rear wiper water leak under vin windscreen window.

[BeekeeperMG5]

Hello all,

I hope you are all ready for this time of year.

I have noticed that there is no water getting to the rear wiper spray. When I turn the knob to spray the rear window, I can hear water hitting plastic behind the dashboard. On closer inspection, when turning the rear spray knob, the vin window in the windscreen (bottom left) fills with water, and then drains away. I have discovered where the water is collecting.......in the drivers side footwell!

I have looked under the bonnet to see if a tube/connection is loose, but it is where arrow is pointing, under the wiper.

Many thanks.

 

[Lovemyev]

It is extremely common for the front and back washer jets, to share the same screen washer motor and water tank, which is usually housed in the motor ( engine ) compartment.
The tube that supplies water to the rear jet, is normally routed via one of the front windscreen posts or via the floor pan.
This installed at the same time as the main wiring loom.
It will have a pipe coupling connector, that joins the long tube from back of the car to the supply from the washer bottle.
Maybe it has not been connected correctly.
The jointing connector must be up behind the dash / pedal box somewhere.
Sounds like a quick fix.
If it’s a new car, you would have expected it to be picked up on the PDI check ?.

 

[cjb]

Try this thread

Washer Jets Freezing

Mine was doing the same and turned out the joint behind the front pillar had come loose. There seem to be a couple of joints in the run where this could happen.
Getting the trim off the front pillar was a bit fiddly, but easy fix once it was off.
Good luck.

 

[BeekeeperMG5]

Can I use my bare hands, or do I need special tools?

Thanks.

 

[cjb]

Can I use my bare hands, or do I need special tools?

Thanks.

I think it was mostly bare hands for me. Might have used a flat blade screwdriver on one of the fixings, but nothing special.

 

[Lovemyev]

A plastic pry tool maybe a good idea if you have one ?.

 

[Webbo]

My rear washer supply pipe has separated at a joint under the bonnet, it is low down behind the brake fluid reservoir. I can only just reach it with one hand and am finding it impossible to put back together as there is so much stuff in the way

 

[Colinw]

I had exact same problem, I could hear water behind the drivers side door pillar. And water Dripping into driver footwell when I was using rear washer. It was fixed during service. Garage advised thier is a Manifold behind the drivers pillar which is common weak point to fail during freezing up. MG fixed it under warranty.

 

[Smithy0603]

I had exact same problem, I could hear water behind the drivers side door pillar. And water Dripping into driver footwell when I was using rear washer. It was fixed during service. Garage advised thier is a Manifold behind the drivers pillar which is common weak point to fail during freezing up. MG fixed it under warranty.

Did you have any issue with MG for the warranty, mine has the same error and i have taken it in to the dealership for repair today, they said that they cannot guarantee it will be under warranty until inspection and evidence sent to the company and if it isnt it is £660 just for labour as they have to take the dashboard out (apparently)

 

[RichP]

Did you have any issue with MG for the warranty, mine has the same error and i have taken it in to the dealership for repair today, they said that they cannot guarantee it will be under warranty until inspection and evidence sent to the company and if it isnt it is £660 just for labour as they have to take the dashboard out (apparently)

Mine was done under warranty. I was given the same story about full dash out job but I’m not convinced that was done or even necessary. Unfortunately just another in a long line of MG5 issues I’ve had. I mean, what decent design engineer puts a vulnerable join in an inaccessible position on the bulkhead behind the dash inside the cabin…..! I’ve given up using the rear wash in any vaguely cold weather.

 

[Lovemyev]

I agree, it’s a bad design if you need to remove the dash to gain access, but honestly I do doubt that this is the case myself TBH.
If the concentration level of the screen wash is mixed strongly enough, then it should never freeze in the first place.
I like to mix my own and never use the premixed stuff.

 

[RichP]

I agree, it’s a bad design if you need to remove the dash to gain access, but honestly I do doubt that this is the case myself TBH.
If the concentration level of the screen wash is mixed strongly enough, then it should never freeze in the first place.
I like to mix my own and never use the premixed stuff.

I agree with you. However I took delivery of the vehicle (to replace my precious MG5 which they couldn’t fix after 6 months of trying!) from the main dealer in January and only had the vehicle a week or so when the failure happened. The washer reservoir was filled when I got it and I would expect the dealer to have filled it with an appropriate mix. Plus in all my years of driving, I’ve had frozen washer jets, but never failed pipework, even with the premixed stuff.

 

[Smithy0603]

I agree with you. However I took delivery of the vehicle (to replace my precious MG5 which they couldn’t fix after 6 months of trying!) from the main dealer in January and only had the vehicle a week or so when the failure happened. The washer reservoir was filled when I got it and I would expect the dealer to have filled it with an appropriate mix. Plus in all my years of driving, I’ve had frozen washer jets, but never failed pipework, even with the premixed stuff.

i agree, i have never had issues with pipework and it had antifreeze in at a high concentrate so it should never have happened, be interesting to see if they actually get the green light from warranty or whether i will have to pay for it. It is a '71' Plate and i have only had it 7 months so that part is worrying me about the warranty validity

 

[M44LCY]

i agree, i have never had issues with pipework and it had antifreeze in at a high concentrate so it should never have happened, be interesting to see if they actually get the green light from warranty or whether i will have to pay for it. It is a '71' Plate and i have only had it 7 months so that part is worrying me about the warranty validity

Hi. Just wondering how it turned out ref the warranty? My car has been in the dealer for a week - reattaching the pipe probably took half an hour (dash not removed) - the rest has been dealing with the after effects of the water on the electrics. I had to authorise the time to investigate, which has been racking up. I've just had a call to say they're finished with the car and they are going to ask the warranty adviser if it's covered. Other owners seem to have had it done under warranty - if your was too, it helps make my case.

 

[M44LCY]

I just received a message from the dealer - "There will be no charge to yourself for the time spent on your vehicle". Phew! The more of us who report the job as being done under warranty, the easier it will be for others to insist that theirs is done likewise.

 

[ChrisTheTaurean]

A plastic pry tool maybe a good idea if you have one ?.

Mine went over the new year(2024/5) period, following advice above and using little more than the plastic ice scraper to pry the column housing away carefully, clipping the retaining plastic tie at the top and carefully withdrawing it from the bottom, the hose had clearly decoupled. By the look of the cable tie on one side, I’d say this has happened at least once in my car (a 72 plate) so yeah, feels like a poorly thought out design issue. Willing to bet it’s replicated across the other mg models too. Once reattached I strengthened with a new cable tie on both sides of the joint.
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