Should windscreen washers work at first try

[rf065]

With other cars when I use the windscreen wash (when you want little more than a mist of water on the screen), I usually just press for a second and the jets of fluid hit the screen almost at once. I've noticed with the CLK, a quick press does nothing and I have to press again before anything hits the screen. Is this normal for a Mercedes, or do you need to hold the button for 2or 3 seconds, or is there a one way valve somewhere allowing all the fluid to drain back to the bottle, as I suspect might be the case?

Russ

 

[television]

My SL would appear to be the same as your car, as I have to do the same

 

[rf065]

My SL would appear to be the same as your car, as I have to do the same

Does yours have the heated bottle & jets too? I'm not sure how they work, maybe extra tubing involved to heat the bottle?

Russ

 

[television]

Does yours have the heated bottle & jets too? I'm not sure how they work, maybe extra tubing involved to heat the bottle?

Russ

I think that they are heated nozzles, I have never thought about it or looked

 

[jberks]

how long do you have to wait? I've not timed it but mine is pretty much immediate.

 

[maddog]

If you have a rear washer fitted and use it does water come out of the front nozzles a little as well ????

Mine does has done since new

 

[rf065]

how long do you have to wait? I've not timed it but mine is pretty much immediate.

It definitely is not immediate, but the delay is only slight.
Not a big problem, but usually a quick press in any other car is enough to spray the screen, with this one a quick press does nothing so you either have to hold it longer or press twice before water hits the screen.
If it was the only car I drove it would be fine, but driving different vehicles means having to adjust your technique all the time.

Russ

 

[whitenemesis]

If you have a rear washer fitted and use it does water come out of the front nozzles a little as well ????

Mine does has done since new

Doesn't happen with mine

 

[Dec]

With other cars when I use the windscreen wash (when you want little more than a mist of water on the screen), I usually just press for a second and the jets of fluid hit the screen almost at once. I've noticed with the CLK, a quick press does nothing and I have to press again before anything hits the screen. Is this normal for a Mercedes, or do you need to hold the button for 2or 3 seconds, or is there a one way valve somewhere allowing all the fluid to drain back to the bottle, as I suspect might be the case?

Russ

With mine it is instant, yours should be too, I know this is very minor issue but it is nice for things to work as the should. There is some kind of non-return valve in the pipe work, probably a tiny ball or flap, which stops the fluid running back down the pipes into the tank.

Yours is not closing tight because of the presence of possibly grit/dirt in the water, which has built up at the non-return valve, this is allowing the water to seep back down the pipe work. I would suggest you clean the inside of the tank really well and refill with warm water (NOT HOT) and constantly flush out the system until tank is nearly empty and repeat for a second time.

I never top up at a service station, always at home with known clean water, bits of dirt in the water can mess up your system and in particular the jets.

Dec

 

[rf065]

Thanks Dec,

one of the joys of buying second hand, you don't know what the washer bottle has been filled with in the past. Like you I am very particular with only putting clean water in and I expect everything to work as it was designed to.
I'll try cleaning it out myself, but if that fails, it is going on the list of faults requiring warranty work before the guarantee runs out. Mercedes are going to love me when the b service is due.

Russ

 

[DougCLK320]

Mine seems to have a detent....i.e. you press lightly and get a single wipe, and press a bit harder (overcoming this detent) and it sprays water....
Perfect!
Doug

 

[oldcro]

I was always led to believe (although I cannot confirm this) that the nozzles had a non-return valve so the pipes were always full of screenwash. Then when the pump started you had almost instant wash water. This was to prevent that first wipe of a dirty screen without any sreenwash reaching the screen.

 

[type49]

If you have a rear washer fitted and use it does water come out of the front nozzles a little as well ????

Mine does has done since new

Some models use one pump for front & rear wash. The pump runs backwards for the rear wash but there is a tiny "pulse" first, which can push a few specs out the front jets.

 

[rf065]

Mine seems to have a detent....i.e. you press lightly and get a single wipe, and press a bit harder (overcoming this detent) and it sprays water....
Perfect!
Doug

Thanks Doug, mystery solved.
The stalk actually has arrows to show there are 2 positions.
Press once for wiper only, press further for washers.
I should start looking at things instead of just pressing them:idea:

Thanks

 

[philharve]

Hi

My front jets always respond immediately, they're heated too.

I have encountered a situation, not with the Merc', but with a previous car which I filled with a cheap windscreen wash. 'Something' grew in the washer bottle, like an algae held in suspension (think of cloudy beer) and it eventually blocked the washer jets. Switching back to a quality windscreen wash solved the problem.

The jets didn't fail immediately. The force of the jets gradually reduced to a trickle and one of the pipes connecting the reservoir to one of the jets was pushed off at the jet end by the force of the pump. Then I had no jets at all.

REGARDS

Phil