Rear Washer Hose

[HeadShoT2009]

Hi, my 51 plate Mk1 Ford Focus 1.6Zetec is due for MOT later this month, but I nned to repair my rear washer hose as the section that goes inbetween th gator in to the tail gate has got brittle and split and has been leaking in my head linging. Hopefully I noticed this before it done to much damage. But for the MOT you need your rear washer, can someone please help me fix this problem, I think I know what I have to do is get a replacement piece of washer tube(the thing is I dont know what size I need) and some how join the sections together.

Also can someone tell me where I can get the rear top brake light unit as the washer jet that is built into it on mine don't really have a patern anymore, also how do you get the unit out of the hatch as I've undone the two screws before I seem to get one end half out and then the other end seems to get stuck.

Thanks in advance

[stef123]

the rear wiper/washer are not testable last time i checked..

you should be able to get tubing and suitable fittings from the likes of Halfords or a local motor factors. do you know what the outside diameter of the tubing is? should be able to work out the inside diameter..

[Lenny]

The bulbs in that brake light are replaceable mate,

their w5w 501 same as the parking lights in the front, Click Here their clear in colour too, once the screws are removed I think it just pulls out,

you could take out the existing screws the get a bigger maybe a woodscrew self tapping type,

screw it in just enough to grip the lens then pull gently with a pliers,

should come out easy.

If you want you can also upgrade to brighter led version found here Click Here

If you decide to fit the led type, get something heavy and place it on the brake pedal, to provide power to the brake light unit, you will need the power to tell you if your LED Bulbs are in the correct way around, as they are led's they don't have reverse polarity like regular bulbs, and its better to know if their the wrong way around befor you seal it back up.

as for the pipe if you remove the rear spoiler their is a male to male joint inside as the water jet itself has a little pipe leading from it that joins to one end of the male adaptor

the other pipe that is broken connects to the opposite end of this male adaptor

remove the rear spoiler by opening the boot,

using both hands one top and bottom of the panel under the rear spoiler in the boot,

their is 5 bolts all together two are visible before removing this panel,

they can be seen either end of the boot panel,

put a duvet or bubble wrap on the roof so as not to scratch it when removing the spoiler

as its not glued to the body its just bolted,

count and take note of the amount of rotations you do to removing each bolt,

you will need this for putting the bolts back in as if you tighten them back in too much you could split the spoiler,

also look at the side of the spoiler when the boot is open, you will see a small clip like a U shape one end going in to the spoiler the other end gripping the inside of the glass, get a point nose pliers and slide these out, their around half an inch long,

dont worry the glass wont fall out, these stop the spoiler from vibrating off the glass if the bolts ever shook loose, keep all the parts in a coke bottle or somthing, cut one in half and store the parts in it until you return with the pipe,

once the spoiler is removed you can take the small hose with you to Halfords or similar outlet and compare the size, purchasing an exact match,

once you have the hose you can also seal the broken rubber grommet from the inside of it providing a more secure seal and a lasting finish.

you can drive perfectly with the spoiler removed, you wont dammage or lose anything,

also it would be a good safeguard to spray some WD-40 or simmilar on the area before you re-fit the spoiler to prevent the area from rusting after the water jet has been leaking on it for so long,

I know all this as I've removed my rear spoiler and fitted an ST one,

Hope this is helpful to you :)

[HeadShoT2009]

How do I find the outside diameter also what is the best method of rejoining them. Also the reason for wanting to replace the brake light unit is not because the bulbs gone but so I can have a new washer jet as there built into the unit. By the way lenny I have a mk1 and by the look of your pics urs is a mk2. Thanks again guys.

[stef123]

How do I find the outside diameter also what is the best method of rejoining them. Also the reason for wanting to replace the brake light unit is not because the bulbs gone but so I can have a new washer jet as there built into the unit. By the way lenny I have a mk1 and by the look of your pics urs is a mk2. Thanks again guys.

You could use a ruler or tape measure to find out the diameter. If its about 5 or 6mm OD then it will probably be 3mm ID (1/8"). should be very easy to come by, also the fittings shouldnt be a problem for joining it.

[Lenny]

You could use a ruler or tape measure to find out the diameter. If its about 5 or 6mm OD then it will probably be 3mm ID (1/8"). should be very easy to come by, also the fittings shouldnt be a problem for joining it.

