Windshield washer fluid leak - I can see it - how to fix? Help!

[Stearnsy]

I'll try to make this sound as simple as possible to better help you help me. Bear in mind I have a 2004 Ultrasport.

About a month ago I was driving at night with the headlights and windshield wipers on. I pulled the windshield wiper stalk toward me to spray fluid, which it did. A few seconds later, I got an indication on my instrument panel alerting me that my fluid was low. Okay, so refill it. Duh. Easy enough, right?

Wrong. I dumped in about a gallon and a half of windshield wiper fluid only to watch it leak out of the bottom of the car. Because of where the fluid was/is coming out underneath the car, I knew that it wasn't the tank that was cracked, so I began thinking a hose had popped off.

Sure enough, I pulled my driver's side headlight out today and dumped some water into the tank while shining a flashlight into the space beneath where the headlamp rests, and I was able to pinpoint the site of the leak. It's a little white (2-5mm diam.) tube that appears to have popped off of some sort of junction feeding the headlight sprayers.

My question is, how can I best get to this part of the car? I am afraid of removing my front bumper. My brother says I'll never get it back on the way it was before it came off. If anyone has a good DIY or any sort of writeup explaining this process, I'd be willing to take a look at it. I want to try removing the front driver's side wheel and fender well to access it, but if any of you know that you cannot reach the area I am describing using this method, please save me the hassle and speak up. Also, if anybody has a schematic of the area I'm describing, I would greatly appreciate that as well. Finally, if anyone has experienced this problem or one similar, I would like to hear what your story is/was and how it was dealt with.

I searched. Thanks!

-TS

[dma528]

It's a little bit of a reach but you should be able to get to it with the belly pan off

[Stearnsy]

I had it off today while I was changing my oil and couldn't locate it from underneath the car. However, I was pressed for time and didn't try too hard. This is my project for the morning. Any opinions on whether or not removing the fender well will do me any good? I only ask because if someone out there knows it won't, I'd rather not waste my time and explore other options instead.

[onceover]

hmmm. maybe thats where my is leaking from as well.

is this a common issue with a4's?

[dma528]

I would take off the drivers side front wheel and peal back the front half of the fender skirt this should help get access to the tank. I had some good pics of this area but half way through my t-belt install my shop camera took a swan dive into a bucket of G12 and hasn't woken up since.

[skeeball]

You can easily get to it with the belly pan off. That is the hose I used to hook my w/m kit. Leaking from there does seem to be a common issue.

[Stearnsy]

I ended up removing the driver's side headlamp assembly and peeling back the most lateral edge of the driver's side front fender well. I reached my left hand through the headlight space and the right hand through the fender well space, grabbed both hoses, and felt around for the hole. I got it back in and the headlamp washers work, but now I have a slow, "drip......drip" leak coming from the tube just inferior of the passenger side headlamp washer. I'm waiting until my girl goes to work and I'll be back out in the garage. I'll let chyall know how it goes.

[jonsaudi]

Any progress yet? I've been wanting to fix this same problem I have w/ my car...

[2003Qu4ttr0]

I have a similar problem. The washer nozzle on the passenger side leaks. I removed the passenger wheel as well as the liner to see if i could get access to it and no luck. I'll remove the valance underneath the engine the next time to see if I could get to it. I remember checking out audiforums.com where one member claimed to have fixed the leak by using teflon tape, also known as plumbers tape. Of course, you'll need to get to the pump first in order to administer any type of solution.

[Stearnsy]

Any progress yet? I've been wanting to fix this same problem I have w/ my car...

Yes. I managed to get to the tube that popped out back in and the headlight washers work and I no longer have a low windshield washer fluid indicator. Behind the driver's side front fender just superior to the suspension components, there is a washer fluid reservoir. I'm not sure that that is exactly what it's called, but it is made of the same material as the tank where the washer fluid is filled. There is a black hose emanating from this that is about 6" in length. At the end, there is a white, ridged "nozzle" with an o-ring, which is the point of connection with the hose that feeds the headlight washers. I had the car jacked up with the driver's side headlight, front driver's side wheel, and the front driver's side fender well liner removed. I sat on the ground sort of where the wheel would normally be, reached my left hand down into the space created by the removed headlight, and my right hand into the space exposed by the removal of the fender well liner. I found both tubes with my hands, felt around, and then pushed them back together. It was an utterly magical feeling.

