How to repair headlight washer?

[tomiki]

Hi,

Does anyone have experience in fixing the headlight washer of a 2000 Camry (gen. 5)? The following is the situation: there is water in the container, pipes are OK, pump is OK, when the button is pushed, it goes, BUT! The water - instead of coming out through the nozzles - sprays into the engine compartment...

I disassembled the whole thing and found that there's a special part right before the nozzle: a little plastic right-angled pipe, which has a spring powered rubber ventil inside and a hole on the back. Now the water comes out through that hole.
I cleaned out these pieces, but pretty much no dirt came out. My assumption is that those holes are meant to suck in air in order to make the water spray dissolve better. However, the spring-powered ventiles don't allow the water to go towards the nozzles, but through the holes towards the engine compartment!

Any ideas on how this thing works and how to get it back to normal, please let me know Thanks!

[gdanaher]

An answer here will be hard to find because 2000 Camrys sold in North America did not have headlight washers. Do you perhaps mean windshield/windscreen washers? The fix might be to replace the hose or tubing.

[tomiki]

Thanks for your feedback. No, I do mean headlight washer. In Europe those very few Camry-s were all quite full with extras, just like this one, ours.
Anyway, I assume that the headlight washer system is the same for ages now, thus if anyone has any input, it's highly appreciated.
The funny thing about the hosing etc. is that it looks like new, everything is clean etc. thus there looks to be no reason to change anything. It just kind of "stopped working" from one day (or year...) to the other.

[catric69]

I do know if this will pertain to solving your issue, but here it goes. The following procedure was done to a Toyota Celica.

I nor toyotanation.com are not responsible for any damages that are incurred to your vehicle's exterior/interior during the following of this write-up.


I had a theory that I've been wanting to try. At first, I thought about using my compressor to blow the washer fluid line. Which lasted for about a second. Then, I found a hand pump that is used to inflate basketballs/footballs. Now, a light goes off! I start to dismantle the passenger side wheel liner apart.



First, I disconnected the hose from the washer motor used for the rear nozzle. At this point, washer fluid starts to pour out of the short hose connected to the motor/bottle. NOTE: Attempt this with little or no fluid in your washer bottle. Second, now that the hose is disconnected, slide the open-end of the hose onto the hand pump and start pumping slow and steady. It may be hard to pump at first since there is sediment build-up in the washer line. After a few pumps I hear the nozzle at the rear of the vehicle sounding like Moby dick going after the old guy. Last, I connected both sides of the hoses back together and tested the rear washer nozzle. Amen! A full stream of washer fluid shooting out the nozzle. Mission complete!

[tomiki]

Thanks catric Unfortunately this won't helop me because the system is proven to be clean, this we have also done.
The funny thing is that actually my dad just sold the car to hs brother and before handing it over we wantzed to repair this weirdo. But didn't take any pictures... Next time if the uncle comes around, I shall try to take a few shots and post it.
Thanks for your inputs though, anyways if someone sees this strange piece in the system, supposedly responsible to suck in air to the water, let me know

[LE05]

when you tried to blow compressed air through the nozzles, did you plug up the hole that the washer fluid is now coming out of but is not supposed to? cause if you didn't, all the compressed air probably went out of that hole, instead of through the nozzles.

[tomiki]

When I blew air into this part before the nozzle, on one of them it mainly came out through that hole and partially on the pipe where it's supposed to. On the other one it came out only on the hole and plugging that hole blocked the air completely. This one could be opened only with a pen pushed into its exit-side pipe, thus pushing the spring powered rubber ventile. On the first one, where air did come out also where it was supposed to, plugging the hole made the airflow 100% the correct direction.
I hope it's understandable