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Solved 1998 Explorer Windshield Washer FIXED

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Hosed

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Year, Model & Trim Level
98 XLT
I am posting as this may save you some time if your windshield washer pump stops working. Also this may save you some search time in the forums. My 1998 Explorer XLT (4.0L SOHC) windshield washer pump stoped working. Initially I thought it was the multi-switch on the turn signal as you had to push the button in fairly hard to get it working. I didn't really want to replace the switch without checking the fuses and relays.


Symptoms: Push the washer switch the wipers would come on and wipe for 4 swipes and stop. No washer fluid would pump. No noise from pump. Checked for 12 volts at the pump. 0 volts. Checked fuses. Good. Went to check the relay(s). As I understand it there are 2 for the washer one for the front and one for the back window.

Problem-- Owners manual does NOT list the washer relay locations. Checked the forums & found a thread on relays (can't find it now) that said the relays were located in a box on the passenger side of the truck below the air filter box. (look below the top radiator hose) Bingo. Found the box with 4 relays. There are 2 small relays on the left side of the box, then a larger relay and another smaller one, 2 sockets on my box are unused. the 3 small relays have the same Ford part number. Not knowing which was which and not wanting to swap them around and introduce a new problem, I pulled out the 2 small relays on the left side of the box and marked them. My guess was that they were for the front and back washers. Upon checking them on the bench with an ohm-meter, the one for the front washers (top relay left side) had an open contact between pins 3 & 4. I replaced this with a new relay and the problem was solved. I still have to push the washer switch fairly hard to get the washer to come on but until the multi switch totally fails I will leave it alone.

The Ford numbers on the relay are 7317 A1 below that the Part Number appears to be F57B 14B192AA. I found a replacement at my local Advance auto parts store (#R3146) for $ 10.49. That may be high for a Chinese relay but I would figure it was probably less than what the dealer charges and they were closer to my house. I hope this helps someone in the same boat before they tear into a multi switch that may still be good. :p:
 



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Purchased relay today from Advance auto parts store (relay part #R3146) and solved washer problem. Washer was working for the rear window but not front. Just as described in this forum, it was the "top" relay on the left hand side (when viewing the relay box from the position you're working in). Easy to pull the air filter off and reach the box. Just squeeze the tabs on both sides and the box cover comes right up.
$10 and problem solved!

Love this forum!
 






Thanks Mate

Hi Mate
Thanks heaps for your post. I just posted a thread because my rear washer wasnt working , then I read your post. Yep, that was the problem , happened to have some spare relays and bingo its working. Saved me a few $$$ I'm sure. What an awsome forum!
 






Excellent! Dad just bought my '00 Mounty off me and the washer fluid quit working...the washer fluid pump has to be ordered in so I'll try this for him first...For $10 can't hurt to try. Thanks!
 






Great thread. My front windshield washer stopped working and I had no idea how to fix it. I swapped the front and rear washer hoses so I could still clean my windshield. I just had to activate it using the rear wiper button. I replaced the relays today and swapped the hoses back. Works fine. Many thanks!
 






Time to revive an old thread to say thanks to the OP. I was just about to order a multi switch then decided to search here first. Bad relay was the problem, $12 later I have 5 new OEM ones coming my way from ebay. Now I will have extras the next time a relay goes bad. :)
 






Thanks for the great post on this. I have the same problem with my 98 XLT. I found the relay box today and swapped the front and rear washer relay. Ordered relays off eBay for $13.50 and will replace both. Wish I had found this post earlier.......changed the washer pump and the directional switch.........almost gave up......:)
 






thx. i was just going out to diagnose mine , i will be checking this first !!!!
 






Awesome. I was just about to wire in a switch to make it work, but I'm checking this relay out first thing in the morning. Hopefully it's the relay, because I put my spare pump in and my spare multi switch to no avail.
 






Awesome. I was just about to wire in a switch to make it work, but I'm checking this relay out first thing in the morning. Hopefully it's the relay, because I put my spare pump in and my spare multi switch to no avail.

