jalopy

i own a 96 maxima gle and windshield washer fluid will not squirt from the nozzles. the resevoir is full and the hoses appear in good condition. can someone offer me some advice on what the problem could be and where to start? or if there is already a thread posted on this issue, could you please link me to it? i'm trying to avoid taking the car to the shop to get the problem fixed so any help would be appreciated. thanks!

Jepht20

iTrader: (10)

are the nozzles clogged? did you recently wax it? can you hear the pump or motor (whatever you call it) getting power?

jalopy

actually, the nozzles are not clogged as far as i can tell, and i do not hear any pump action. could it be a bad pump or a burnt out fuse?

Jatan

iTrader: (3)

How is the weather over there?

jalopy

i'm glad to say that i was able to fix the problem by myself today. i determined that the washer pump was not working. apparently from what the guys at autozone and the guys at my local nissan dealer said, it is a pretty common problem since the pump can go unused for a long period of time allowing residue buildup.

i bought a new washer pump at autozone for $18. i ended up returning it because i preferred a pump with a connector socket similar to the oem part. so, i went to my local nissan dealer and was surprised that the oem pump was only $16, $2 less than what autozone was charging.

after buying the appropriate pump, i was able to remove the front passenger wheel well cover to replace the malfunctioning pump attached to the washer fluid reservoir. before putting the wheel well cover back, i tested the new pump and was relieved to see washer fluid squirting out of the nozzles. the resolution made my saturday feel productive for this maxima owner.

one caveat...when removing the old pump, have a container ready to drain the washer fluid into, assuming the reservoir is full, so that you can pour the fluid back into the reservoir once the pump is replaced.