[2007miatagt]

Hi everyone,
I have a 2000 Outback LTd. Recently the front wiper washer stopped working.
I have replaced the pump itself, replaced the clip at the end of the wires that goes to the pump and have replaced the fuse. All to no avail. I am not getting power at the pump end of the wiring harness. When I pull the Wiper lever forward inside the car, the wipers work but the pump wont fire. Hooked the pump up to the rear wiper power cable to check that it actually worked and it does. Currently I have the Rear pump connected to the front wiper hose so I can still clean my front window.
Could it be a switch in the steering column?
Any help? Seems like it SHOULD be an easy fix.
Thanks in advance!
Josh

 

[Shadow 1100]

If the rear works for both it's the pump, not the switch,you can't run them dry you"ll burn them up, sounds like thats what happen, maybe they sold you a bad pump, is it a new pump??

 

[2007miatagt]

The rear works because there wansnt anything wrong with it. There are two pumps. one for rear, one for front. Both pumps work. But when ANY pump is connected to the wires that activate the front pump, nothing happens. There is not any power getting to the front pump. I have tried a new pump, changing the fuse and bypassing the clip and wiring directly. None of these get power to my new pump or the old pump. So what I have done is, I have installed new pump. Then ran the leads from the pump (the new pump doesnt have a male connector like the old one, it is hard wired and the wires terminate to clips that slip into the orig clip that would have gone onto the orig pump.) This way when I turn on the fluid for the rear it actually sprays the front fluid. Much safer to have the front working only than the back working only. I have not run any of the pumps with any empty resevoir and orig rear and new front both work fine when being run from the REAR controls. Anything connected to the front washer wiper controls does not work.
Any ideas?

 

[plain OM]

Edit: see post # 6 below

The front washer motor is turned on and off by switching the ground side. In other words, 12 V comes from a fuse (same fuse that powers the front wipers, so if they work the fuse is good) to one side (one wire) of the motor. The other wire goes to the washer switch on the steering column which connects it to ground to turn the motor on.

To troubleshoot, the first thing you need to check is whether or not, with the key at ON, and the wires to the front washer pump disconnected, one of the two wires (might be yellow with a blue stripe) has 12 V on it.

If there isn't 12 V on one of the wires, then the problem is between the washer wire and the fuse. If there is 12 V on one of the two wires, continue by connecting the two wires to the motor, and check that there's now 12 V on the other wire (might be light blue with red stripe) . In this case the 12 V should be coming from the first wire, through the motor to the second wire.

If there isn't 12 V on the second wire, then there's a problem in the motor. If there is 12 V then the motor has continuity.

If there is 12 V on the second motor terminal, turn the key OFF. Disconnect the wires from the motor. Now using your multimeter set for Ohms (lowest range), test for continuity between the second wire and ground. The reading will normally be very high. Then, have someone pull the front washer switch. The resistance should drop to a very low value. (This is the switch grounding the low side of the washer pump.) If it changes,but not to a fairly low value, then the switch or wiring through the switch could be bad.

 

[2007miatagt]

Thanks Plain OM,
Ill go through all of those tests and post back.

 

[plain OM]

By the way, on my 07, the front washer is operated by pressing a button on the end of the wiper control lever. Pulling back briefly on the lever only causes the front wipers to make a single sweep, but that doesn't include a washer spray. I should have mentioned this earlier. Perhaps the reason the washer doesn't work is because it isn't being activated, if your 2000 also uses a button on the end of the control.

 

[jp1203]

By the way, on my 07, the front washer is operated by pressing a button on the end of the wiper control lever. Pulling back briefly on the lever only causes the front wipers to make a single sweep, but that doesn't include a washer spray. I should have mentioned this earlier. Perhaps the reason the washer doesn't work is because it isn't being activated, if your 2000 also uses a button on the end of the control.

Funny story: My 2004 worked this way. When I bought my 2008, it was also this way, but for some reason the stalk says "Pull Mist" so I was convinced that the washers were burnt out. Took me a long time to realize what I was doing wrong! Especially funny because I use the pull-to-sweep feature constantly and miss it in cars that don't have it!

 

[twagoon]

Wow, this is awesome. Both of the pumps on my new to me car are not working. I have checked the fuse and power at both of the connectors. With the key on they both have power at both wires, I will check to see if activating the switch does anything on a tester. I may just happen to have two bad pumps.
Great information, thanks.