Greetings from Alaska! Just found this forumn and thought I'd say hello and ask a quick question. I have a 1998 Legacy Outback and the washer fluid part of the window washing system has quit working. The wipers work, but no fluid is squirted onto the window either front or rear:-\ . Anyone have any ideas! Have a remote start on the Outback and since it doesn't interface the alarm had to be deactivated. I don't think this has anything to do with the problem as the remote has been installed for three years. Thanks for the ideas.

Greetings from Alaska! Just found this forumn and thought I'd say hello and ask a quick question. I have a 1998 Legacy Outback and the washer fluid part of the window washing system has quit working. The wipers work, but no fluid is squirted onto the window either front or rear:-\ . Anyone have any ideas! Have a remote start on the Outback and since it doesn't interface the alarm had to be deactivated. I don't think this has anything to do with the problem as the remote has been installed for three years. Thanks for the ideas.

When you hit the button do you hear the pump motor?

I would start by checking all the fuses both under the hood and dash. If that Yields no results have someone stick their head under the hood and listen for the motor. If this fails hotwire the pump to insure that it does work and you can go from there. If all fuses are fine, and both pumps work then I would tunr my attention to the wiper lever on the steering column.

 

 

Hope this helps.

Some ideas on how to track down your problem. Check your owner's manual for the fuse that the washers work on. Is it burned out? Pull the connectors to each of the washer motors located on the washer tank up front (I think I remember that my 97 had 2 of them, one for the front and one for the tailgate washer, I could be wrong) and clean the connectors and the blades that they attach to on the motors. They are most likely all corroded. Use a spray electrical contact cleaner and a small wire brush, and see if they work then. If not, run test wires right from your battery to each motor and see if they spin. They may be corroded inside and seized up. I have taken apart one of them in the past and cleaned it up enough to get it going again, but it was time consuming and fussy. If this is your problem, just buy new ones or check the junk yards for something better than what you have. A lot of Japanese car makers use the same suppliers, so check Toyotas and such. Over and above that, it has to be either a bad switch or somewhere in your wiring from the switch to the washer motors. Maybe some else can jump in with anything they think I may have missed. Good luck!

I had a similar problem with my Brat. First, I checked the hoses from the tank to the jets to see if they became disconnected. Not the problem. Then I discovered that the electrical connection to the tank had come undone. Plugged it back in and I was in business again. Welcome to the board. You might want to PM Snowman to find about Subaru Klub of Alaska.

was one where you could hear the motor running but when I pulled off the hose to the nozzles nothing came out. I removed the motor and soap had clogged the pickup. This most resembled sperm and the owner who was looking over my shoulder said it was becuase he really liked his car.

Hey everyone, thanks for the quick replies. As soon as my wife gets home with the car, I'll check out some of the suggestions. These forums are fantastic, especially for those of us who don't know a lot about fixing, but hate having to pay $$$ for a simple fix.

If you get stuck, give a ring and Snowman and I will come by and lend a hand. Kelly(Snowman) will be out of town until Sunday, but I've got Fri. and the weekend off.

Wow, just joined this forum and by following suggestions given, I found the problem and fixed it. I checked all the connections, found one to be loose and covered with oil/dirt. I pulled both front and rear connections, cleaned both and reattached. My wife can now use both front and rear windshield wipers and fluid. Thanks to all.