97 LeSabre washer fluid leaking

It appears that the windshield washer on my 97 LeSabre is leaking fluid from the base of the pump (where it attaches to the reservoir). I had just filled the reservoir yesterday AM; this morning I noticed a significant blue puddle while backing out of my driveway. I stopped and checked under the hood; the fluid level was down to about 1/2 (only 24 hrs after having been filled, and not used all that heavily). I could see some fluid around the base of the pump niche on the reservoir.

Does this generally require a replacement of the entire pump/reservoir assembly? Or is there possibly a less drastic alternative that will take care of it?

I also watched things under the hood while my son operated the washer; there is no squirting leak that I can find--so must be a continuous slow leak upstream from the pump.

Thanks.

I had the exact same problem on my 97 Lesabre about a year ago. I would fill it and it would leak down. Turned out the pump was leaking out the fluid. It took awhile to figure out where it was coming from. I thought it was leaking around the rubber grommet. I got a new pump at Advanced Auto. It did not cost much. I think it was 5 or 6 dollars and had a new rubber grommet with it. Replaced the pump, grommet and reattached the hoses and wires and it has been fine. I did not need to replace the reservoir. Turned out to be a fairly simple fix.

Thanks Smith, I'll check out AAP and/or other aftermarket parts shops for a replacement pump. The Buick dealership will charge upwards of $45 for one.

How tricky is it to remove & replace the pump? Does it just twist-lock onto the reservoir, or is there a locknut inside the reservoir?

There's no lock nut. From what I recall, you just pull on it and it will come out. Have to disconnect the wires and the tubing. I think I had removed the entire reservoir which I really didn't need to do, but, at the time, I wasn't sure where the leak was coming from. It was fairly easy and, surprisingly, it didn't cost much to fix. I think the new pump came with some instructions as well. Good luck with it.

Picked up a new pump from Advance Auto for $17+tax, and put it in on Saturday (replaced rubber grommet with the new one included). Topped off the reservoir, and no discernible leakdown after 24+ hours! Performance of the new pump is way better, too!

As you said, it was a simple pull-out/push-in installation. I did pull out the reservoir to work on it, so that I could temporarily fill it enough to check for leaks. Although I didn't actually observe any, I did spot a couple of residue tracks on the side of the pump body, so I'm assuming that is where it was leaking. Running out the outlet stub (when hose disconnected) appears to be normal, as the new pump did likewise when I refilled the reservoir.

Reservoir removal tip: The bottom hold-down is an open notch, so you don't need to remove the nut completely. You will need a socket wrench (10mm) attached to a u-joint and extender shaft to reach the bottom nut.

Thanks again for your help, Smith!

Glad you got it fixed. Yours cost more than what I recall paying, but maybe I paid more than I thought. I remember having that feeling of "I can't believe it's this cheap" when they told me the price. Seems that feeling is fairly uncommon anymore.