Rear Wiper Water Jet - kinked hoses?

[BLAKROC]

Hey guys

Quick Q.. My rear wiper jet stopped shooting water a while back, which i brought up at the last service.

Apparently there are 3 kinks in the hose that supplies the rear jet, so they're looking at going ahead and ordering new parts. However since the whole hose line needs replaced, i've been told they have to have to remove the inner lining of the roof etc.. long story short, 6 hours labour and costs approaching 900 incl parts and labour for a wiper to fire water!

I'd be able to get some sort of discount through a contact, but i'm thinking is there some way i can just put a clamp on the hose where it comes of the reservoir and just not use it (without affecting the functional front jet)?

I'd of just left the rear jet all together, but was warned that water will eventually link through the kinks and make the roof soggy leading to interior damage

For that kind of money, I could upgrade the exhaust or replace all 4 tyres (which need doin)!

Thoughts? Anyone else experienced this?

Cheers lads

[jamesatfish]

I haven't been driving my Polo lately (it's an MY07) but just checked as I don't have any roof lining on the car.

The water pipe for the rear jet (seen behind the rubber cover on the top left of the boot opening) works its way down the interior trim on the passenger's side of the car. There is a connector in the pipe roughly above the rear passenger wheel arch, and the pipe then proceeds down to the floor and runs along the side of the car at floor level before going through the firewall under the passenger's feet.

The piping is wrapped together with the 3rd brake light cables at least as far as the passenger's door.

The piping itself is a hard plastic ridged tube - it's not a soft PVC tubing and I can't see how it could get 'kinked' as it is wrapped tightly with the electrical wiring and run hard between the interior trim and the side of the car. It is possible for the hose to be clogged somehow as it's only a small diameter and I've thought this to be more likely. That's probably why the hose is made in joined sections - it should be relatively easy to remove the connectors, test the pump and see where the blockages are.

Unless there were major changes in this design between 06 and 07 I'd be wary of anyone who wants to pull the roof lining to reach the water pipe.

Let me know if you want some pics and I'll grab them next time I'm in the Polo.

[Blitzen]

I think the dealer is feeding you bull****. Just pull the whole wiper assembly out and blank off the hole... It looks a whole lot neater... All you need is a Phillips head screw driver, a 13mm socket, a pair of pliers, and a bung.

[BLAKROC]

Thanks guys, appreciate the info! I'll look into it over the next few days when I get some spare time and let you know how it goes.

I may just go the wiper/water jet delete as suggested by Blitzen.. I should be okay for pics for the time being, but cheers for the offer

[Tarq57]

The rear washer on my car hasn't worked until today.

Reason? That hard ribbed plastic tube was broken. It was conveniently broken inside the rubber sleeve at the top left of the hatch opening, as I found when I removed that sleeve.

The cure was a piece of fuel lead, approx 6 or 7mm in diameter, pressed over and down both ends of the break. Cost = $0.00, and about 15 minutes of my time.

Prior to the fix any water from the washer was probably squirting into the inside of the hatch, as far as I can tell, and exiting via the drain hole at the bottom centre.