2012 S3 - headlight washer jamming open

[V6monkey]

Had a search but couldn't really find much info, so figured I'd ask...

So the next tidy up job I need to do on the S3 is to resolve the sticking headlight washer nozzle. When it operates it nearly always jams and gets caught on the cover. It seems to go out too far and then catch on the cover itself or one of the side arms that the cover pivots from.

I initially thought that it is probably an alignment issue where the bumper has been taken off before (inevitable on a 7 year old car, but I'm not sure. What are the usual things to try and identify look for in order to diagnose the cause, or do most just loosen the bumper off on the sticking side and try to get them to fit better?

All advice welcomed.

Matt

 

[NHN]

Usually its bumper fitment bud, loosen, adjust then retest.

 

[V6monkey]

Yeah, I figured that was probably the case. Thanks for confirming.

 

[SootySport]

Lots of hours to fiddle and adjust I guess. Take the bumper of first to see if anything is broken and go from there.

 

[V6monkey]

I think I read that 2010-, the washer unit is attached to the headlight? So getting bumper misaligned probably would be the main cause, but I'll check anyway. Will have to wait untl the spring if it's a bumper totally off job.

 

[SootySport]

Not attached to the headlight, just fits into the bumper.

 

[V6monkey]

Ah. Crap. Bumper off it is then.

 

[majeric]

Ah. ****. Bumper off it is then.

Why don’t you take the wheel off, and then the wheel arch off and get to it that way.

Probably far easier than bumper off.


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[SootySport]

I don’t think you’ll see much doing it that way.

 

[Bryant1998]

I’ve very recently had bumper and headlights off, headlight washers are attached to the front slam panel that supports the rad etc.

If I was you I’d take bumper off, it’s annoying but not exactly a difficult process...

When bumper is off make sure the washer jets can slide in and out freely and make sure the springs on the bumper haven’t moved/jammed etc as that could cause them to be catching.

If that’s no use maybe check your slam panel for cracks as if you can a small crack from a previous incident you maybe find that that is why things aren’t aligning, I’ve found out the hard way that things not aligning 100% usually means a tiny bit of plastic has snapped, which in the end costs £100’s to rectify...


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[V6monkey]

Cool. Good info!