Vectra screen wash filter

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob Smith
  • Start date Start date
B

Bob Smith

Does anyone know how to get to the screen wash filter on a Vectra C? I have
no water coming out, but the pump is going. I took the pipe off, and
nothing comes out of the pipe either, so it is not blocked jets. Any ideas?

TIA

Bob
 
I had a similar problem. Try blowing into the pipe to see if the blockage
can be cleared, then put a hose pipe in the bottle to flush it out.
 
Chris said:
I had a similar problem. Try blowing into the pipe to see if the blockage
can be cleared, then put a hose pipe in the bottle to flush it out.
Click to expand...
I can't feel any movement when blowing on the water pipe. Is it possible
that poking around with the hosepipe will actually scrape the inner surface
of the filter, or is it out of reach?

Bob
 
the filter is usually something akin to a cigarette filter (but looks like a
lump of little metal beads) which is normally directly inside the tiny inlet
pipe fitting of the pump.
the motor assy should just slide off if pulled upwards, then look in the
inlet hole, you should see it.
another type is about 2cm in diameter and on the end of the pipe which goes
to the bottom of the tank.

they just get filled with calcuim.

when you get to it
dump it in some limelite , i've found hot vinegar solution damages the large
guase one.


well that is what it is like on mine.

mike
 
mikeFNB said:
the filter is usually something akin to a cigarette filter (but looks like
a lump of little metal beads) which is normally directly inside the tiny
inlet pipe fitting of the pump.
the motor assy should just slide off if pulled upwards, then look in the
inlet hole, you should see it.
another type is about 2cm in diameter and on the end of the pipe which
goes to the bottom of the tank.

they just get filled with calcuim.

when you get to it
dump it in some limelite , i've found hot vinegar solution damages the
large guase one.


well that is what it is like on mine.
Click to expand...
The problem is that I don't know how to get to it. The bottle neck
disapears off somewhere underneath the the battery. It is probably
accesable from underneath or something.

Mine has mould in the form of jelly lumps in it. I was pouring screenwash
in when I noticed dark shapes going in. There were lumps of mould floating
in the screenwash.

Bob
 
Vectra C also has another problem with the washers. Between the pump and the
soft rubber pipe Vauxhall have fitted a 90 degrees hard plastic elbow. These
are always blocking up so check this while you are in there.
 
Bob Smith said:
The problem is that I don't know how to get to it. The bottle neck
disapears off somewhere underneath the the battery. It is probably
accesable from underneath or something.

Mine has mould in the form of jelly lumps in it. I was pouring screenwash
in when I noticed dark shapes going in. There were lumps of mould floating
in the screenwash.

Bob
Click to expand...


Bob,
I had something similar on my 2000 Astra, and after I'd cleared it I posted
the following:

*The filter on my Astra got blocked totally, and Haynes indicated that
renewing the filter required removal of both the front bumper and the LH
wheel-arch trim. Checking the web archives indicated that just the trim
needed to be loosened. Neither of these struck me as attractive techniques
in view of my not finding new wheel-arch trim fixings in Halfords etc.
With suitable precautions, I tried dissolving the crud but that wasn't
successful. (I live in a hard water area.)

What did work was to use the garden hose, and back flush the washer pipework
and reservoir from the near side washer jet hose. This is accessible after
removing the rubber seal at the rear of the engine compartment, and then
releasing the black plastic trim from below the windscreen. (No screws
involved.) Reducing the 0.5" bore of my garden hose to the 3mm or so
required to fit the washer hose was more miss than hit, and I got pretty wet
from the mains water pressure spray! It took quite a long time before the
water overflowing from the washer bottle reservoir came clean, and that was
with some persuasion from the garden hose pushed into the bottle, and
waggled around.

