French modern electrical problem shocker!

[Inspector Morose]

Right. BIL has a 56 plate Pug 1007 (it's an ideal car for him as he had a stroke and has lost use of one side so the leccy doors are a big bonus for him) today he asks if I can have a look at the rear wash/wipe as it's stopped working completely. I know he doesn't use the boot so I'm pretty sure the wires haven't broken from body to tailgate. Front wash and wipers work. Anybody have any ideas on where to look as info/wiring diagrams are pretty thin on the ground for these. Are these can bus or normal selection of random fuses and relays?

 

I don't do modern very often so any help would be appreciated.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

These will defo be multiplexed. Look out!

[gary_davidson]

is it both wash and wipe? (tryin not to make a toilet joke)

[Inspector Morose]

Yes, from what he says front works as normal but rear nothing happens at all. I'll have a look in the morning but I must admit apart from finding fuses or relays and waiving the old AVO about a bit I don't have much of a clue on these. Still, gives me the chance of a bit of a play with slidey doors though!

[dugong]

PSA stuff of that age usually snaps a wire from the connector block. They may be multiplexed but there's still connectors going in an out. Might be worth checking the mega basic stuff before going out all hardcore. They usually rivet the rear wiper motors in, too.

[Inspector Morose]

Ugh, electricals. Not my favourite pastime. So far checked out the basics and nothing seems amiss, wiring looks fresh and supple and the wiggle test proves bugger all. Oh and one door motor seems to have packed up but I'm sure that's unrelated. Looking around for info I find that the washer pump is common for front and rear screens and as it works for the front, at least I can discount fuse related issues. Looking a bit common feed or earth or switch issue or something in between! Well that's narrowed it down then!

[Richard]

These washer pumps are consumable, it's entirely possible that it has buggered up independently of the wiper-even if it's washing the front screen.

[Inspector Morose]

True. What I don't get is the sudden loss of both rear was/wipe for no apparent reason. Sounds fuse but it isn't, plus they're on separate fuses to each other and the affected items are at either end of the car. Hmm, either end means the common point must be in the middle somewhere. Maybe stalk then. Weird but possible I suppose.

[Richard]

Our C5 estate lost the rear wipe and, I think, wash soon after we got it. It magically came back to life months later when I put the front wipers into the service position to change the blades.

 

Can the back window glass open on its own? A lot of French cars have that feature and there is a switch built into the motor body to stop it working with the glass open, it could be that this is either faulty or not being pushed hard enough by the glass, and that would probably disable the wash function too.

 

The French Car Forum has a map of members who have the diagnostic tool and are willing to share it for beer. It might be worth having a look there if you don't get anywhere.

[Inspector Morose]

Thanks for that Richard. I'll have a peruse.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Yes, from what he says front works as normal but rear nothing happens at all. I'll have a look in the morning but I must admit apart from finding fuses or relays and waiving the old AVO about a bit I don't have much of a clue on these. Still, gives me the chance of a bit of a play with slidey doors though!

 

You can drive them with the doors open, so there's some fun you can have once the wiper's fixed. 

[robinmasters]

You can drive them with the doors open, so there's some fun you can have once the wiper's fixed. 

 

Paint it brown and deliver very small parcels?

[babydriver]

This is a common fault on the xsara and I have it on mine, the motor is knacked, I find that when the bottle runs out of water and i put some in, if i spray the rear window first it will always wash the rear and not the front though if you try and wash the front it will wipe but the water will just come through the rear jet, if it runs out again and you wash the front it will always wash the front and not the rear, are you keeping up?? so I always just use the front wash and just use the rear wipe, its not an mot fail so I have lived with this for years. The motor is on the washer bottle right down the front drivers wheel arch and is a sod to get at apparantly, so it can stay like that. the french cars web site is good for all this gen.