Help, my Gen-3 windshield washer fluid bottle (reservoir) is leaking any ideas??

I have a 2000 & I am just shy of 60,000 miles. I know it isn't a lot of miles but as with just about everything else I have had to deal with it's not the mileage as much as it is the age...

The washer bottle reservoir just started leaking in the last month or so. I haven't had many under hood issues... the last repairs I did were replacing the power steering pump / p/s fluid exchange back in December of 2018 and an a/c evacuation / recharge & replaced the schrader valves which I did in late May of this year and an oil change at about the same time (along with adding washer fluid 3 times.. which of course led me to finally notice the leak).

 

 

Have any of you had any experience with a leaky windshield washer reservoir bottle? If so do you have any suggestions as far as how I should go about repairing it? As far as I can see it looks like the leak is coming from around the washer fluid pump on the bottom front of the washer bottle.

 

-I would really appreciate any helpful advice on the subject...

-Thanks in advance y'all

-CMS

Is there a gasket you can replace where the pump joins the bottle?

 

Can you clean and dry it and then cover the leak with RTV Ultra Black?

 

Can you get to a junk yard and get another bottle?

 

I think first is finding if there is a gasket gone bad or if there is a crack in the bottle.

 

Any of those options are more time and less money. More money and less time would be to ask your local Subaru dealer.

Is there a gasket you can replace where the pump joins the bottle?

 

Can you clean and dry it and then cover the leak with RTV Ultra Black?

 

Can you get to a junk yard and get another bottle?

 

I think first is finding if there is a gasket gone bad or if there is a crack in the bottle.

 

Any of those options are more time and less money. More money and less time would be to ask your local Subaru dealer.

 

As far as I can tell it is leaking from around the washer fluid pump. The bottle itself appears to be in tact. I took it out this afternoon and all I see is the leaking fluid around the pump. I am going to try your suggestion and remove the pump and seal all around it with rtv or some other kind of caulk/sealant that can stand the temp under the hood. I am doing it later today (Tues 7-23) so hopefully that will take care of the leak, I will post whatever occurs here, so keep your fingers crossed for me, the curing process may take a day or so since I have to wait for the silicone to set up (solidify) so I will post according to the instructions, I have some high temp epoxy that might do the trick as well so I may try that in stead, either way I will post a follow up. I don't know of any Subaru specific junk yards but if I end up needing to search for one I will post that as well.

Thanks again.

 

-CMS

I would try something more flexible like RTV or caulk. I'm afraid the vibration might crack an epoxy. Indeed, I hope you get to a solution by the end of Tuesday.

replace the pump, they are cheap and will come with a new seal. my pump was corroded and leaking after 13 years...

replace the pump, they are cheap and will come with a new seal. my pump was corroded and leaking after 13 years...

 

 

I already cleaned the bottle really well and I sealed it up with rtv around the gasket & the base of the pump itself (which it turned out to be where it was leaking from). That was Mon, I left it to dry and filled it up & let it sit for a while & it's no longer leaking. If I ever have this problem again I will replace the pump & gasket with new ones. Either way thanks for the advice y'all.