I have a similar problem. The washer nozzle on the passenger side leaks. I removed the passenger wheel as well as the liner to see if i could get access to it and no luck. I'll remove the valance underneath the engine the next time to see if I could get to it. I remember checking out audiforums.com where one member claimed to have fixed the leak by using teflon tape, also known as plumbers tape. Of course, you'll need to get to the pump first in order to administer any type of solution.

I think you can do without removing the plastic skid plate. I tried this today and couldn't locate what I was looking for from underneath the car; there was simply too many other things obstructing my view. Try removing the air intake and passenger side headlight.

Has all of your fluid leaked out resulting in a low fluid indicator light on the dash? If it has, just dump some water into the washer fluid filler, shine a flashlight on the tubes or in the general area of the hose feeding the headlamp nozzles, and wait to see a drip. That's how I was able to figure out where the hell my leak was at. It was kind of time consuming and a bit of a pain in the ass because of the small workspace, but so was the light on the dash and the accompanying "ding" upon starting the car that most of us know all too well.



Let me know if any of this helps at all, I'm glad to help.

Peace. -TS

[2003Qu4ttr0]

I see. I forgot to mention that I had in fact removed the passenger side headlamp and was able to reach the pump. In that respect, yes, it's accessible. What I didn't do, was dump water into the washer fluid reservoir to see where the leak is. I followed the washer fluid on the passenger side to the headlamp washer nozzle and that's how I determined that there is a leak in that area. I'll let you know how it goes when I get to it, possibly this weekend.

[Stearnsy]

Good luck, let me know how it goes. I'll be glad to help if you can't figure it out.

-TS

[woofster]

Bringing this back from the dead thanks to the Search function!

Good to hear that this issue is resolvable. I just encountered a similar situation where my Low Windshield Washer Fluid indicator warning came on. I simply poured in more fluid only to witness a large quantity of the fluid come dripping right out on the driver's side below the front headlight. My first thought was a loose hose but quickly peering around, I realized it's going to be real difficult to gain access to that area. I manually pulled the headlight washer nozzle unit up from the front side of the bumper and noticed fluid pressurizinig out of that tube. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to reach in to do anything from that angle.

I'm going to try removing the driver's side front headlight assembly to see if one can gain access that way...

[Stearnsy]

It's ironic that I checked my email and found that this thread had been replied to--my low fluid indicator came on again recently. I thought I'd fixed it pretty good. Did you make any headway?

[rocketheavy]

just do what I did. take the bumper off, then all the one time clamps and replaced them all with regular hose clamps and never worry about it again :)

[zz2h33]

I have the same problem, but mine seems to be coming from the rubber o-ring seal that connects the top tank to the lower mechanism. Just take the two bolts/nut out that hold the reservoir and pull the tank straight up, there is a rubber grommet there. thats where mine is leaking (i think). looks like someone tried sealing it previously with RTV and did a crappy job.

[woofster]

Bringing this back from the dead thanks to the Search function!

Good to hear that this issue is resolvable. I just encountered a similar situation where my Low Windshield Washer Fluid indicator warning came on. I simply poured in more fluid only to witness a large quantity of the fluid come dripping right out on the driver's side below the front headlight. My first thought was a loose hose but quickly peering around, I realized it's going to be real difficult to gain access to that area. I manually pulled the headlight washer nozzle unit up from the front side of the bumper and noticed fluid pressurizinig out of that tube. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to reach in to do anything from that angle.

I'm going to try removing the driver's side front headlight assembly to see if one can gain access that way...

So following up on my last post, I basically popped the hood and removed the front headlight via 2 Torx-30 screws on top and loosening 2 Torx-30 screws behind the headlight assembly. Disconnecting the electrical connector will allow you to pull the headlight assembly right out.

From here, I had good access to the headlight washer nozzles. Basically I just pushed in the rubber hoses and fiddled with the nozzle until I felt it was tight, sound and solid. It was not completely apparent if that had fixed the problem but I figured to give it a shot anyway, so I poured in some more windshield washer fluid and voilÃ*, leak be gone! My windshield washer fluid remained at the max fill line in the reservoir. I was lucky this time. You never know with these A4s!