replaced them both in my Audi of the same vintage for $2.50 a piece, OEM parts.
 
I agree, a lot of good suggestions. I ran into one pair of nozzles (on my Mercedes E320) that were clogged with corrosion. I had to ream out the nozzles with a small drill bit, worked by hand.

Pin, small drill bit, reverse flush -- any and all of these techniques should free up the nozzles.

Follow up by reverse flushing all the components upstream to get rid of any clinkers, including the reservoir.
 
My E430 windshield spray nozzles are clogged too. My wife told me about it couple months ago but I didn't have time to tackle it.

I think one of the causes is it was rarely used, may be 4-5 times a year. I bought 2 gallons windshield washer fluid 14-15 years ago and just finished the 2nd gallon last summer.

I'll try the small pin to see if I can fix it.
 
I save cut-offs from the B & E-strings when I change them on my guitar. Much finer than a pin, but plenty stiff due to the type of wire used. Depending on their design, it might be better to go from 'in' to 'out', unless they became clogged from dirt coming from your wash. fluid reservoir.
 
A staple. Fine gauge, reasonably rigid, cheap, and likely to be in every household.

Pins are often too large. A sewing needle might be better, but it still has a taper from the point.

BMW has a special tool designed for this purpose, but it's not cheap and may be NLA.
 
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