I need a windshield washer bottle engineer more knowledgeable than myself

OK, so seriously. The "washer low" light was on all the time on my 09 Escalade. Online search, common fail on GMT-900. Ordered the part, went to install today and it's smaller than the port in the bottle by about 3mm, so it's not going to seal. Go to the dealer to find there was a running change - on the windshield washer bottle. Seriously? What happens that you need to do a redesign on the windshield washer bottle? And what engineer makes the new one require an updated sensor that is a different size than the old one? I'm fascinated.

Because GM

Not an engineer, bean counter saved a quarter of a cent on making the engineer redesign it. Quarter of a cent on every GMT-900 is a lot money.

HappyAndy wrote: Because GM

This

I need a new clock spring for my 07 F350 because the air bag light is on. They used 4 different versions in 07 mostly based on what plant the truck was made in. In my case it was Kentucky and the version I need is the most expensive. Dealer only part at around $300 to the public and $260 jobber. Got a local dealer to go down to $224 but makes you wonder how much profit there really is on this thing. Lots of other versions only cost $100.

A $.01 peice of black electrical tape will solve a lot of GM's problems.

Probably not the case here, but some cars have two different size reservoirs depending on whether they are sold to cold weather climates or not.

I would still design them to be able to use the same sensor though.

Appleseed wrote: A $.01 peice of black electrical tape will solve a lot of GM's problems.

It takes a lot more than $0.01 of electrical tape to seal the door to the executive lounge shut. Maybe two or three rolls minimum.

HappyAndy wrote: Because GM

Because every single company that does mass manufacturing, you mean. Blame the bean counters all you want, but when every one of your competitors is shaving cost in every possible way, you don't have much of a choice.

In reply to glueguy:

I'd check Rock Auto for the windshield wash bottle assembly with the sensor in it already.

TIGMOTORSPORTS wrote: In reply to glueguy: I'd check Rock Auto for the windshield wash bottle assembly with the sensor in it already.

I did my homework this morning. Same deal on Rock Auto. Bottles are standalone or with pumps but never with sensor. And the only sensor available is for the updated bottle.

If I would have known this before I started tearing into it I would have just JB Welded over the sensor hole and ziptied the new sensor float into the full position and just left it like that. Didn't need to spend another $45 on a new bottle.

Can you just jump the terminals and manually check fluid level?

Yes. This was the case of a DD, up on stands, wheel off, half in and half out of the garage with a set of conditions that didn't make sense (new sensor, just small enough to not fit tight into the bottle). Had this been a project where I could take my time or was prepared for this I would have handled it differently. The old sensor had the float broken off so it was reading perma-empty.

In reply to glueguy:

New supplier for the sensor, reservoir redesigned to take new sensor?

Bet they went heated bottle standard at some point for the winter climates and just did the sensor swap at the same time.

JB weld is the answer.

changed supplier as note above.

You guys won't believe this but I swear to God that I used to have to wait until I pulled on the stalk (or pushed a button) to tell if I had low - or no - washer fluid levels! What were we, SAVAGES?!?!

But seriously, can the sensor be fooled so the light shuts off?

3mm you say? Nothing a dollop of RTV silicone can't handle!

I would leave the old sensor in place to plug the hole and just short the terminals on the plug together.

Unfortunately you won't know that the reservoir is empty until it stops squirting (gasp!).

GameboyRMH wrote: 3mm you say? Nothing a dollop of RTV silicone can't handle!

^this. have done similar things with RTV, as long as its not under any kind of pressure RTV can seal some pretty big gaps.

I recall once repairing a washer tank with a cheap hot glue gun, held up for at least the few months I had the car. Just about anything will stand up to the methanol in wiper fluid, most glues don't stick very well to wiper fluid bottle plastic though.

I'd look for some sheet plastic or an appropriate sized plastic washer that I could epoxy into the larger opening and then insert the sensor into. Rubber grommets would work too if you could find the right size ID/OD.

ebonyandivory wrote: You guys won't believe this but I swear to God that I used to have to wait until I pulled on the stalk (or pushed a button) to tell if I had low - or no - washer fluid levels! What were we, SAVAGES?!?!

Thank you!

In reply to 1988RedT2:

You're welcome!

I'm the guy who drives a Yukon Denali (it was cheap) and don't get half the crap that it came with. Also, I'm the guy who asked about de-optioning a BMW because I hate all that stuff and just want to shift, steer and listen to music.