# Mysterious Windshield Washer Motor **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** legacy, subaru\ **Created:** [March 15, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-windshield-washer-motor/71447 "2012-03-15T22:20:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marylander1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@Marylander1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marylander1)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-windshield-washer-motor/71447/1 "2012-03-15T22:20:12Z")
The motor on my windshield washer fluid sprayer died 3 years ago. I got it fixed before moving cross country. It worked great for about a year and a half. Then one day it just died. I didn’t have the money to fix it and the weather was not bad, so I just left it like that. About 6 months later I accidentally pushed the wiper fluid button and it worked! It continued to work perfectly fine for about 6 months, at which point it suddenly died again. It’s been another 6 months or so and it hasn’t resurrected itself. I don’t think it’s a question of frozen wiper fluid since I use the winter mix and it sprang back to life in the middle of winter. Does anyone have any idea what is going on with this thing? 1999 Subaru Legacy, 159K miles ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-windshield-washer-motor/71447/2 "2012-03-15T22:25:44Z")
Sounds like it could just be a loose connection or bad ground. ---
**Author:** ![Marylander1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@Marylander1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marylander1)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-windshield-washer-motor/71447/3 "2012-03-15T22:44:01Z")
Oh, that’d be great! Thanks for the advice! ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-windshield-washer-motor/71447/4 "2012-03-15T23:36:30Z")
The problem is…it’s very difficult to diagnose these things over the net. It really needs to be a hands on diagnosis. It COULD be a loose connection or bad ground…It could also be something completely different (aka MORE EXPENSIVE). ---
**Author:** ![Marylander1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@Marylander1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marylander1)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-windshield-washer-motor/71447/5 "2012-03-16T00:08:16Z")
Worst case scenario is a new motor? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-windshield-washer-motor/71447/6 "2012-03-16T01:06:54Z")
And you can buy a generic replacement motor for about $20. But I’d defeintely check that ground out first. That’s a spot that’s subject to corrosion. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-windshield-washer-motor/71447/7 "2012-03-16T03:05:14Z")
Clean and check all the connections first! That has been my mantra for so long, and a saving grace. Today cleaning connections on spade clips on a patch panel solved a fax problem, I would have been ok with running a new line, but glad I did not have to.! ---
**Author:** ![Marylander1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@Marylander1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marylander1)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mysterious-windshield-washer-motor/71447/8 "2012-03-16T03:36:04Z")
Thanks so much, everyone. I really appreciate your great advice.