Has anyone heard of this? For several weeks, Red Hot Momma has had weak windshield washer fluid delivery. The delivery had essentially fallen to zero.
For those joining us through search results, Red Hot Momma is a 2021 Gladiator with 4x,xxx miles. Not an old vehicle whatsoever.
I've been driving for 35 years, doing mechanic work for myself as well as through employment mixed in since. This is a completely new encounter, even in old vehicles. Apparently, it can happen according to a Giggle search. Who the hell knew? Not this guy.
Turns out the reservoir had floaty things in it. Lots of floaties. First thought was a refill contamination. But then it occurred I've not yet needed to fill it. Next thought was a defective tank or cap. Inspection, and the fact there's no leakage, says otherwise. Here's how it looked after mostly draining it:
I tried rinsing it with a garden hose, allowing it to overtop and flush it out. The floaties did just that. But that stuff on the walls remained in place. Stuck. It was growing there!!!
A toothbrush in a hose made a great cleaning tool.
Moar flushing, moar filling, then moar draining until no more floaties were visible. I tested operation with plain water to verify. Drain again, fill with washer fluid, and one final test. Success!
Oh, how to drain the tank in place? Easy peasy. If you have an air compressor that is. Place a hose in the bottom of the tank, cut a slit in the other end, insert a blower nozzle. Give it a shot of air. Bernoulli provides us nice siphon action.
For those joining us through search results, Red Hot Momma is a 2021 Gladiator with 4x,xxx miles. Not an old vehicle whatsoever.
I've been driving for 35 years, doing mechanic work for myself as well as through employment mixed in since. This is a completely new encounter, even in old vehicles. Apparently, it can happen according to a Giggle search. Who the hell knew? Not this guy.
Turns out the reservoir had floaty things in it. Lots of floaties. First thought was a refill contamination. But then it occurred I've not yet needed to fill it. Next thought was a defective tank or cap. Inspection, and the fact there's no leakage, says otherwise. Here's how it looked after mostly draining it:
I tried rinsing it with a garden hose, allowing it to overtop and flush it out. The floaties did just that. But that stuff on the walls remained in place. Stuck. It was growing there!!!
A toothbrush in a hose made a great cleaning tool.
Moar flushing, moar filling, then moar draining until no more floaties were visible. I tested operation with plain water to verify. Drain again, fill with washer fluid, and one final test. Success!
Oh, how to drain the tank in place? Easy peasy. If you have an air compressor that is. Place a hose in the bottom of the tank, cut a slit in the other end, insert a blower nozzle. Give it a shot of air. Bernoulli provides us nice siphon action.
