Hey All! New poster here. Looks like a good forum.

I have an '01 CL type S that I've had for about 4 years. It has lived in a very hot climate (Las Vegas and Phoenix) for many years. The washer fluid is causing a bad cloudiness on the windshield. I've thoroughly cleaned the tank, run LOTS of clean fluid/water through the lines and it still happens. The cloudiness is very bad (like a glue) and necessitates a hard scrubbing with fluid not from the reservoir. Was told by a dealer mechanic that it is caused by the deterioration of the plastic lines from the reservoir to the squirter heads. When I asked him if he could replace the lines, he said I wouldn't want to pay them what it would cost (guess he didn't want to scare me off or didn't want to be bothered). So now I guess i will tackle it myself. My questions: Anyone have this problem? Have you replaced the lines? Was it as hard a job as the mechanic indicated? And, finally, where might I get replacement lines?

P.S. Hit a deer last weekend-amazing the damage they can do to sheet metal. Alas, his day was worse than mine as insurance will cover it all.

 

Seems EZ to me. I would start with the cheapest/easiest parts, and work my way up.

I don't know what that guy was talking about, but it's an easy job. Maybe the squirting nozzle may be difficult, but still shouldn't be too bad.


I've never heard of your problem. The only thing I could think of is: someone put in some serious chemical shit in your tank and it started eating the plastic, or the plastic is melting from touching something hot.

Nothing is hot around that area, so I think someone put the wrong fluid in your system. The reservoir is a hundred bucks, but that's the only expensive part of the entire assembly.

Here's a pic:



And a link to the parts:
http://www.acuraoemparts.com/delray/...All&vinsrch=no

 

Thanks K. Was hoping I could find a generic tubing cheap. This looks like close to $100 for all the tubing pieces/parts.

 

what kind of cleaner are you running through the system? did you try to replace the wipers?

 

maybe that's why he said "you wouldn't want to pay for it." It might be a ridiculously expensive bill for a relatively easy job.

 

Pics or it didnt happen.

 

My right nozzle just stopped working, and I took off the hood insulator to see how the wiper fluid was working. This setup is so simple, I can't believe anyone with a screwdriver would call it difficult.

My problem was just a connector that broke, but I could see how the system was working. To diagnose where the white cloudy fluid is coming from, disconnect the split at part number 24. Just twist the tube and pull it, and it will come off.

Spray the water from the hose directly on to the windshield. Is it cloudy?

If no, then the problem is your nozzles or the tubing connecting directly to it.

If yes, then the problem is your reservoir tank, or the fill up tube that goes into it.

 

I don't want to disrupt the discussion, but it seems pretty improbable to me that windshield wiper juice would discolor your windshield. In the roughly 50 years I've owned cars I've never seen it happen.

However, there is one thing. Rain-X makes, or made, a windshield wiper juice that was spiked with their product. I don't know if you've used Rain-X but if you haven't I suggest you keep it that way - which is to say don't use it. The stuff causes water to bead up and run off, and in fact it works quite well when you first apply it and if you re-apply it periodically. However if someone put the stuff on, or it found its way via the juice, and then let it partially wear away then you get this nasty gray looking sort of muddy discoloration of the windshield.

That is the only thing that occurs to me that might be causing your problem. I do not know how to get the stuff off, other than time, but I do know they make a very expensive remover for the stuff.

Oh, on those hoses - try a pet shop, aquarium tubing cost about ten cents a foot. I've used it on a lot of cars. Also, any generic real auto-parts store (not one of those Wal-Mart Wannabees) should have wiper fluid tubing in different sizes for not much money.

 

if i were in ur situation OP i would just take those parts all out of the car completely. inspect the resivour thoroughly, i would even go as far as taking the little pump out and seeing if the impelor looks eaten up or anything looks outta wack. i`d replace both nozzles since one is already a little messed u said and also replace the tubing pieces. all of them.

clean the resivor out thoroughly including the neck portion (which is the hardest to clean and probably would hold most of the crap that may taint new fluid) with some sort of soap or whatever u chose. then rinse it several times, let it dry thoroughly. including the neck portion reassemble. then i`d use only water through the system first and if somehow it still happens then u have a mutant car. but if it did still happen after all that, then i would spray some water in a cup through the nozzles, then disconnect the nozzles and fill a different cup with that water... see if there is a discoloration. if not u know it`s not ur new nozzles (this is why i would get two in ur scenario to eliminate any possibility they are decaying as they spary onto ur windshield) Then u know for a fact it is either the pump or resivour.

I highly doubt u`ll have to go that far. My belief is it`s the nozzles decaying, or crap in the resivour tainting ur fluid and pump.

 

IIRC there was a TSB in the early 2000s about the low quality windshield washer tubing.