I have had this 1997 K-1500 Chevy since 2005 and everything on it works (almost), except the windshield washer pump. It hasn’t worked at anytime in living memory, so it is time for it to. Unfortunately because of deadlines, it had to be changed outside on a minorly chilly February day. But it is a quick fix.

The pump is rather inexpensive too at only $17, plus the cost of Smurf juice. That stuff isn’t cheap, do you have any idea how many Smurfs have to be ground up to make a gallon? They are not that easy to catch either, just ask Gargamel. (Ok, washer fluid is normally blue, hence the joke).

The tank is not hard to find. It is in the front of the left inner fender and the neck is by the upper coolant hose were it goes in the radiator. Only two bolts hold it in, one right by the filler cap that is 8mm and one by the inner fender that is 10mm. Once the bolts are out, the tank will pull out, but it is a bit of a tight squeeze. Pull on the part farthest from the fender to get it out.

After that comes removing the plastic cover that protects the pump from the cold blast of air made by rocketing down the road in sub-freezing temperatures. It is held on by snaps that come apart quickly. Remove the power wire, and the pump just pops out of its holder and slides out of the tank. Remove the hose by turning the pump to loosen it up then pull.

Since I did this outside, I had to use lung power to make sure the lines were intact and not plugged. If they are broken the fluid won’t go where you want it to, if plugged nothing will come out and put extra strain on the pump, or fly over the windshield and that will just annoy you.

Now assembly is just the reverse order of what was already done. I slid the pump in after putting on the hose and clipped in the power wire. By now, my hands were getting cold, so putting the lines back into their groves was a bit challenging. The plastic cover just snaps on, but make sure to check the back side with your hand. I would like to say slide the tank back in, but it is more like cram. Don’t worry too much about that ground wire on the fender, once the tank goes in, it will be out of the way.

After reinstalling the two bolts fill the tank and try the wipers!

After all that, changing the wipers just makes sense. New ones can set you back $20 or more but they are easy to change. Most have a hinge on them, and the little plastic clip that holds them on is between the arm and the blade. Sometimes they can be stubborn add require a smack on the end to get them to slide off. New ones just click in.

This is just one example of some small projects that most car owners can do themselves, but varies from model to model. Some jobs that are easy on one car can be major surgery on another, so know if you should seek help before doing something on your own.

Oh…and making silly faces isn’t always a necessity, but does add to the fun.