BMW X5 Washer System Failure: All Functions Dead

Hi there! I've got some experience with BMWs as I faced something very similar with my 2002 BMW X3 last year. I'd say I have low experience with car repairs, mostly basic maintenance stuff. The symptoms were exactly like yours, no washer fluid coming out and wipers acting up. Turned out the cable connection to the washer pump was corroded and basically disconnected. My trusted mechanic found it pretty quickly, but accessing the area was a bit tricky. The whole thing, including labor and parts, cost me around 165 to fix. Before suggesting anything specific for your X5, could you tell us: Have you checked the washer fluid level? Do you hear any sound when you try to use the washers? Has your headlight cleaning system been working recently? By the way, that generation of X5s (and even the 5 series from that time) were known to have similar issues. Let me know these details and I might be able to share more specific insights from my experience.

Thanks for your detailed response! Just had my service about 800 KM ago. Yeah, I checked the washer fluid, it's completely full. When I try using the washers, there's absolutely no sound, which seems pretty suspicious. The headlight cleaning stopped working about two weeks before the windshield washers gave up. Really helpful to know about the corroded cable connection, that actually makes a lot of sense given the symptoms. Did your mechanic mention how long it took to fix? I'm trying to figure out if I should plan for a quick repair or if I'll need to leave it at the shop for longer.

Hey again! Thanks for those extra details about your X5. You know, hearing that your headlight washers stopped working first really rings a bell with what happened to my X3. In my case, the repair took about 2.5 hours total. My mechanic first thought it was just the pump, but when he traced the issue back, he found that corrosion had spread a bit further than initially expected. The lack of sound when trying to use the washers is exactly what I experienced too, complete silence, just like yours. The timing of your headlight washers failing first, then the windshield washers, is pretty much identical to what happened with mine. I remember my mechanic explaining that these systems share some components, and when one starts acting up, the other usually follows. I'd suggest planning for at least a half-day at the shop. My guy had to remove some trim pieces to get proper access to all the connections, and trust me, you want them to take their time doing it right. They might need to clean up more corroded areas than just the immediate problem spot, that's what they did with mine to prevent it from happening again. Also, just a heads up, might be worth having them check the wiper control module while they're at it. Since your auto wipers aren't working either, it could be related. Didn't cost me much extra to have that looked at while they were already in there.

Thanks so much for all this information, it's super helpful! Especially good to know about the 2.5-hour repair time and the possibility of checking the wiper control module while they're at it. I'll definitely get that looked at too since my auto wipers are acting up. I'll call my mechanic tomorrow and schedule it in, planning for a half-day like you suggested. Makes total sense about wanting them to take their time to do it properly, last thing I want is to have this issue pop up again in a few months because it wasn't thoroughly fixed. Really appreciate you sharing your experience, it's definitely made me feel better knowing this is a fixable issue and not something majorly expensive. I'll probably get them to clean up any other potentially corroded areas while they're in there, just like your mechanic did. Thanks again for taking the time to help me out with this!