Rear Windshield Washer Flood Nightmare.

So it is cold here in Canuck land now (go figure eh) and I was travelling down our local snowy highway when I noticed that my rear windshield was dirty. So I fired up the rear washer only to find nothing coming out. Oh well, didn't need it right now anyways and it was cold and it is probably frozen a bit.

So I stopped off at the local auto store and picked up some windshield washer fluid and filled the tank up. Then I tried it again and everything was fine and the washer was working.

Now the fun part......

A day later I was again on the road and tried the rear washer and again it was not working and the pump was free wheeling like it had nothing. I opened the hood only to find the resevoir half empty even though I never used it.

Oh great, a broken resevoir now........ or was that the problem?

So again, I fill up the resevoir and the pump caught prime but nothing was coming out the rear spray nozzle. BUT A FLOOD WAS COMING OUT MY DRIVER'S REAR QUARTER PANEL DRAIN THOUGH........... SHIT!!!!

Oh great, have to find where something has worn through the damn hose some where in the area they route the tubing through the body which is a nightmare to find when you are on your side in a 1/2 foot of snow with wet hands and a windchill of -23c looking up into a dark void under your truck with a flashlight. DAMMMIT! THIS IS NOT A JOB I CAN DO OUTSIDE THIS TIME OF YEAR.......

So I pop open my trusty service manual and start the hunt only to find a "description" of the routing, but no illustrations. Useless.......

Called the dealer and service shops and they want a minimum $100 to fix it. GREAT!!!!

So I was check out the body section and how the rear wiring goes into the tailgate when I found the rear bottom back trim piece on the floor of the cargo bay and how it pops out and you can see the connections for the wiring and the windshield washer hose. Hmmmmmm....

So I got back outside, pop that piece off and there before my eyes is the washer hose completely out of the 90 degree connection coupler that is under it. Everytime I hit the rear washer, that hose was 100% open and dumping into the frame rail which empties into the rear quarter panel drains. This leak continued even though the pump was turned off and the hose gravity drined and was losing a lot of fluid.

Pop the hose back in, and everything is fine and working great.

BUT, the carpet underlay is completely soaked with windshield washer fluid and by the looks of it, it has been leaking for a while. Soaking it up is impossible without removing the whole rear carpet which is just not worth it, it will dry over time.

And that concludes my Blazer adventure of the day. One crisis fixed and all is good. :D

dont ya just love the way GM put some lines/wires through on these things, it can be a real nightmear

yea, through the frame rail, then up into and under the cargo compartment carpet??

yes sir, i dont think a day goes by when i dont look at a GM vehical (i love my chevy, but GM keeps garauges open, honestly) and ask myselfe 'WTF were the engeneers thinking?!!?@?!!!???'

I kinda had the same problem. I was driving down the hwy the window got a nice thick white film on it. Cant see anything while doing a 110km is no fun so I hit the window cleaner........................................... ... nuttin...........give her one more try....................nutin. I stopped off at the store pick up some fluid and fill up the container dropped the hood hit the switch and...........nuttin. Open the hood and hit the switch and fluid pissing all over the engine. Its the plastic hose that comes out of the cantainer and goes the sprayer for the front window. It broken in two. Not sure if there are replacement parts but i just used a rubber hose conecting the broken pieces together.


Anyone know if there are replacement parts or is what i did the best fix?

Speaking of washer fluid freezing and breaking stuff. Anyone know what the filter like piece is called on the front washer line. It's the peice with the white cylinder and the hose going in and out. Mine froze and cracked. Where can i find one, or should is just stick with the piece of vacuum hose?

Windshield washer fluid shouldn't freeze.

It is good for cold temperatures if you buy the right stuff.

I noticed a puddle under my back end of the blazer one day after I filled the resovoir.. Same problem - the connector must have pulled free in the hose in the back from freezing... It was a simple fix, just pull up the molding and snap the hose back together..

Use Premium Washer Fluid if you can. I use the Rainex Stuff.

I never use the rear wiper or washer. I have mirrors to see behind me and I believe that the wiper will scratch the glass from all the soot that gets thrown up in from driving.

I wouldn't use the rainX stuff, just causes smearing at night.

I almost had an accident with it in. I use standard -45c fluid with no additives.

I would use the rainX stuff, just causes smearing at night.

Sorry BlazerLT, is that would or would not use it? Personally I don't like it. It does cause smearing like you said and I believe that it shortens the life of the wiperblade. I bought Rainex antifog a little while ago and I still have to defrost my windshield before I can drive anywhere.

Sorry BlazerLT, is that would or would not use it? Personally I don't like it. It does cause smearing like you said and I believe that it shortens the life of the wiperblade. I bought Rainex antifog a little while ago and I still have to defrost my windshield before I can drive anywhere.

Sorry, I meant to say WOULD NOT use it.

It causes the blinding smearing effect at night.

With normal fluid, there is no residue, the rainX stuff actually causes a residue to form on the windshield and its grime removing capability blows big time.

You can get two jugs of good normal stuff for the price of the crap rainx shit.

That's what I thought. Just clarifying.

Ahhhh the rear washer waterfall thing. Funny story. When i went looking for a used blazer i test drove 4 from local dealers and they ALL had this problem, but the one i bought didnt have this problem YET. 1 week later, the waterfall haha, but i just extended the tube to put some slack on it, because it was way to taut, that is some advice for anyone having this problem

Wish I knew that beforehand.

