[zehros]

Hi...so my screen washer stopped abruptly...I did the usual checks, fuses, no leaks and plenty of high grade fluid (Halfords) the motor was audible but not producing screen wash.The Hyundai service book does not recommend any specific fluid other than generic or water with additive.
After checking an owners site after the mechanic suggested it may be a blockage (I live in Scotland the water is soft and pure!) it appears this is not an uncommon problem. Rectified by cleaning reservoir filter or using air pressure. Which leads me to think this may be a design fault i.e. the filter mesh is too fine.
My car is still under warranty (2yrs left) but when I phoned the Hyundai dealership Service dept the first thing they told me was that if the problem was caused by a blockage (it is apparently gunked up) I would be liable to pay to resolve it.
Whoa!!! hang on...how is this my fault? I intend taking this up with Hyundai UK.
I would be interested in other owners experiences and thoughts. Cheers 

[Asterix]

I don't agree.
Hyundai haven't supplied whatever have been put into that reservoir. If the filter wasn't there, it could stuff up the washer motor or nozzles.
Be happy they have fitted a filter to save the expensive parts. Cleaning the filter is an easy DIY job.

By the way, I haven't had any problems with blockage, now 9 y/o and 266000 km. (the car, not me) 

[AlanHo]

It is a difficult one because if the filter is blocked - it means that whatever is blocking it was probably in the fluid that was added. Either as small particles or a bacterial or algae which can "grow" in the system.

I once had a similar problem and put some diluted bleach into the reservoir and left it overnight. The following day I turned a hose on the screen to dilute any bleach that might get sprayed while my wife tried the washer - and Bingo - it had cleared the problem

I'm not recommending it - just telling you what I did and got away with.

[eye30]

Check this post out and a few others

Window washers not spraying fluid/ working

Others

Windscreen washers not squirting

  Windscreen Washer Fluid

[Phil №❶]

Clean the filter yourself and dispense with the hassle.

Although you think your water is pure, calcium and other deposits are in water the filter is designed to protect their system.

[cruiserfied]

What you are describing is not a Warrantable concern.
Asterix has nailed it so i wont repeat what he has said.

[LaurieC]

I had exactly the same problem a few days ago. The Hyundai dealership said they were very busy, couldn't book me in for over 3  weeks, and didn't agree at all when I suggested it was a problem they should fix under warranty, as they are the only ones who have serviced the car and refilled the tank. So I decided to investigate myself, after reading some of the posts here.

First I unplugged the black pipe that goes up to the front washers, and using a bicycle pump, blew air back through it into the tank. Bubbles came up through the water in the tank. I tried the washers again, and they worked, rather feebly though.

I looked into the tank and was shocked to find lots of brown organic looking stuff floating about in it, some clumps being as big as the top joint of my thumb! How this has happened in a car that is only 2 1/2 years old, done only 30.000Km and serviced by the dealer I don't know.

I wasn't keen to remove the wheel arch to get at the tank. I'm no mechanic. So using low tech common sense methods I siphoned the water out of the tank and kept topping up with clean water until the water ran clear. The first water to come out was just disgusting. I then put some of the washer fluid in, but not much, probably about 40ml. I'm suspicious that the fluid may cause the problem rather than fixing it.

I am guessing the algae or bacterial growth or whatever it was blocked the filter. Blowing with the bicycle pump flushed some of it out of the filter back into the tank and partially cleared it, and what I did next is probably a long term fix.

Everything is working like new now. Thanks to the other posters who pointed me in the right direction. No thanks to the dealer. How hard would it be to look in the tank to check for contamination before topping it up so this problem could be fixed before it stopped the washers working?

[tw2005]

I had exactly the same problem a few days ago. The Hyundai dealership said they were very busy, couldn't book me in for over 3  weeks, and didn't agree at all when I suggested it was a problem they should fix under warranty, as they are the only ones who have serviced the car and refilled the tank. So I decided to investigate myself, after reading some of the posts here.

First I unplugged the black pipe that goes up to the front washers, and using a bicycle pump, blew air back through it into the tank. Bubbles came up through the water in the tank. I tried the washers again, and they worked, rather feebly though.

I looked into the tank and was shocked to find lots of brown organic looking stuff floating about in it, some clumps being as big as the top joint of my thumb! How this has happened in a car that is only 2 1/2 years old, done only 30.000Km and serviced by the dealer I don't know.

I wasn't keen to remove the wheel arch to get at the tank. I'm no mechanic. So using low tech common sense methods I siphoned the water out of the tank and kept topping up with clean water until the water ran clear. The first water to come out was just disgusting. I then put some of the washer fluid in, but not much, probably about 40ml. I'm suspicious that the fluid may cause the problem rather than fixing it.

I am guessing the algae or bacterial growth or whatever it was blocked the filter. Blowing with the bicycle pump flushed some of it out of the filter back into the tank and partially cleared it, and what I did next is probably a long term fix.

Everything is working like new now. Thanks to the other posters who pointed me in the right direction. No thanks to the dealer. How hard would it be to look in the tank to check for contamination before topping it up so this problem could be fixed before it stopped the washers working?

Unusual issue. How often do you use the washer?

I put additive in mine and I give the screen a squirt at least once a day first up to clean it.

So probably at least once a month it gets fresh water and new additive.

Ho woften does your tank get refilled?

In 33 years of motoring I can't say i've had an issue except on my last car where the seals on the washer pump to tank joint perished and the inside portion started to break up and end up in the pump and jets.

[LaurieC]

Yes, I have never seen this before. Got my licence at age 15, now 67, and been driving all that time. We have another car, an old Astra TS, had it 17 years now from new and this has never happened to it. I can only speculate that dirty water may have been added by the dealer at some point.

Organic contamination of the washer fluid does seem to be quite common if you search on Google. Usually the posters think it's algae, but apparently they only grow in sunlight, so perhaps it was a bacteria culture.

Anyway, I'll be checking regularly from now on.

[LaurieC]

To answer your question about how often the tank is filled - not very often. My wife mostly drives the car, and she reports she doesn't need to use the washers very often. I don't remember ever topping it up, so it might only ever have been topped up at the dealer services. It may very well never have been run out completely, and perhaps that is the problem.

[sundiz]

Never had issues with washer fluid. I try to use same fluid all the time. Seen few cars having issues after mixing different fluids. All had some sort of jellyfishy blockage in the reservoir. All reservoirs were topped up with some cheap stuff. There were some sort of chemical in the cheap stuff which had a reaction with other brand stuff in the bottom of the reservoir. The cheap stuff worked well if it was added to empty reservoir.

[AlanHo]

Stale water without additives = algae growth and the jelly forming

Bit like the diesel tank problems you guys down under sometimes experience