BMW M3 Washer Pump Dead? Common Causes & Fixes

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars and had a similar issue with my 2006 BMW M5 last year (also had problems with a 335i). The symptoms you described sound exactly like what I dealt with. At first, I thought it was something major when the washers stopped working. Turned out the sensor was just dirty and showing a false reading, even though I had checked the fluid level. The workshop cleaned the sensor, topped up the fluid properly, and everything worked fine after that. Total cost was 25 Euro, pretty cheap fix compared to what I was worried it might be! Could you share more details about your car? Like if you're getting any specific warning lights or when you first noticed the problem? This would help determine if you're dealing with the same issue I had.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My M3 is showing similar symptoms. Just had my service two months ago at 96688 KM and this issue started right after. Really hoping it's just a dirty sensor like in your case. Not getting any warning lights, but there's definitely a stored error code that needs to be cleared. I'm gonna give the sensor cleaning a shot first before taking it to a shop, seems like a smart first step based on your feedback. Thanks for the tip!

Hey again! Thanks for sharing those extra details about your M3. You know what, hearing that the issue started right after your service is really interesting, that's exactly what happened with my M5 too! It's kind of weird how these things pop up after routine maintenance sometimes. Since you mentioned you're not getting any warning lights but there's a stored error code, I'm even more convinced it's probably the same sensor issue I had. The timing after the service is just too similar to ignore. When my M5 had this problem, I actually tried cleaning the sensor myself first, but I managed to make things a bit worse (butter fingers, I guess!). That's why I ended up taking it to the shop. Just a heads up though, if you're going to try cleaning it yourself, be really careful with the connector. Those BMW sensors can be pretty sensitive. If you're not completely confident, might be worth just taking it to a pro. Would hate to see you run into the same hassle I did trying to DIY it! Let me know how it goes? I'm curious if it turns out to be the same problem. These BMWs can be tricky sometimes, but usually it's something simple like this.

Thanks so much for all the detailed advice! You've definitely convinced me to be extra careful with this repair. After hearing about your experience with the DIY attempt, I think I'm actually gonna skip trying to clean the sensor myself. Don't want to risk making things worse like what happened with your M5. The fact that both our issues started after routine service is pretty telling, can't be just a coincidence. I've got my regular mechanic who knows BMWs really well, so I'll give him a call tomorrow and mention the sensor issue you had. Should be a pretty straightforward fix if it's the same problem, and honestly, 25 in repairs isn't bad at all for a BMW! Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. It's always helpful getting advice from someone who's been through the same thing. Will let you know how it turns out if I run into you on here again!