Man, I thought this was going to cost me a fortune.

But one thing that did happen was that the carpet underlay got soaked badly in that area. Will take some time to dry out.

get a wet/dri vac. could get mold/mildu if you don't

I can't say this enough. The Blazer Forums Rules!!!!!!!!!! I also have the rear washer fluid prob. I just figured I'd hunt that problem down later. like may or june. but see what i mean? everytime i cruz the forum i read a thread that has a solution to somthin im havin trouble with. or if anyone has a problem, some one answers the thread with in a reasonable time frame. I posted a ?? in the pontiac bonneville forum and it took days. and only 1 person responded, if i remember correctly. The Malibu forum no body responded. And it has been 5+ months. you guys rule!!!!!!!!

I can't say this enough. The Blazer Forums Rules!!!!!!!!!! I also have the rear washer fluid prob. I just figured I'd hunt that problem down later. like may or june. but see what i mean? everytime i cruz the forum i read a thread that has a solution to somthin im havin trouble with. or if anyone has a problem, some one answers the thread with in a reasonable time frame. I posted a ?? in the pontiac bonneville forum and it took days. and only 1 person responded, if i remember correctly. The Malibu forum no body responded. And it has been 5+ months. you guys rule!!!!!!!!



Im with you on this, i joined this forum christmas eve and it saved me a major headache involving the Ignition switch problem, and just recently the hood hinge creak that i thought was everything else. It's now my mission to post as much info and help for others so they dont feel helpless like i used to. 2 thumbs up from this very happy forum user!!

We aim to help.

These trucks are not bad to run once you know how to fix the small things and save money.

Sometimes I wonder about what the world is trying to do to me....
Case in point - I had never heard of a problem with the washer fluid leaking at the back of Blazers. Another problem I had never considered. I had never had this problem in the three and a half years I've had this truck.
I was checking out the forum the other day, tried to help a few people (GirlBear you are 100% right this forum does ROCK!!) and read this post. I went out yesterday and cleaned my truck to take the family out to dinner and a movie for New years and filled my washer resevoir.
Lo and Behold!! a leak from the back of the Blazer, and is it true?? is it blue?? Oh yes it is.
Same problem as I read here, but at least now I know the fix.
Thanks to all of you and I wish you all a Safe, Healthy and Happy New Year!! :biggrin2:

So easy to fix it too, just pop the lower sill plate up and there it is in the center hole area. :D

Hi I'm having this problem right now. I've got a Haynes book on the Blazer but it dosn't give me any idea on how to get the rear panel off so I can check the hose. Can you help me? We were going to take it somewhere and get it fixed but if I could save the money it would be great. Also can you tell me what I am looking for when I get the panel off. Thanks

Hi I'm having this problem right now. I've got a Haynes book on the Blazer but it dosn't give me any idea on how to get the rear panel off so I can check the hose. Can you help me? We were going to take it somewhere and get it fixed but if I could save the money it would be great. Also can you tell me what I am looking for when I get the panel off. Thanks


Its the bottom sill plate. Just pops right off, held on by a couple clips is all.

I also am having the issue with rear washer spray being empty after 1-2 days...even with 1 use...at first I thought my wife was just "wash happy", but then the same happened to me...
funny thing is the front still works, i assume the rear pump hose is higher in the res. to prevent the main washer from being disabled?
does that make sense...???
havent noticed any leaks...

Open the rear tailgate.

Remove the plastic trim plate.

Look inside for a hose that pops into a 90 degree coupler.

Reinsert hose into coupler.

Problem fixed.

Which plate do I take off. Is it on the rear tailgate or side or what? I don't have to disassemble the whole back end do I to get to the coupler? Any specifics would be very helpful. thanks

where the floor carpet ends by the tailgate.

There is a trim piece that spans the whole floor from left to right.

I also am having the issue with rear washer spray being empty after 1-2 days...even with 1 use...at first I thought my wife was just "wash happy", but then the same happened to me...
funny thing is the front still works, i assume the rear pump hose is higher in the res. to prevent the main washer from being disabled?
does that make sense...???
havent noticed any leaks...
Your front will keep on working your rear stops working when your tank gets about half way down. If you read back one of the old threads said to add a little piece of hose, I did this also and mine has not came off again. I think it was alright when it was new but over time the line has shrunk and it is tighter now and hot and cold weather has something to do with it to causing it to pop off, but add a little more hose and no more probs.:smokin:

I took off the panel and it was disconnected but it is leaking somewhere else because it still wouldn't work and water was dripping again. I think it may be in the door somewhere. Thanks anyway

You can pull the panel off of the lift gate spending more attention to the bottom right and top right where your wiper is. If it is like mine the hose comes in and goes up the wiper arm. The hose has a small piece about one inch of rubber line between the plastic line and a filter this is where mine was unhooked. I cut me a piece of three inch hose so there would be no tension on it and it has not come off again.

I had close to the same thing happen. I filled the wiper fluid and hit the rear cleaner. nothing, so I hit again and again. Then fluid was pouring like a hose from the top of the back window into the cargo area. there is a hose coupler that came apart inside and above the back window. plastic just pops off. should I use a clamp here to prevent it from happening or extend the hose somehow?