Can anyone assist me.  I've just purchased a 535i 1988 edition and am going to be having it checked over by my local garage on Thursday (2 days time) for mot etc.  I've now found a fail point.

When I operate the windscreen wash there's no spray at all.  I've checked the fuses ( the glove box and the panel in the fuse box show 2 different fuses as relevant) however, both are intact.  The container is full of screen wash.

Can anyone shed any light on this.  Is it perhaps a bonnet earth strap issue, chaffing or wear on the lead that's at the bonnet leading edge or perhaps something else which regularly occurs on this series.

Thanks for your assistance (Having been a Volvo owner for a year or two I found their club forums essential for fixing bugs and I hope that some of you guys can come up trumps with a fix for this one)

Thanks again

is there any noise when you try and squirt water? if not then your problem lies with the pump or the electrics going to it (including the wiper stals switch). If there is a noise then there is a blockage along the way from the pump to the jets (possibly the jets)

No noise from pump or water.  The wipers move across the windows, however.

That's why I thought that it may be electrical?

I wondered whether this was a "standard" problem at this age, as quite often similar cars develop similar probs.

Unplug the washer bottle & put a test lamp across the terminals. If it illuminates then the power is getting through & its a faulty pump.

If there is no power getting through then the best bet may be 2 run a test lamp over the screenwash stalk to see if its actually making a contact. The stalk may have just worn out. Probe the live wire in2 the stalk just to make sure its getting power first.

Thanks yr replies, problem found to be rusted pump, now replaced.

Cheers.