Must have been a bad/dirty connection. Swapped relays then the fuse blew, lol. Replaced the fuse and now all is well.
 






are the relays in the same place on the 98 5.0 models?
 






This particular post just saved me a lot of time and agrivation! I had the same problem as most everyone else here. My front pump stopped working and my rear worked. I replaced the pump and nothing. I cleaned the lines and nothing. I replaced the turn signal/switch assembly, no change, again.

Earlier on I had checked the wiring for voltage and came up with intermittent responses, so, I installed a new plug. (As an aside, whoever made up this wiring harness was one cheap #$^$#^$^#! because there is no slack line whatsoever! I added in some extra wire to remove any stress from the connector.)

I finally started tracing the wires backward hoping to find a rub through or break. The Haynes manual, just in case anyone is not aware of how pitiful it really is, was completely useless for this endeavor. Anyway, I was totally surprised to find the box with relays inside hiding underneath the air filter box. WHOA! What have we here?! A fast check to this web site and this posting and I had my answer. Indeed, the first relay had an open between posts 3 and 4. Swapped it for the other relay and I again have my windshield washer working. (I can wait on the one for the backlight for a few days.) It is now all assembled and working just fine.

So, I wish to thank the OP for his thoughtfulness in making this information available. Also, I have discovered that this web site is probably the best of its type. I have, out of necessity, had to join another one for referencing problems in our Buick and it is almost totally useless. That site is for people that have a hard time putting gas in their car. This site is for people that actually work on them. The difference is like night and day. Keep up the good work gang! Every vehicle site should be as detailed and useful as this one.

Steve Forbes
(The good looking one, not the rich one!)
 






lol mine hasn't worked since I bought it 7years ago...maybe i'll look into this now lol
 






On one of mine the pump motor ran but nothing (or near nothing) came out. It turned out the fluid reservoir was full of slime on the bottom (some kind of algae?). This blocked the fine-mesh screen at the bottom. Flushed it out and it works like new again.
 






1999 Ford Explorer XLT 5.0 V8

I am posting as this may save you some time if your windshield washer pump stops working.

It was the relay in the small rectangular box under the air filter just as "Hosed" had posted in this forum on 6/2/09.

Symptoms: Push the washer switch the wipers would come on and wipe for 4 swipes and stop. No washer fluid would pump. No noise from pump.

Checked the forums that said the relays were located in a box on the passenger side of the truck below the air filter box. (look below the top radiator hose) Bingo. Found the box with 4 relays. There are 2 small relays on the left side of the box, then a larger relay and another smaller one, 2 sockets on my box are unused. the 3 small relays have the same Ford part number. I pulled out the top relay on the left side (when standing on the side of the passenger side of the vehicle facing the driver side). Upon checking it on the bench with an ohm-meter, the relay had an open contact between pins 3 & 4. I replaced this with a new relay and the problem was solved.

The Ford numbers on the relay are 7317 A1 below that the Part Number appears to be F57B 14B192AA. I found a replacement at my local Autozone auto parts store for $ 16.49. I hope this helps someone as much as "Hosed" post had helped me.
 






I realize this is an old thread but I'd like to add my thanks for the info. Having failed safety inspection for an inop washer I was at my wit's end trying to fix it. I had 12v showing at the pump connector using a meter but 0v with the pump connected. Pump ran fine when connected directly to the battery. After re-doing the connector still didn't work I came across this thread. There's a hidden relay??? Turns out all I had to do was celan the ancient corrosion from the contacts and,... done!

Thanks
 






I am posting as this may save you some time if your windshield washer pump stops working. Also this may save you some search time in the forums. My 1998 Explorer XLT (4.0L SOHC) windshield washer pump stoped working. Initially I thought it was the multi-switch on the turn signal as you had to push the button in fairly hard to get it working. I didn't really want to replace the switch without checking the fuses and relays.


