Rear Wiper Nozzle: Fixable & Replacement Guide

@all,

Since my Passat (Variant 3B, manufactured in December 1998) was last in the workshop, the rear window washer nozzle moves along with the wiper. This means the spray pattern moves across the window in sync with the wiper.

It works quite well and, in my opinion, makes sense because now the water is sprayed in front of the wiper blades.

The nozzle had been fixed in place for 5.5 years since its initial installation.

Is this a 'silent' or 'stealth' update installed by my dealer? Or is something wrong?

How about you? Is the nozzle secure, or does it wobble?

Greetings.
Peter.

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but your new feature is actually a bug.
'The friendly person from Vonselber is installing something new to make us happy, lol. But I don't believe in fairy tales... anyway, no one has ever been this friendly to me before.'
If the nozzle rotates, it's likely stuck. Normally, the driving mechanism rotates around the nozzle tube.

You can replace the nozzle individually, or try cleaning it. However, I believe you'll need to remove the interior panel to do that.

'Whatever, I had the same thing on my Golf 4 for about a year and just left it there because, in my opinion, it didn't affect the function.'
A new engine costs €86 plus VAT. However, you can often find them cheaper on eBay or at junkyards.

I would leave it as it is for as long as it's okay with you. In my case, it lasted until I sold it.

It's not a feature, it's a bug...

The nozzle can be replaced individually and costs approximately 3€. The interior panel of the tailgate needs to be removed for this, making the total repair cost around 40-50€.

However, I wouldn't wait too long, as the nozzle inside is connected to a 90-degree plastic pipe from the spirit water hose, and here, plastic is rotating within a metal housing... something is likely to break quickly.

Julian wrote:

It's not a feature, it's a bug... The nozzle can be replaced individually and costs approximately 3€. The interior trim of the tailgate needs to be removed for this, making the total repair cost around 40-50€. However, I wouldn't wait too long, because inside, the nozzle is connected to a 90° plastic pipe from the spirit water hose, and here, plastic is rotating within a metal housing... something is likely to break quickly.

...and eventually, the water that splashes up gets into the rear wiper motor electronics, and the mechanics rust and seize. Then it becomes expensive.

Yes, exactly. And into the tailgate lock. That will be broken too!

Hi everyone.

My Golf III (GT TDI, first registered 09/1996, type 1HX0) has recently started exhibiting similar symptoms to those described above:

The windshield washer nozzle is integrated into the rear wiper arm and suddenly starts spinning along with the wiper when the wiper is activated. This wasn't the case before; the nozzle was fixed and approximately at a 45-degree angle, considering the wiper arm's approximate 90-degree range of motion.

It's bothering me because the nozzle isn't spraying the fluid directly onto the wiper blade, but often into areas where the wiper can't reach. *grr*

And then, when I read here that water could potentially leak into the engine compartment, onto the motor, transmission, and lock, I decided to open it up today.

First, I removed the wiper arm and disassembled the internal cover. Then, I disconnected the electrical wiring and water lines inside, removed two M6 screws, and unscrewed a large nut on the outside. This allowed me to remove the entire motor/gear unit.
I didn't get any further than that. The whole thing didn't seem easily disassembled – at least, I didn't have a clue how to do it. I then sprayed the axle with plenty of WD40, but without any success.
Finally, I put everything back together.
Result: Status remains the same, so no desired outcome. The nozzle is spinning. *GRRR*


Can anyone offer any advice?
Is it possible to disassemble this?
Are there replacement parts available for this, or only the entire wiper assembly (which would be too expensive for me)?

Sure, I'd appreciate any tips!

Best regards, kleffx.

PS.
I then took a few more pictures:

http://mitglied.lycos.de/kleffx/waschduese/p1b.jpg

http://mitglied.lycos.de/kleffx/waschduese/p3b.jpg

@klefxx,

The problem occurs in the Passat 3B when the thin tube that is attached to the wiper motor and located in the wiper shaft becomes clogged. This causes the tube to break off from the wiper motor and then, during wiping, the nozzle rotates along with the wiper arm. In my opinion, the issue is that water constantly leaks out at the point where the tube breaks off, and this gradually causes everything in the tailgate (wiper motor, lock, etc.) to corrode.

I repaired it myself following the instructions from Beowulf on the Passat3B forum.

I hope he doesn't mind if I quote him here:

Here is the short version.

0. Remove the nozzle head from the outside.
1. Remove the trim panel from the trunk lid.
2. Open the wiper motor housing (approximately 8 screws - Torx).
3. Where the hose connects, pull it out. Now you'll have the plastic base in your hand with the brass tube attached to it.
4. Cut off the old brass pipe and drill out the remaining piece from the plastic base.
5. Glue the new tube (approx. 4 mm outer diameter on the Passat) into the plastic base using a two-component adhesive.
6. Reinstall the pipe with the foot (after drilling out the hollow shaft) and mark the required length.
7. Empty everything out and cut the pipe to the required length.
8. reassemble --> finished.

It should be similar for the Golf 3.

Good luck.

Greetings.
Peter.

For the G3 Var model, there's a new nozzle available for 4 EUR, which includes the connecting cable that runs through the shaft.

I still need to find out the part number.

m;