Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: LFF64 on 13 October 2008, 11:48:18

Title: Windscreen washers
Post by: LFF64 on 13 October 2008, 11:48:18
I had been having problems with my washer jets blocking up and the washer water smelling bad recently  .
 So yesterday  I decided to investigate looking at the manuel it spoke of taking the front bumper off to get to the washer bottle so I had been putting it off for ages .
 But if the bottle does not need to be taken out its a simple job after taking the grille off ,you can reach the pump etc no problem .
I pulled the pump out of the bottle and found the inlet a bit blocked with slimey build up  :-/ I then found that the rubber mount the pump fits in too is actually a filter which was also blocked partialyso had that out and cleaned it .
 Another thing I found out was that there is a low level warning sensor in the side of the bottle which was not working so pulled this out too cleaned it up gave it a tap or too and it started working again suspect the contacts had stuck .
While the pump and switch were out I flushed the bottle with clean water to remove anything left in there .
Put it all back together and refilled .
I added half of a sterilising tablet in to the bottle to give it a bit of a clean .
Result the washer jets seem much stronger and hopefully wont keep blocking up ,oh and the nasty smell  has gone too  :y
Title: Re: Windscreen washers
Post by: Entwood on 13 October 2008, 11:55:23
The slimey "gunge" that builds up is, usually, one of two things ....

1) If only water is used .. its is algae growth - usually green/brown/black, easily moved by rubbing/scrubbing

2) If cheap/soapy additives are used - washing up liquid being the worst - it is a soap residue as soaps do not actually dissolve in water, but remain in suspension and eventually "settle" where they can.

Answer ??? Use a "proper" windscreen additive mixed at the "correct" ratio .. adding extra to try and get a "better" clean is pointless and makes things worse !!

HTH   ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: Windscreen washers
Post by: TheBoy on 13 October 2008, 12:14:51
LFF64, as has been suggested, you are not using a strong enough screen wash mix.

If you had headlight washers, this white stuff blocks the extender bits, which are £55 + VAT a pop.  Needless to say, I learned my lesson early on ;D
Title: Re: Windscreen washers
Post by: LFF64 on 13 October 2008, 12:45:53
I do use addative never washing up liquid and I usually top them up with soft water from work it stops the white streaks on the window when it dries I suspect the build up is from over the years who knows what was used in there in the past  
Title: Re: Windscreen washers
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 13 October 2008, 12:50:33
Beware of cheap screen wash also.....the comma stuff seems very bad yet the Vx stuff (on trade club) seems excellent
Title: Re: Windscreen washers
Post by: TheBoy on 13 October 2008, 13:14:31
Quote
Beware of cheap screen wash also.....the comma stuff seems very bad yet the Vx stuff (on trade club) seems excellent
The Holts stuff from Costco (dark green) seems to be OK as well, and cheaper than Vx :)