Ok so I have water in the tank. No leaks. Fuse is intact. I unplug the motor and jump it to the vehicle's battery using two lengths of wire ++ --. I "think" the motor should run at this point if'n it's any good. Am I wrong here? The motor did not run.

 

Secondly is it possible to measure resistance on this electric motor and if so what should it be?

 

I guess I need a new washer motor???

 

Can this little guy be overhauled by me?

 

Dirty windows suck.

Your overthinking it. If you have voltage at the motor connection (one side goes to the switch, the other is hot), then you need a replacement motor. You cant really rebuild them. I think a universal replacement fits.

 

nipper

Agree with Nipper, you are over thinking the problem. I have had a number of window washers go bad in a number of cars, and it is ALWAYS the little pump motor that goes bad. Suggest taking the old unit off, take it with you to an auto parts store, and ask the parts guy at the counter for a replacement. They are somewhat universal, mostly a matter of matching the electrical connector to a replacement. Years ago, I replaced a broken pump motor in a VW with one that was made for a Ford. It worked perfectly.

 

BTW don't run a windshield pump motor very long if it is not pumping washer water. The water flow is used to cool the pump motor. Running without water for a long time will burn up the motor.

Before you condemn the motor,do a check with an ohmeter-should read very low ohms. If open, is toast. Aout half the time I find the impeller gunked up with rust, dirt, etc., and cleaning will free the thing up.

Yupp..

 

New pump at Autozone $14.95

 

New tubing $2.66

 

Clean windows...priceless!

 

 

BTW, Oreilly wanted $34 for the pump. That's double! Usually Oreilly has the best deal, and I'm sure that they would price match if I threw a hissy...but still...double???

Just did some work on mine today, my front windshield wiper squirters didn't work anymore. Pulled the reservoir and played with the motors. Both ohmed out at around 5.5. The rear washer motor circuit would receive really high voltage and then drop to nothing if the motor wasn't attached, guess it needs some resistance to work. The front washer motor circuit show a slight voltage increase when activated, but not a lot, so I still question the circuit. Putting the rear washer motor on that circuit still got nothing. Putting the front washer motor on the rear circuit got nothing. Short term I swapped motors, now when I activate my rear washers, the fronts squirt until I can get to a part store and get a replacement front motor.

 

Quick question, are the connectors filled with dielectric grease or something? Mine were all full of a white grease like material, cleaned a bunch of it out but didn't know if maybe it was supposed to be there.

Dang, new pump from the parts store was $25. Poor guy behind the counter didn't know how to find something "generic", it had to be in his computer, and it had to be "for something".

I have exacly the same thing on 98 Legacy, nothing is being pumped, can I assume it's the motor?

 

Where it the motor located anyway?

Bottom of the tank. You'll have 2 if you have rear washers. The pump for the front is at the bottom. When your rear washer stops pumping water its time to add. The rear pump is the upper one it runs out 1st.

what Screw says is only true for newer Oh Bees and wagons

 

Older Legacy wagons and sedans do not have this feature.

These things are real cheap on Ebay

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1997-SUBARU-OUTBACK-LEGACY-WAGON-WASHER-FLUID-BOTTLE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1205Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem220334439749QQitemZ220334439749QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

I've got a few here and probably getting another one today.

 

If you'd like a Subaru used PM me.

 

Let me know if you just need the motors or the entire tank - shipping may be a little easier with just the motors.

 

Dave

My experience with universal pumps has been that there is too often, a slight lag between the moment you press the washer stalk to the moment that the fluid starts starts to squirt; which means dry sweeps by your wipers(could abrade the windshield if any sharp particulates are present) If that's an issue for you, I'd stick with Subaru'sown replacement, which tends to squirt nearly instantaneously.

Edited December 27, 200817 yr by axel

ok, dumb question, how do you remove the motor.?

 

when mine went bad in my obw i couldn't figure it out. is there a trick?

Also, make sure you're pushing the button in the end of the stalk to activate it, not pulling the stalk towards you. I think I made that mistake for a while, coming from VWs. Pulling it towards you would make the wipers go one cycle, amost as if the washer wasn't working, gotta push the button.

ok, dumb question, how do you remove the motor.?

 

when mine went bad in my obw i couldn't figure it out. is there a trick?

 

 

It just twists out.

 

nipper

what Screw says is only true for newer Oh Bees and wagons

 

Older Legacy wagons and sedans do not have this feature.

 

Skip this is the new gen section. He's got a 98 lego my 97 is a wgn so it has 2 he didn't specfy what he has hence; You'll have 2 if you have rear washers.

Skip this is the new gen section. He's got a 98 lego my 97 is a wgn so it has 2 he didn't specfy what he has hence; You'll have 2 if you have rear washers.

 

the early Legacy wagons have two separate bottles - one at each end - just like the old EA82 wagons had. the sedans wouldnt have a rear washer, would they?? none of ours do anyway...

 

so if I am reading correctly, the later models use only one bottle, but have two pump/motors on them? interesting...

Correct JoAnne

I'm not sure of the year of the change

but my 94 has a front and rear bottle/pump.

 

My 97 and my 2003 have a single unit with two pumps

mounted under the hood.