The diameter of your hose connecting the front jets in the bonnet should be the same as the diameter of the hose in the rear,

If you look under the bonnet you should see a Y split with the two jets being fed from that,

you could unplug one of the jets with the short length of pipe on it, bring it with you and compare sizes, and although my model is a MK2.5 a male to male adaptor to join two water jet pipes together is available for any car in any good motor factors, as quoted in my previous post,

Your welcome. btw

Male-Male Adaptor Click Here other sizes also available

Edited September 2, 2011 by Lenny

[andy_1984]

havnt had as much as an advisory for my rear washer that stopped working 3 years ago

[HeadShoT2009]

I think the outside diameter is 8mm and inside is 5mm. I've got the brake light unit out, but am not sure where to get a replacement.

[Lenny]

I think the outside diameter is 8mm and inside is 5mm. I've got the brake light unit out, but am not sure where to get a replacement.

This one maybe ? Click Here a bit pricey for a second hand part, or here Click Here ill keep looking for you mate bare with me B)

[PaulHere]

Hello there all.

Been following this topic as I'm trying to restore operation to the rear washer on our MK1. The motor whirrs but no water emerges onto the rear screen, but there is evidence of water inside the inner tailgate.

My question is how to get under that inner tailgate panel? I assume that the motor and the washer hose are behind, I have removed the four plastic screws but the plastic panel stays firmly on.

Am I being too gentle or missing something?

[artscot79]

It needs a good tug as it has pop type clips on it give it a good pull and it will come off

[changy]

Hello there all.

Been following this topic as I'm trying to restore operation to the rear washer on our MK1. The motor whirrs but no water emerges onto the rear screen, but there is evidence of water inside the inner tailgate.

My question is how to get under that inner tailgate panel? I assume that the motor and the washer hose are behind, I have removed the four plastic screws but the plastic panel stays firmly on.

Am I being too gentle or missing something?

I know this is a month later but did you get this issue resolved? I have just fixed my 53 plate Focus and it was a bit of a pain.

The water pipe is rubber internally and is routed above the roof felt on the passenger side. If you open the rear hatch and gently prise the felt away you will see the pipe. It then connects to a corrugated black pipe (8mm OD) which feeds through the gaiter along with the cables for boot release, number plate lights etc. It then connects to the back of the upper brake light unit where the washer jet is located. I searched everywhere for the corrugated tube but to no avail. I could only find 10mm so the internal diameter was incorrect.

I resolved it by getting some thick walled water pipe which had a 6mm ID. Here is what I did.

1. Remove the upper brake light. Be careful not to pull it too hard, I found it easier to pull slightly whilst easing it to the left side.

2. Remove the electrical connector and the pipe from the rear of the unit

3. Take the new hose and feed it up** from the roof void area, though the gaiter; it should appear in the gap left by the light unit

** use some silicone lube to ensure it runs smoothly through the gaiter and ensure the tube is long enough. I took a 0.5 metre length so I had spare to play with.

4. Push the tube onto the nipple at the back of the light unit, reconnect the electrical plug then gently push back into place. Put the connector in first on the RH side and then the whole unit fits snug. Secure with the two torx screws.

5. You will need a thru-connector for the tube which you can get from a motor factors. Push one end of the connector into the existing tube and the other into the new tube. I cut my tube to the correct length so it didn't bend or put undue pressure near the gaiter.

You should now have a new water feed to the rear washer. Test it for any leaks. If you find any leaks I advise some silicone sealant in a small amount. This will require you to dry all connections then smearing a small amount of sealant. Use a flexible one that will form a nice watertight seal but will still flex and also allow you to remove the connections at a later date should you need to. Give it sufficient curing time and then test again.

I hope that helps, please feel free to ask anything in case I have missed something

[Luke12345]

I had the problem where the rear wash did not work on an 04 plate Focus Estate. The front was OK so I knew it wasn't the pump (there's only one pump for both front and rear). I discovered there is a non return valve in the pipe at the back which was blocked. I dropped the nearside back of the headlining and could just get to the pipe join with the valve in, pulled it off and squirted some windscreen wash through the pipe to clear it. Then I cleaned the dirt out of the valve. Now its working again.

I also cleaned out the washer bottle so that the muck that was in the bottom of the bottle didn't cause the same problem again. The washer bottle is in the nearside front wheel arch (take the wheel off and the wheel arch liner out to get to it).

Another symptom of this problem was that I could hear a squishing noise from the nearside front piller when the pump was running. I could hear the pump expanding the pipe as it was trying to push the water through it.