pcohen15

Having owned my '04 CLK 500 for a month, the windshield washers have gone on the fritz. The left one spits out just enough water to reach the top edge of the hood; the right one is not putting out anything at all. They used to work just fine. The fluid is topped off. Any likely suspects I can check out before waiting for my next dealer visit?

Thanks in advance.

Eich

Since you are getting some water out of one side, the pump is running.

Before I took it to the dealer, I'd have a look at the hoses that run to the hood to make sure they're attached Ok and are not cracked or clogged. You also might want to use a small sewing needle to make sure the nozzles are not plugged up with something.

pcohen15

Good suggestions. I'll try them today.

pcohen15

I can't tell of there's a problem with a washer hose because the hoses run through the hood. Looking from the underside, there are two clips that are visible. If I remove those two clips, will I be able to lift out the vent/grill/louver panel at the top of the hood where the washer nozzles are? I won't have a chance to do this for a couple of days, so I figure the more I know in advance, the better.

When I run the washer, I get a lot of fluid inside the engine compartment. Unfortunately, it drips right on top of the battery cover. The parts of the hose that I can see look OK, but -- no surprise here -- the problem is occurring where I Cannot see the hose.

Thanks in advance for any tips on removing the upper grill panel.