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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Lawton, OK
    Posts
    3
    My Cars
    2009 BMW X5

    BMW X5 washer pump removal

    Hi guys - I'm new to the BMW world so I need some input. Is there a site, webpage, youtube video, etc, that shows my how to remove the washer pump from a 2009 X5? for me, its a daunting task working on these as I've never owned one before and learning along the way. I've looked thry youtube for a vid and found one that says to remove the driver tire to access...but my LEAK in on the passenger side - so for me, that vid didn't help much - I need step by step instruction...where do I go? Where do I start? your input would be appreciated!! Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Las Vegas, nv
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    2009 BMW x5 4.8i
    Quote Originally Posted by jrzdad View Post
    Hi guys - I'm new to the BMW world so I need some input. Is there a site, webpage, youtube video, etc, that shows my how to remove the washer pump from a 2009 X5? for me, its a daunting task working on these as I've never owned one before and learning along the way. I've looked thry youtube for a vid and found one that says to remove the driver tire to access...but my LEAK in on the passenger side - so for me, that vid didn't help much - I need step by step instruction...where do I go? Where do I start? your input would be appreciated!! Thanks
    i have the same problem, but I removed the passenger side wheel (in the USA, so right side). I removed the plastic inner fender splash guard and could see the washer fluid reservoir and hoses, but still could not access them in order to replace. I too would like some help, as the videos I have seen are for older models and do not look like my 2009 4.8i

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Lawton, OK
    Posts
    3
    My Cars
    2009 BMW X5
    Swinzeler - If I run across anything to help, I'll post up - please do the same if you find anything - Thanks!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Arlington, Virginia
    Posts
    8
    My Cars
    2007 BMW X5 E70 4.8i
    Greetings! I just finished this particular task and I'd be glad to answer any questions you may have. I'd intended to film the procedure but I did not have an assistant to hold the camera and a one hour task ended up taking closer to four hours (which included a trip to home depot to pick up a few tools). In order to get to the pumps, you need to open up the fender a whole lot more than you might think. You can't drop the tank unless you loosen the fender, so don't assume you'll be able to pull the pumps by dropping the tank. It's just too tight and the tank won't slide unless space is freed up on either side. So here's what you'll need to do to get to the pumps:

    1) Put the car on a flat surface and jack it up. Since you won't really be under the car, I'd say it's safe to do with the jack holding up the front passenger side. Remove the wheel.
    2) Remove the front passenger side fender flare. The blind rivets can be removed with a center punch or a small screwdriver. Once the rivet is punched in, you can pry the rivet off. Then you can get the flare off.
    3) Remove the front half of the fender liner. The rear half does not need to be removed to do this task but it may get in your way. You can hook a bungie cord through one of the fender flare rivet holes and tie it to the shock tower. I left it in place.
    **I highly recommend performing step 3a at this point. Knowing what parts you will need before dismantling the car too much is very useful.**
    3a) If your tank is empty, add a couple of quarts of water. At least enough to cover the bottom of the tank in all locations. See if you have any leaks. The tank is a couple of pieces that appear to be epoxied together down the middle. It's no wonder it springs leaks. If no leaks occur (just run your hand along the bottom to see if comes back wet), then you may have a leaky pump. Note that the pumps normally sold by reputable vendors are for the rear two slots. I believe those two slots are for the front windscreen and the rear window. The front-most pump appears to be for the headlight sprayers. I'm not sure about the part number, but the replacement I got was incompatible with the hose clamp I already had. So I pulled that pump from the old tank and reused it.
    4) Remove the running board. There are rivets under the car that can be pulled out with needle-nose pliers. They can be reused. Make sure you save the rubber grommet for each one. Pull the running board sideways starting from the front and the rivets on the side will release. If you're careful, you won't damage them.
    5) Remove the two 8mm bolts on the underside of the car beneath the bottom of the fender. Open the passenger side door and remove three T-30 torx screws. One of them passes through the fender and a mounting tab on the tank. It is located behind a rubber accordion tube containing all of the door wires. If it were possible to not remove this screw, I'd say leave it alone. But you can't lift up the bottom of the fender without removing that screw.
    6) Now the only screw holding the tank in place is incredibly hard to get to. It's located on the side of the tank near the inner fender and the feeder neck. You can only get to it from below by inserting a long screwdriver with a T-30 torx head into the gap between the inner fender and the tank. Shine a flashlight up there and you'll see it. If you're not taking the tank out, don't mess with it.