Symptoms: Push the washer switch the wipers would come on and wipe for 4 swipes and stop. No washer fluid would pump. No noise from pump. Checked for 12 volts at the pump. 0 volts. Checked fuses. Good. Went to check the relay(s). As I understand it there are 2 for the washer one for the front and one for the back window.

Problem-- Owners manual does NOT list the washer relay locations. Checked the forums & found a thread on relays (can't find it now) that said the relays were located in a box on the passenger side of the truck below the air filter box. (look below the top radiator hose) Bingo. Found the box with 4 relays. There are 2 small relays on the left side of the box, then a larger relay and another smaller one, 2 sockets on my box are unused. the 3 small relays have the same Ford part number. Not knowing which was which and not wanting to swap them around and introduce a new problem, I pulled out the 2 small relays on the left side of the box and marked them. My guess was that they were for the front and back washers. Upon checking them on the bench with an ohm-meter, the one for the front washers (top relay left side) had an open contact between pins 3 & 4. I replaced this with a new relay and the problem was solved. I still have to push the washer switch fairly hard to get the washer to come on but until the multi switch totally fails I will leave it alone.

The Ford numbers on the relay are 7317 A1 below that the Part Number appears to be F57B 14B192AA. I found a replacement at my local Advance auto parts store (#R3146) for $ 10.49. That may be high for a Chinese relay but I would figure it was probably less than what the dealer charges and they were closer to my house. I hope this helps someone in the same boat before they tear into a multi switch that may still be good. :p:
Have a '98 Explorer 5.0 and the wiper pump also went out. Spent two years troubleshooting online, checking the two boxes that they TELL YOU ABOUT. Thanks for your post 15 years ago. Found two (secret! tsk, tsk, Ford!) relays right where you said, in a another small fuse box under the air box, took the two culprits to O'Reilly (where they didn't have a tester) and bought one relay with the idea of replacing them one at a time to see if that worked. They had the same value of resistance. The first one worked, the TOP one, (i.e. toward the engine) and all is well. Big thanks.
 






I am posting as this may save you some time if your windshield washer pump stops working. Also this may save you some search time in the forums. My 1998 Explorer XLT (4.0L SOHC) windshield washer pump stoped working. Initially I thought it was the multi-switch on the turn signal as you had to push the button in fairly hard to get it working. I didn't really want to replace the switch without checking the fuses and relays.


Symptoms: Push the washer switch the wipers would come on and wipe for 4 swipes and stop. No washer fluid would pump. No noise from pump. Checked for 12 volts at the pump. 0 volts. Checked fuses. Good. Went to check the relay(s). As I understand it there are 2 for the washer one for the front and one for the back window.

Problem-- Owners manual does NOT list the washer relay locations. Checked the forums & found a thread on relays (can't find it now) that said the relays were located in a box on the passenger side of the truck below the air filter box. (look below the top radiator hose) Bingo. Found the box with 4 relays. There are 2 small relays on the left side of the box, then a larger relay and another smaller one, 2 sockets on my box are unused. the 3 small relays have the same Ford part number. Not knowing which was which and not wanting to swap them around and introduce a new problem, I pulled out the 2 small relays on the left side of the box and marked them. My guess was that they were for the front and back washers. Upon checking them on the bench with an ohm-meter, the one for the front washers (top relay left side) had an open contact between pins 3 & 4. I replaced this with a new relay and the problem was solved. I still have to push the washer switch fairly hard to get the washer to come on but until the multi switch totally fails I will leave it alone.

The Ford numbers on the relay are 7317 A1 below that the Part Number appears to be F57B 14B192AA. I found a replacement at my local Advance auto parts store (#R3146) for $ 10.49. That may be high for a Chinese relay but I would figure it was probably less than what the dealer charges and they were closer to my house. I hope this helps someone in the same boat before they tear into a multi switch that may still be good. :p:
Thanks for that! Just got a 98 XLT myself, hoping it's just low on fluid in front, but I get no action from the back wiper at all. Good to know where to find things!
 









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