Anyway, my washers now have more guts than they've had in years. (I did buy
a new filter and was surprised that it was as little as ~£2 from the main
dealer.) "

Flexible tubing in different sizes to allow the reduction in bore is
available from Halfords, Ironmongers, Aquarists Suppliers etc.
HTH
--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm





*** ***
 
Malcolm Stewart said:
Bob,
I had something similar on my 2000 Astra, and after I'd cleared it I
posted
the following:

*The filter on my Astra got blocked totally, and Haynes indicated that
renewing the filter required removal of both the front bumper and the LH
wheel-arch trim. Checking the web archives indicated that just the trim
needed to be loosened. Neither of these struck me as attractive
techniques
in view of my not finding new wheel-arch trim fixings in Halfords etc.
With suitable precautions, I tried dissolving the crud but that wasn't
successful. (I live in a hard water area.)

What did work was to use the garden hose, and back flush the washer
pipework
and reservoir from the near side washer jet hose. This is accessible
after
removing the rubber seal at the rear of the engine compartment, and then
releasing the black plastic trim from below the windscreen. (No screws
involved.) Reducing the 0.5" bore of my garden hose to the 3mm or so
required to fit the washer hose was more miss than hit, and I got pretty
wet
from the mains water pressure spray! It took quite a long time before the
water overflowing from the washer bottle reservoir came clean, and that
was
with some persuasion from the garden hose pushed into the bottle, and
waggled around.

Anyway, my washers now have more guts than they've had in years. (I did
buy
a new filter and was surprised that it was as little as ~£2 from the main
dealer.) "

Flexible tubing in different sizes to allow the reduction in bore is
available from Halfords, Ironmongers, Aquarists Suppliers etc.
HTH
Click to expand...

Thanks, I will try blowing it with the hosepipe. I will try to bung the
hose on the nozzle head, failng that I will seek out a reducer. Maybe many
wrappings of duct tape?

Does anyone know how to actually get to the filter?

Bob
 
me140 said:
Vectra C also has another problem with the washers. Between the pump and
the
soft rubber pipe Vauxhall have fitted a 90 degrees hard plastic elbow.
These
are always blocking up so check this while you are in there.
Click to expand...

Will do if I can find a way to get to it. It looks like from underneath
just from looking at it.

Bob
 
Bob Smith said:
Thanks, I will try blowing it with the hosepipe. I will try to bung the
hose on the nozzle head, failng that I will seek out a reducer. Maybe
many wrappings of duct tape?

Does anyone know how to actually get to the filter?

Bob
Click to expand...

Are you certain it's a blockage? FWIW, I've had two veccy pumps fail cos
they wouldn't prime - despite the motor running fine... For me, the only
solution (prior to swapping pumps) was to keep bottle fully topped up and
wobble steering & dab throttle while driving whenever the screen needed a
wash... rather like a GP warm-up lap in fact...
 
Just undo the torx screws at the bottom of the arch liner and bend it back
enough so you can get to the pump - not a hard job.
 
From underneath? The battery box/tray seems to be in the way from above. I
will have another look tomorrow.

Bob
 
All underneath - you can do it with the wheel on but better with it off.
About 10 mins.
 
me140 said:
All underneath - you can do it with the wheel on but better with it off.
About 10 mins.
Click to expand...
I still cannot find the filter. I have had the pipes off the motor and
tested them. The pipes seem to have a 1 way valve on somewhere, but the
motor blows through in both directions through all 3 pipes (it has a T piece
built onto it).

The pipes are clear (in one direction), and the motor pumped the pipeful of
water out of the pipes, so the motor is working.

When I took the motor out of the rubber bung in the bottle, no water came
out. Is the bung thing the filter, or has it got a valve on that the spike
on the motor opens? I tried getting it out, but did not want to force it
and damage it.

Also, the motor has a white plastic stick with a cross shaped cross section
inside the spike. What is that?

Bob
 
Yes the rubber bung is the filter - just pull it out, it is stiff but will
come out. The cross in the middle is the pump that goes round and the top
half decides if it is going to front or rear.
 
me140 said:
Yes the rubber bung is the filter - just pull it out, it is stiff but will
come out. The cross in the middle is the pump that goes round and the top
half decides if it is going to front or rear.
Click to expand...

That's it, all sorted thanks. Like you said, a ten minute job when you know
where everything is.

Bob
 
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