Why the windshield washer pumps fail for everyone
 

So we have a 2001 X5 and a 2002 325 wagon, in one month four out of five of the washer pumps failed. The dealer brought the first one to our attention when the 325 was in for service and said $140 to fix. I said no thank you. You can get the pumps on eBay for $15 each with free shipping--the ones in the X5 don't even need any tools to replace and is literally a 3 minute job. So afterward I smashed open one of the broken pumps and much to my suspicion I found that it was rusted to all hell. So basically the pumps fail because the seal between the motor and the pump area eventually leaks with age and rusts out the motor and then no more windshield washing fluid goodness. The SA actually told me "washer pump electrode loop was indicating a fault"--I think he tried to scare me away from doing a DIY repair because he knew how easy it would be.

Scare tactics and fancy wording is what scares away most people. Fuel transfer technicians in Oregon use these tactics to get the ladies :)

Have you had any issues with the eBay pump?

None. As far as I can tell, the pumps on eBay are the exact same as the OEM pumps. They look identical.

I think I need to replace the windshield washer pump on my 02 x5. Could you give a little DIY explanation on how to remove the old pump and put the new one in, Do i need to remove the washer tank? Thanks!

Without pics, here goes:
No tools required. No need to remove the washer fluid tank. My car is a 3.0 so I'm thinking the 4.4 has the same washer tank and in the same spot. The tank is big and white and if you are looking at the car from the front with the hood up, it will be on the left in the back. I think the cap is marked with a big 7.8L. The pump is on the back side. When you remove and replace the pump, some washer fluid is going to leak from the tank during the time it is all disconnected. It's only a little mess but you should do the repair in the driveway and then mop up any spills when you are done. It's really only going to be a couple ounces of washer fluid.

1. Remove the wiring harness from the pump--I think it's just a squeeze and pull connector. The pump is just held on to the tank with giant clips molded into the tank.

2. Look at your new pump--you will see two places for water connections--at the very bottom of the pump and the little spigot shooting off to the side.

3. Remove the hose from the spigot on the old pump--just wiggle and pull. At this point washer fluid will begin to come out of the spigot.

4. Then pull the pump straight up to remove it from the tank--now the washer fluid will be leaking from the tank where you removed the pump.

5. Put the new pump in by simply just pushing it in to the tank where the old pump was.

6. Put the hose on the spigot--push and wiggle it on.

7. You're done.

Hahaha...should that go along with the blinker fluid actuator diagnosis line too?

The best is when they tell you that "your piston return spring needs to tightened".

Hey guys, on this topic, is there a separate washer pump for the rear window? My front works but the rear does not.

Rear window
 

To continue hijacking the thread in the same vein as rlabair my rear flid dispenser puts out washer fluid but it doesn't mist over the window, just runs down in one stream. I always assumed I would need to replace the nozzle at the end because it must have been damaged but after reading this thread I wonder if it is possibly being caused by inadequite pressure from the pump? Sorry for the ongoing hijack, carry on...

When I pumped gas in Oregon as a teenager I used the term "petroleum transfer engineer". I worked for Texaco. Great outfit.

I probably should have been more specific in my DIY. On the back of the washer fluid tank, there 2 pumps. Looking at your engine bay from the front of the car, the one on the right is for the front windshield washer. The one on the left is for your rear window washer. Both pumps are the same so you can order 2 of the same off of eBay. The front pump does not require any tools as in my DIY to replace. Depending on the size of your hands, you may or may not have to loosen the washer fluid tank to replace the rear washer pump.

The pump is simple little DC motor so I don't think it would lower the pressure if it was defective--I think it would just quit on you. To troubleshoot, you could try switching the front and rear pumps to see if it squirts better. But most likely the nozzle or the valve in the back of the car is clogged. Which valve? #3 in this diagram:

RealOEM.com BMW E53 X5 3.0i SINGLE PARTS FOR REAR WINDOW CLEANING

Saying enginerd is like an instant panty remover...ok, not really :thumbup: Cheaper gas and it's pumped for you, what is going on w/ all these other states:confused:

More than likely he was trying to do the job
because that's why the service dept. is in
business. Can't blame a service dept. for trying.

It's like the SA saying why come here, you
know you can change your own oil...... right?

My son could change the washer pump, so comparing it to changing the oil isn't a good comparison. I get your drift though.

Fcx56, hijacking the thread? It was a question regarding a similar topic. Sorry if my forum etiquette is out of line but so glad you could continue the highjack. It's always nice to be thrown under the X5 bus...haha

Xfizzle, thanks for the updated post, that answered my question, much appreciated!

:fight:

Haha no malice in my comment, if anything I'm the guilty one being that my post had barely anything to do with the pump at the end of the day. Blame me, rlabair is innocent!

It aint the difficulty of the install it's the intent.
Some dealers will do small stuff for no charge.
Often it depends on your relationship with the
dealership and the SA.

If it's a 3 minute job and they know it and you
know it then customer service comes into to play.
I've seen it time and time again. I've also seen the
opposite. You just never know.

FCX56, no malice taken. Actually, got a laugh out of it! Thanks though for the reply. I'm officially off the pirate hook:bustingup

Does the pump remove from the bottom of the tank or up through the hole.

Pumps now below $15 on Ebay, I got quoted $200 for repair the other day..... :-)

Running the pump dry and tap water can get that seal to leak in no time. 9 yrs and over 150k miles dealing with Florida lovebugs and the pumps are still OE in my X. Top shelf fluids, BMW, Prestone and Rain-X are the only ones to use, If the stuff you are using costs less then distilled water, you caused the seals to fail.

Here is a quick DIY guide i wrote up after having to replace one of my leaky pumps on a 2006 X3 and one of my aunt's on her 2008. Hopefully the photos and explanation will help make it easier for anyone thinking about replacing them on their own:

BMW X3 Washer Pump Replacement DIY Guide

The part linked to there is an original OEM Siemens pump that you can order from Amazon.

Hope that helps the community save some bucks...