Rep Power: 0

This is weird. Since we got this car, I fill the washer fluid up and it pumps about half way up the windshield. ( I removed and soaked the jets in warm water and they're wide open ). THEN as it gets a little lower in the bottle, often a few days later, it starts piddling lower and lower until it's not pumping at all, even though the reservoir must still be 2/3 full?

Just a weak pump that needs replacing?

I see pumps on Ebay for $15. Is this something I can do myself, without a rack or jack stands? I looked online and see approximately where it's located.
Can I get on my back and reach it?

 
Rep Power: 518

Open the hood and retry the washers.

If it is still weak look for fluid spraying from leaks like a cracked hose or plastic fitting.

If it squirts stronger with the hood open look at the tubing by the drivers side hood hinge.

I've seen the hose on the drivers side get kinked, twisted, mauled, and seen it get stuck under the edge of the hood smashing it flat on other cars.

 
Rep Power: 518

You might disconnect the tubing from the 90 degree elbow and see if the flow is strong there, and look at the tubing towards the pump for other restrictions.

I'm thinking a pump is not a regular failure for this, it's more often hose problems...clogs and restrictions.

 
Rep Power: 0

What's weird is that I had my mechanic look at it and he said it worked fine in his shop and he thought the reservoir had frozen up, as if someone had diluted the fluid with water last summer ( before we bought the car ). So he added some fluid. But it started doing the same thing when I took it home again. But I'll try that with the hood open, as you describe above, and see. Thanks.

This is such a high quality forum, I really appreciate you folks!

 
Rep Power: 518

I doubt it is frozen, if the reservoir or hoses freeze up there would usually be zero fluid flow.

If it really is frozen it's easiest to wait until it thaws out and run the pump until the tank is empty, then refill with store bought washer juice good to -20*F.

In the spring and summer we use blue soap pills and water in the washer tanks, and it is straight water so it will freeze up. We can spend quite a bit of time in the winter trying to get that damn stuff thawed out of the tanks. I have a garden hose hooked to the water heater in the shop just for this purpose.

 
Rep Power: 0

I've always just used the store bought stuff, and been fine. But we just bought the car around September.

 
Rep Power: 0

Ezone, thank you SO much for that post! It got me to thinking. My mechanic looked at it and said it was working fine, and gave it back to me. ( he could have replaced the pump, but this guy is affordable, competent AND honest - a RARE combination! ) When I got it back, it did the same thing again - squirted at the bottom of the windshield until the tank level was a little lower, then stopped completely! So I'm thinking; What did my mechanic do differently, and it dawned on me! He must have tried it with the HOOD OPEN! So today I had some time and opened the hood and ran the pump and it squirted like gangbusters! I played with some of the tubing in the area you mentioned - that right angle! Moved it out of the clamp a little. Closed the hood and it worked PERFECTLY!

Here's a snapshot. See the blackened area of the hose? I moved that past the clamp by maybe an inch, and it works like crazy now! Not sure what a permanent fix would be, but this sure works for now! Thanks and Happy New Year!