I can see that the front washer is working great but the rear is clearly blocked when I remove it from the washer jet , How many sections are there in the rear pipe ,is it easier to replace it all ?

Ginge, December 2008

I spoke to my local ford garage today and they said it may be my washer return valve is blocked, but for the life of me, I cannot find it.

joseph hart, April 2010

In the case of the 5 door hatchback, and I see no reason for the estate to be any different; there is a non return valve present in the pipe leading to the rear washer. It is located above the headlining just above the left hand 'C' pillar and has a tendancy to block over time. This can be simply be replaced or the original cleaned out and returned to service, thus restoring the rear washer to full working order.

Robert, January 2010

I had success in sorting the probem but i'm still not really aware of what was causing it.
I removed the nearside wheel.
removed the six screws that hold in the liner. All are visible apart from one under the sill.
Removed one bolt in the engine compartment and two underneath the wing that holds the reservoir in place.
Pulled out the filler section of pipe. A few twists and pulls remove this.
Dropped the water bottle enough to remove the feed pipes off, drained the bottle and removed the motor.
The bottom of the bottle was full of gunge so I prised out the black filter and cleaned it and the bottle.
Tried everything again and still no flow to rear.
I tried blowing in the pipe and there was obviously a blockage.
There is no signs of a non return valve.
I blew in compssed air and still blocked.
I then filled a funnel with hot water and suspended it for a few minutes. More compressed air and left attached with 40psi for five minutes. Still no joy.
I then stuck a piece of insulated wire up the pipe for the 18 or so inches that it would go and it appeared to go no further than where the pipe disappears into the front bulkhead. I repeated the compressed air and finally signs of some water were detected on the rear window.
I left air flowing for a few more minutes then put the pump and pipes all together and after a minute of depressing the rear wipe switch, it was working again.
There was no sign of any dirt, so I can only assume that there may well be an NRV hidden somewhere.
I cannot think of any other reason for a solid blockage.

Nobby, December 2008

I've searched the web further and discovered:
1) that the same pump does front and back so unlikely to be a pump problem. The pump works in forward and reverse depending on where water is demanded. So for the front or rear!
2) There may be a non return valve on the pipe to the rear (and maybe the front). It apparently is a small ball bearing that stops water flowing back to the reservoir. If it is stuck in situ, then no water is going to flow.
I'll update later once I get round to dealing with the problem.

Nobby, December 2008

No answer but I have the same problem. I assumed it was blocked at the outlet but I removed the top brake light and washer pipe and still no flow. I know the pump is working and there is no water loss from the reservoir, so there is no leak or pipe detached and it is not frozen either.
I've tried blowing in compressed air from the rear and still no joy.
Next move is to try and gain access to the pump and reservoir to see if the problem lies there.
It's too cold to do anything at present, but if I suceed I'll let you know what I find.
Maybe you could do the same if you find a solution first.

Nobby, December 2008