W211 leaking windscreen water bottle

[beaker218]

Ever since I've had my E240 I have found that after I fill up the windscreen water bottle to the top the following week I have lost about a cup-full (although I haven't used the winscreen washers) so it hasn't been much of a problem. However I filled it up to the top on Saturday and today have found that I have water leaking from underneath the nearside front wing and it has now been dripping for 3 hours so it looks like I now have a real leak!

Can anyone advise the best way to get to the washer bottle to see where the leak is coming from. I assume its housed within the wing (as I can't see it under the bonnet) so I would need to remove all of the inside wing cover to get to it? and if so, how easy / difficult is it to do this? or is there more to it than this?

 

[Dryce]

However I filled it up to the top on Saturday and today have found that I have water leaking from underneath the nearside front wing and it has now been dripping for 3 hours so it looks like I now have a real leak!

Assuming a W211. (May be same on W210). There's an overflow. If you overfill the bottle it overflows out of a duct below the wing on the same side.

So what maybe happening is that you normally overfill by a bit and it slops out (your 'half cup') and when you brimmed it you caused it to overflow immediately causing the puddle by your wing.

 

[Gollom]

Same problem as me. Anybody able to post the sheet(s) showing how to get at it etc.? Thanks!

 

[beaker218]

Thanks for the reply Dryce but I always brim it and it was last filled on Saturday which is now 5 days ago. I have also now just tried refilling again and I have put a litre in and it still needs more so it does look like I do have a leak.

 

[Gollom]

Same problem as me. Anybody able to post the sheet(s) showing how to get at it etc.? Thanks!

Bump!!

 

[BlackC55]

Take the wheel off on that side and the wheel arch liner and all will be revealed.

 

[Nibbo]

My guess is that the water pump(s) has become dislodged from its little hole and letting the water out.
They are just a push fit so can be dislodged quite easily.
As per BlackC55, remove the wheel arch liner and you will see the pumps.

 

[Shude]

If it helps I had a similar problem a few years ago and it was leaking through the hole where the headlamp wash pipe would be fitted (if they were fitted) - the grommet had perished!

 

[prprandall51]

Also, main dealers love to charge you for refilling your washer bottle during a service - the charge on your bill implies that they have refilled the bottle with undiluted premium organic washer fluid but in fact they use a very weak (very, very weak) mix that protects down to about -0.5 degrees. Last winter, my brother's car cracked no less than two water bottles within a week as the temperatures dropped to -8 and below. (The garage replaced the first bottle and topped it up with the same weak solution as previously so it lasts a whole two days before bursting again).

So this could be a possible cause of your leak.