Remove airbox - '96 940 turbo
 

Most annoying: I seem to have lost or tidied away all of my 740 and 940 Haynes manuals.

So what? I hear you cry.

The screenwash on my prettier Sport is doing nothing: no noise from the pump so it's the pump or the switch or a wire. Rear screenwash fine so it's not the fuse. And sod's law states that the pump for the front screenwash is the one right underneath the airbox.

I have two spare pumps, and even a spare airbox (already fitted with turboplus, but whether working or not I know not) but it would be wasteful just to chop up the airbox. But until I get to the pump I cannot discover whether I am getting volts to the pump or not.

Something in the middle of the front of the airbox seems to be holding it in. Sort of underneath where the turboplus is. And the only way I can see to get to find out what that something is will be to remove the headlight. That SHOULD b easy but it makes me nervous because it is so easy to take the head off one or more of the little 10mm (head size) bolts that hold the headlight in.

So, do I in fact have to take the headlight out or is there a trick to getting the airbox out that I have not yet discovered?

And I want to get at the screenwash reservoir anyway because I want to wire in a 960-style header tank with a water level sensor - the easy way being to hook that up to the screenwash level sensor wire. Somebody was supposed to have done it for me but they just cut off the wires from the header tank sensor! Duh!.

Judicious brutality!
 

Solved it: judicious brutality. Now to test spare pump(s) and reassemble.

That's the best description of the appropriate level of violence I've seen in a long time. You should copyright it!

Before I retired I was a copyright lawyer!

Developments!
 

Old header tank had a level sensor up its bottom, but paralleling it to the screenwash sensor the warning light came on. It didn't rattle and the bottom of the header tank said there was no float in it. So I got a new header tank from Trust Motor Parts (was Braydons) and a new sensor just in case. managed to tip contents of old header tank into saucepan and re-fill the new one. Perfick! warning light off. Using the old sensor. Now I will need to run the screenwash dry as a test.

I decided to wash the old header tank out and keep it as spare. After some soaking bleaching and washing up liquid and shaking with rubber gloves it is less grubby - and lo! and behold! it rattles, so there IS a float in there. But I want to get it cleaner.

How to clean the rest of deposited **** out of the old header tank???? Jetwash will only do the cap end because there is a sort of baffle halfway along and the float too. How about Coca-cola? Then much rinsing. Or see if a plumber will let me have some DS9? Can of Holts radflush?

Hi Roger,

Hmm, I know what you mean about a rather disgusting looking screenwash bottle.

As you've got if off the car at the moment, would perhaps suggest several applications of using Bicarbonate of Soda, perhaps say 2-3 teaspoons of powder, then top up with boiling water, it will fizz so just fill slowly.

Will need perhaps 4-5 or more goes I would expect, leave overnight till cold, then add some abrasive such as pastry baking beans or rice, and shake to loosen debris.

Might also be worth using white vinegar to dissolve any limescale in the tank as well.

Good luck, cheers,
Steve

PS just twigged you said header tank, not screenwash bottle!!!!

I have only experienced this problem of a gunked-up washer tank and top filter twice both relatively quickly over the past 3 years on my 745.

On both ocassions the filter more or less refused to pass fluid into the tank and was rank!!

I cleaned both easily with Astonish Oxy Plus foaming oyxegan laundry cleaner and a bottle brush! I am sure the Vanish product would do the same!

It is clear than the basic cause of the problem is modern cheapo screen wash products introduced to avoid the environmental use of old time methanol etc ingrediants in the mix.

I now pay a little more for Prestone Extreme Screenwash Consentrate which causes absolutely no problems with fungal growth.

Bob :)

Yes but
 

The screenwash bottle (once out) is easy by comparison because there is better access to the whole of the tank. My current issue is the header tank. Much of the inside is unreachable through any hole. Perhaps a foaming cleanser might be of use - there are also some for lavatories. Experiments next week!

I've heard denture tablets work well