Windshield Sprayer Clogged

What are you using as window cleaner?

The dealer would have replaced the engine main seal and both front tires.

I agree with SE, it sounds like possibly inferior washer fluid.

Regarding washer fluid, only spec chemicals added by dealer and oil change business (blue fluid). I suspect this bushing was outsourced, as no other parts of the system (hoses, plastic nozzles, fittings, tank, low fluid sensor) showed any change - only the rubber bushing holding & sealing the low fluid level sensor to the tank. The rubber was decomposing and physically acting like tar. I had to scrub to remove smears from my hands.

Sounds like a material deterioration problem not a "chemical reaction. Rubber (as in the stuff from trees) goes like that in hot environments.

That Ford actually had that seal for sale on its own without having to buy the whole reservoir set leads me to think that this may well be a common problem. What did the Ford parts dude say?

Anyway you can bet on the new seal lasting another 7 years. Do you think you will still be driving this car by then?

"Material deterioration" is a better description - thanks! My thoughts are that possibly the original design specs either missed specifying rubber compatibility with the Methyl Alcohol/water chemicals (washer fluid), or the problem lies with the manufacturer of the part.

Ford part number E6FZ*17B610*A SEAL

New part looks like a cap with its top designed as a filter screen. The one I removed is missing the entire end that was the "screen/filter" and the rubber that was in continual contact with the washer fluid has the feel of soft chocolate. The parts of the seal that were not in contact with the fluid still look new and have their correct "mechanical" characteristics, but the part of the seal that was inside the tank has deteriorated so that probably 50% of its thickness has melted away. I'm thinking that original part is reacting with the Methyl Alcohol and slowly dissolving, since there were no other variables involved.

The gentleman at the parts counter (showed him the Part) told me it was only the second time this year that part had been sold. I tried to send Ford a message, but their corporate site wanted too much personal information before I could leave a comment.

My 7 year old truck has 65,000 miles - low mileage for Texas. I'm hoping to keep and drive this vehicle for a long time. As an engineering technician, I'm accustomed to finding and resolving "root cause".

Have you owned it since new?

I think most all common rubber types are compatible with methanol, which is the main ingredient of washer fluids...That's why I asked about possible additives you may used, there are many on the market, from rain-x to de-icer to home brew stuff....

Found this on a safety sheet...

"Methanol is incompatible with several types of materials normally used in petroleum storage and transfer systems, including aluminum,magnesium, rubberized components, and some other types of gasket and sealing materials. "

So there is a strong possibility that the material used was not suited to this application....I would replace it with a neoprene washer...

Just add a fine petrol filter between the pump and the spray jets, will fix the problem for years completely.....make sure its the right way round, some are directional sensitive.....like this one for example.-

.....water must go in on the left......many install them the wrong way around and then they sometimes fall apart.....

Is that that "South of the Equator" thing again?

Andy - since the rubber "gasket" for the low fluid sensor (in-line from tank to sprayer) was breaking down and creating contamination to the system, installing a filter would have resulted in tank failure. The "gasket" was failing (as seen in the pic). The replacement part included a "filter" covering the opening inside the tank. All of that "feature" had disappeared, with the exception of small bits in the bottom of the tank.

Removing and replacing the dysfunctional OEM part was the remedy. Ford should be covering this component failure, since they specified the design and are responsible for the product failure. The wrong rubber was used, or accepted through QC. Only the rubber in continual contact with the washer fluid changed characteristics and broke down.

A filter would also work......been there, done that and got the t-shirt!