I’m hoping someone can help where the dealer has so far failed !
My passenger side windscreen washer jet leaks when I drive the car. It’s almost like the airflow over the bonnet is siphoning the fluid through it. Drivers side is ok.
The dealer claimed to have fixed it but the problem is still there. The washer bottle is around half full (which is how I think the dealer tried to resolve the problem).
Anyone any ideas please ?
There was a similar thread some time ago.
From memory the conclusion was that the leak was caused by temperature/pressure changes due to the extreme heat
I assume the leak is limited to the amount of fluid held within the plastic tube that goes from the pump to the washer?
The pump should prevent this actually siphoning the contents of the washer bottle away to any extent.
Siphons don’t work uphill so that leaves capillary action, which seems unlikely, or a pressure difference.
My money would be on thermal expansion creating pressure in the pipe, perhaps the pipe to the left nozzle is nearer to the heat source than the one to the right?
I suppose it’s just possible that it is aerodynamic, is it speed related? A low pressure zone around the nozzle could make the water come out if there is a supply, it only needs a trickle.
Bit of a first world problem really. I’m sure I’ve seen dribbles coming from nozzles especially just after a good squirt, but I’ve never been sufficiently bothered to investigate.
Try changing the fluid in the bottle, see if that affects it. And if you are really determined, flush it through with Milton in case there is some biological activity in there.
Somebody has probably done a PhD on this.
It might be the heat I suppose as I’ve only owned it a few weeks. It’s a sufficient quantity of seepage that it grabbed my attention, although that may also be because the car’s new to me so I keep looking around it !
Definitely a phenomenon that I haven’t seen before though in 40+ years of driving.
Check that the vent in the washer bottle cap is not blocked. I assume it is the 2010 car in your sig.
The vent is a tiny zigzag groove inside the cap, cunningly hidden near the flappy hinge, you would never notice it if you were not looking for it.
If the sun heats up a sealed washer bottle the increase in air pressure inside it will force out fluid via the only way possible, the jets, and all other things being equal the lowest one will be the first to leak (gravity). And then the passenger side is usually lowest if parked on the road (camber). The jet is unlikely to be lower than the fluid level in the bottle, unless the car is parked facing uphill on a steep enough slope, and then the half-full solution might be the only answer.
On the NA, Mazda modified the washer jets to prevent this. Try swapping the nozzles left to right and see if the concern transfers across. It could be a fault washer nozzle.
Thanks all. It is the 2010 NC noted in my signature.
The interesting thing is that I haven’t noticed it when the car has been left on the drive even in the very warm weather. It only seems to happen when I’m driving it. I guess it could be heat transfer on that side of the bonnet. I managed to burn my hand slightly (more a bit of a surprise than an A&E event) lifting the bonnet to check the oil last week so it does get a little warm.