Itinerant Air-Cooled

The windshield washers in my Bus have never worked due to the air fill hose being torn. I fixed that tonight, filled the tank with fluid and air, and they spray really well!

Unfortunately, the valve in the steering column is apparently not sealing off completely because the nozzles continued to "weep" constantly after spraying the windshield.

Is there any hope of getting the valve to seal tightly again, or is it a lost cause?

Maybe, if you can get it apart and find an offending O-ring.
But then you still have the crappy OEM system.
I'd spring for the electric pump replacement kit.


Rob

Crappy OEM?

Hmmmmmm.................

I'd take the position that VW engineered a pretty darn good vehicle overall. All systems if properly maintained functioned very well. But proper maintenance is the key.

vwl, I can't help you with your particular problem, my bay is an early-wiper-switch-in-the-dash model. But I'm thinking that is a system worth a shot at restoration instead of replacement.

I'm gonna give it a try. I think the original air-pressurized system is pretty cool.

VW must have figured that electric motors were expensive and unreliable. Up until the 70's, they only gave you two - the starter and the wipers!

I wonder what kind of hysterics went on in Wolfsburg when they decided to add a fresh air blower to the Beetle and a heater booster fan to the Bus!

Bookwus wrote:Crappy OEM?

Yes. Crappy. I'll stand by that.
Great vehicle, but crappy windshield washer.
The system requires the extra hassle of pumping up and is under pressure all the time up to the point where it meets the push button valve. They didn't hold up over time without leaking...That is if they held air at all after a few years.
No offense intended. Just my experience with being around these things.


Rob

Hiya Hip,

No offense taken - at all.

Our experiences obviously have been quite different. Mine has been that the washer system works quite well (as I mentioned in my first post) if it has been maintained.

I pump the reservoir up to about 40 psi when I add new fluid and that has been it. I have never run out of air pressure. System is watertight and always works (well).

That, to me, adds up to good engineering.

Bookwus wrote:That, to me, adds up to good engineering.

They built everything well, but I've never seen one of these still working. I figured it was just vestigal engineering left over from the Beetles, so it's on my short list of things I don't like about these great machines.

I can see why he wants to restore it to original function though...It is unique.
As for me, I'm going to cheat a little and put an electric kit on mine...hopefully this summer.


Rob

vwlover77 wrote:Is there any hope of getting the valve to seal tightly again, or is it a lost cause?

Like Hippie said, take the wheel off (easy in a '77), remove the switch assembly and see if you can figure out what's what with it out of the bus and easy to work on. If you find the original valve is not repairable, I'm sure Ken at www.thebusco.com has a good used one for sale.

My agreement with Hippie ends there. I think the air-powered system works very well. Yes, you have to replace the little hoses when they dry out and become brittle, but you would have to do that anyway with a pump-powered system. Not trying to sway him to the other side, just saying "to each, their own". The simplicity of these vehicles is what makes them fun for me and you have to admit, the washer system is pretty simple.

Let us ponder. . . . . . . . . . . 35 year old vehicles with an unusual washer system that CAN be repaired to work reliably. . . . . meets confused modern person who does not understand why his air-cooled car is pissing on his shoe. . . . one can imagine a negative review of the system.

It is worth fixing if only for the charm of telling your baffled passengers, "check the tire pressures and don't forget to hit the washer bottle too."
Colin

Speaking of baffled, how do I get access to the valve? The Bentley has me confused.

I removed the horn button and the steering wheel. I tried to lift up the turn signal switch, but it the length of the wires won't let it clear the top of the steering shaft.

Bentley says to remove the hose connections from the valve, but I can't see how to do that without removing the plastic trim housing around the column and ignition switch.

How do I remove that?

It's been awhile since I've done it, but as I recall, at the bottom of the trim ring you mention, you unplug the black connectors from the wiper and turn signal switches. Then they come out together as an assembly. You disconnect the washer hoses after you have the switch assembly 99% removed (ie at the top of the column). If you don't have enough slack on the washer hoses, you may have to cut them and replace them (which may be necessary anyway) when you re-install the assembly.

Amskeptic wrote:Let us ponder. . . . . . . . . . . 35 year old vehicles with an unusual washer system that CAN be repaired to work reliably. . . . . meets confused modern person who does not understand why his air-cooled car is pissing on his shoe. . . . one can imagine a negative review of the system.
Colin

=D> Way to put together a mildly condescending remark and still maintain plausible deniability.

Charming as the sytem may be, I prefer to put in a pump and a switch that will not effect the appearance of the setup. I do not wish to try to repair my old valve, or my air-leaking filler cap. I don't like the factory system.


Rob

The factory system must have worked well for the first 10 years, but anything under air pressure is doomed by leaks. I think a washer pump would have been a good idea, and not terribly exensive for VW to include. I've never had one that was functional. That, and an actual blower for the heat/defrost in the Beetle. It's ridiculous to expect air flow to keep the windshield defogged on a cold winter day in that tiny cabin full of exhalation.

Mwahhahaha! (my best Snidely Whiplash). I own THE ONLY VW's that have PERFECTLY working air-powered washer systems! I ALSO own THE ONLY Beetle with a fresh air blower to de-mystify my windshield in ANY weather! Everyone else should stop their futile attempts to possess what I already own! I say again, Mwahhahaha!

The words 'the only' are an exaggeration, but seriously, all three of my VW's have working (very well, I might add) washer systems and my '79 bug has a fresh air blower from the factory. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I doubt it. As with everything on these vehicles, if you maintain it, it works very well.

Our 78's washer system works great as well. I did have a problem with the hose on the filler cap getting cracked but some heat shrink tube took care of that.