Ever Victorious

Finally had the stars align and I had both good weather and time on my hands. Went to the junkyard again and pulled another set of front and rear washer pumps. Slapped them in, works great. So it looks like both were bad when I got the car, as was the first one I got from the junkyard.

One would think, but actually not so easy. The 2 Pick n Pulls near me had 11 Outback/Legacies. I got the ONLY front pump that was still left when I went a week ago. And that one's not working either. :/

Well, crap. Had time to bust out the multimeter tonight. Front washer connector: <1V and infinite resistance when off, 13.5-14V and 20-230 ohms when on. Rear washer connector: <1V and infinite resistance when off, 13.5-14V and 20-50 ohms when on. Before I replace both pumps, I just gotta know... am I cleaning the connectors wrong? What is the proper way to clear them and ensure good contact?

Not sure if this was missed by you guys, but I already replaced the front pump and it didn't fix anything. New front pump doesn't get power when I flip the switch either. I haven't tried applying 12v directly to the pump from the battery yet, will definitely try the multimeter first.

If I'm not mistaken, don't the wipers and the washers share the same fuse? Wipers work fine. Thanks on the multimeter. My "helper" keeps wandering off when I do work on the car (10 YOs don't have good attention spans) so I may have to duct tape him to the wheel to help me.

2000 OBW. Neither the front nor rear washer is working. Wipers work fine at both ends. It doesn't sound like either pump is engaging/powering on. I have tried replacing the front pump, and spraying the connectors for both pumps with an electronics cleaner. Both connectors look gunked up/corroded, which is why I used the cleaner. On the spades, I also rubbed a q-tip while the cleaner was still wet to try to get some of it off, but to no avail. Ideas at this point?

Which could be fun in itself. The radiator WAS leaking, and showed signs of having a sealant used on it. Who knows what kind of crap is floating around the cooling system at this point. (and to clarify, it was not me that added said sealant. I'm not THAT dumb.)

After looking at a couple YouTube videos of head gasket replacement, it's clear that it is definitely beyond my mechanical abilities. When my title says "Hazard to Himself", that is not entirely a joke. My diagnostic abilities (which have been proven to be not so great, lately) are FAR better than my repair abilities when it comes to cars. I appreciate the zeal for all of you do-it-yourselfers who are far more capable than me. But that's you, not me. Please respect that I am the kind of person who could put an eye out changing a tire. Again, thanks GD for your pertinent response, and edrach for a PM'ed lead about someone who might be able to help me.

Welcome back! They do tend to suck you back in, for better or worse...

Engine has to come out, eh? Alright, let's now add to the list: Insufficient space. Thanks to GD for actually giving me an answer applicable to my situation: Doing the t-stat is how I found out about the HG. NONE of the other symptoms of a head gasket were present, because as I found out, the previous owner removed the thermostat. GRRR! I may take you up on that offer. Because it's PDX, it's not going to be right away. Plus I'd still have to save up the money.

Right, why didn't I think of that? Oh yeah... insufficient tools, insufficient knowledge.

It's the damn head gasket. And I can't afford a mechanic to fix it. Anyone near by want to do it and cut me a deal on it?

He pulls up in some random stranger's yard, gets out, and is pretty much immediately taken down by a motorcycle cop.

If they're similar years, they might just work. I went to Les Schwab many years ago to get tires for my '82 GL wagon, and some poor schmuck who had just parked to go into Subway almost ended up in the bay getting new tires because my key turned on HIS soob... And that car thief has taste. Anyone remember the idiot that went on a high speed chase in Seattle a few years back and (sadly) wrecked the SVX he stole?

Taller only. Not narrower. They're both 185's. They will make the speedometer read slower than the car is actually going.