    With the fender loosened (and it's made of plastic, so it's quite flexible), you can easily reach up and disconnect the wiring harness from the pump. Grab it at the top and pull it toward the outside of the vehicle. Then rotate it from side to side as you pull it out of the grommet. If you bought a new pump, it's also a good idea to get a new grommet. The old one often contributes to the leaking issues.

    So, here are the things I wish I knew before I started the whole project:

    1) there are two different pumps. Make sure you purchase the correct one to replace the leaky one.
    2) Count how many pumps you currently have. My X5 had 3 pumps. The tank I bought on Ebay to replace my leaky one was identical except that the rear-most slot did not have a hole drilled at the bottom to accommodate a third pump. So I just left it out. I think it was supposed to pump fluid to the rear window but I don't think I needed it. The front two pumps sprayed fluid on the windshield and headlights. That's good enough for now. Maybe I'll pull the tank in the future to put in a new hole.
    3) You must loosen the fender. There's no way to get to the pumps without doing that.
    4) Don't bother removing any of the screws holding the top of the fender down. The top part does not need to be loosened.
    5) Strangely, the passenger side fender turn signal wiring harness runs through the pump harness.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Woodruff, SC
    Posts
    58
    My Cars
    2008 X5 4.8i
    Dude that is awesome! Thank you!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Woodruff, SC
    Posts
    58
    My Cars
    2008 X5 4.8i
    Finally got around to actually completing this task, a couple of observations I made:

    dont nut jack up the car with the doors locked. The alarm will go off! Pretty reassuring!

    I started to to hear a suspension air pump running while the car was jacked up. at first I thought it was my neighbor paining his fence with his sprayer...I guess the car feels off-kilter and tries to compensate for being jacked up. When you replace wheel and lower jack, the car will be cattywhampus until the air pump realizes and realigns. Pretty cool!

    buy 9 of the Rivets for the fender flair ahead of time. They are not reusable.

    the fender liner is in 2 parts, a front (towards the front top the car) and a back (you guessed it). I removed the screws for the front and shouldn't have, there is enough clearance with just the back.

    It was amazing how much wiring and tubing was behind the fender liner! A great deal of GAK too...I cleaned it out, it looks as if a rubber drain from above exits here, there is a rubber flap that I cleaned a bunch of gunk out of.

    the removal of the running board was the hardest thing for me. Not knowing how hard to pry or pull...getting the first 2 tabs out is the key. once the 6-7 grommets are removed from the bottom, you can start to pry/pull...typical of these type of fasteners, you need to POP them sequentially from front to back. the bottom of the door gets in the way of fully pulling out the front of the running board, it is flexible enough to go under without breaking, same for reattachment.

    there is a gasket that the fender panel sits to mate to the unibody. It fits a certain way. Upon reattachment, make sure that the gasket is mated correctly or it probably won't fit correctly.

    the replacement of the pumps is easiest part once the 3 torx screws are removed. When zipping things up, make sure the reservoir is lined up correctly. I attached the bottom screws first once I was sure that everything was lined up.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Charlotte NC
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    328i, 435i, x5
    I have a 2009 x5 and the windshield pump is leaking. After finding this post to get an idea of how involved this would be, I proceeded to dig in. Just to let the next guy know, if it's the windshield pump that is leaking, (easily observed), you do not need to remove anything but the rear portion of the inner fender. (Splash guard)
    When you look behind the fender you can see the pumps. The one for the windshield will be the most visible. Take a screwdriver and pry upwards between the small 90° hose fitting and the tank. The pump will lift straight up and pop out. Pull it out and disconnect the wiring and hose. To replace it may take a minute to locate the hole in the tank but once you do you can easily push the pump straight down back into position. Reinstall the inner fender and tire and you are done.
    Good luck.
    FYI Amazon has the pump for less than $20

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Orange County, California
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    2014 BMW X6M
    I have a E71 and I tried to refill the washer fluid. When I tried to fill it up, I noticed that the fluid was leaking from the front passenger side bumper. Does this mean that the tank is cracked or do I need a new pump? When I try to use the washer fluid I hear the pump working but no fluid is coming out. What do I need to do?

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