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My windshield washer reservoir cap started to crack and craze.
My current cap was a replacement one for the original that I bought probably 12 years ago with the little strap that connects it to the top of the washer bottle. When I went to remove the cap from the strap, the cracked cap fell into pieces and the strap broke about a half inch from it's attachment peg on the bottle.
Great.
I called my local dealership (where I got the original replacement cap and strap) and ordered the cap (1238690172, $16) but not the strap (1268690214) as they couldn't find one. When the cap came in, I noticed that it wasn't as translucent as the one I had, but more opaque (like a plastic milk jug). The dimensions looked the same and I noticed that the cap part number started with a W and the font was different. The cap didn't screw on. It looked like it would, but it didn't go on. I checked it over and it had the same threads and overall size to work, but it was just a little too small and wouldn't engage the washer bottle threads without difficulty.
I could have lived with the new cap if that was all I could find, even with the difficult removal every time I wanted to refill the reservoir, but I wanted it to work and look like it did before.
I looked online for another cap that looked like my original, and found one as well as the strap, so I ordered again.
All European Auto had what looked like the right parts for $27.41 shipped ($14 for shipping).
The parts came in, thankfully they looked like my originals and they fit and looked like they were supposed to.
These are the part numbers. Good cap on left.
Translucent cap installed with strap, opaque cap nearby.
The strap snapped onto the cap and rubber seal perfectly, but attaching the other end of the strap to the bottle top has always been difficult.
When trying to press the strap onto it's keeper, the strap deforms and causes a visible white stress line. I wanted this strap to last as least as long as the old one, so I slightly enlarged the engagement hole from 1/8th of an inch to 9/64ths with a drill bit. Nothing fancy, just used my hands with the drill bit to ream out the strap. The strap fit without stressing and is still small enough so it doesn't disengage from the washer bottle top.
I know this is a small repair, but I though someone might run across the same issue when they ordered their cap from the dealership and were surprised when it didn't fit.
The newer cars use the cap that Sushipaste illustrates.
The 97 reservoir is threaded and takes a threaded cap. Your 3 hole cap looks like it snaps on as it has a pull tab and doesn't have knobs for twisting grip on the perimeter.
190E 2.6L 1989, 190E 2.6L 1988, BMW 535dXdrive 2014, BMW 428i 2015
I wonder why the dealer sold you a W123 cap? I have been buying parts at the dealer for decades for my W201 and do not recall ever coming across a W123 part for my '89 W201.
I have purchased many parts starting with W126 or W124 but never W123, as far as I can recall.
I suppose it is possible to have some W123 parts for later models but highly unlikely. But then again I have never been sold a wrong part at the dealership either.
Very strange. Did you take the incorrect part back to the dealership? What did they say?
01-22-2024, 09:47 AM
