Windsheild washer pump/motor

hitlayers · Nov 14th, 2006, 11:29 AM

Hey guys/gals, I'm new to the forum, I signed up to help my girlfriend who has a 2001 nissan pathfinder, for about a month now (since she got it back from the repair shop) her washer fluid does not stream out anymore and it is completely full also there is no pump/motor sound whatsoever.

I know usually when the washer fluid is empty you would at least hear a slight hum from the motor/pump but we hear nothing. My question is, where should I check first? Where is the motor/pump located? She has a repair manual but I guess this is not considered a major problem for the book to go into detail about.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Zilverado · Nov 14th, 2006, 11:42 AM

Hey Welcome Aboard!

My guess - - an electrical problem, not the pump itself, but...

Yes you should hear the pump running - even when the fluid reservoir is empty. The first thing to check would be the fuse. I assume there may be one specifically for the washer pump. It should be in the main fuse block of the vehicle, which should be located inside the vehicle - usually on the drivers side, behind an access door on the lower part of the dash board to the left of the steering column (near the driver's door). Check to make sure the fuse is not burned. If it is, replace it and see if all is well. If it burns again, you have a short somewhere.

As for the washer pump, it will likely be located underneath/inside the washer fluid reservior. The pump itself will likely be cylindrical shaped, about 3" long and 1" in diameter. Check to make sure the electrical connections to the pump are properly connected. Last resort, remove the reservoir and the pump (typically not a big deal) and check to make sure the pump is operational. If it needs to be replaced, this too is not a big deal...

So, hope that helps.

hitlayers · Nov 14th, 2006, 03:00 PM

Thanks Zilverado for your response, my first check was going to be to make sure the electrical wires were connected properly but I had a hard time finding the to the pump/motor and her book did not help at all, then the next step would be to check the fuse box which I think I'm going to do first, I have a 2000 Acura 3.2 TL, I'm not very familiar with trucks, also would you have a link to a site that would show under the hood and under body in detail. Thanks again for your help!

Zilverado · Nov 14th, 2006, 07:57 PM

Sorry - no specific help on the under hood/body information. I myself drive a 92 Pathfinder, and have information on it, but not a 2001.

Are there specific things you are trying to locate or just looking for general information?

hitlayers · Nov 15th, 2006, 08:29 AM

Well, I just want to get a little more familiar with it to try and save my GF some money on minor repairs and the repair manual is not helpful for everything, so I basically just wanted to know where everything is located on the car so I can do self checks, I know for my car there's some parts sites that show a very broad view of the engine/components/minor/major parts and I thought it would be the same for this car.