Windscreen washer - urgent help as the car's apart

ZR160



My front windscreen washer hasn't worked since the car came back from a major service (timing belts, head gasket, etc). It was great before going in.



When you try to wash the windscreen, the front wipers wipe but you can't hear the pump. I've checked the fuse under the dash and that's fine, as you'd expect seeing the wipers work - I'm not aware of a separate fuse for the washer.



The rear wipers wipe and you can hear the rear pump, but I'm not getting water.



I've jacked up the car, pulled the wheel and peeled back the wheel arch lining. I've removed the washer bottle so I can get at things, dumping a gallon of water into my work space in the process dammit. Drained the bottle so I can have the motors plugged in without undue strain on the cables.



Here's what gives.

Use the front washer, the wipers sweep, the pump doesn't work.

Use the rear washer, the wiper sweeps and the pump works.



Swap the leads over. I'd expect similar results, just the other pump working.

Wrong. Now neither pump works.

Swap the leads back to their correct pumps, same as before, rear pump works, front doesn't.



This suggests that the front pump has packed it in while the rear pump hasn't. However, for this to be so, the front wiring would also have to have packed it in as well because when connected to the rear pump, the front switch doesn't fire the rear pump.



With me?



A simple, technical test would be to attach a voltmeter and see if I'm getting voltage at the ends of the wires when each pump is switched on.

Well, I can't get a reading at either of the plugs despite the rear pump obviously getting power and I know my voltmeter works because I've tried it on the battery (and got a measly 12.9 v, I'm not heading for a new battery am I?)



I can't drive the car because the front end is partially dismantled, so it'd be nice to get some solution before just bolting it back together and paying an auto-electrician. I'd also like a fairly urgent decision because although it's nearly dusk and I have to stop soon anyway, I'll need the car by lunch time tomorrow.



Any thoughts?

Would sacrificing the cat help?

Thanks.

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