It all started with a low windshield washer fluid warning. The washer bottle was full but wasn’t supplying fluid to the rear wipers, but plenty for the front. During a regular service, my mechanic told me I needed a new washer bottle since the low fluid sensor was built into the bottle and was a known issue. He wanted $350 to do the replacement. Told him I would think about it as I could live for awhile without the rear. Checked on-line pricing for a bottle ($85) with the thought I could do the job myself. About the time the bottle shows, the warning stopped, but now the front was working like a man with an enlarged prostate. Go figure. Life sort of got in the way until yesterday when I finally got the chance to swap out the bottle. Was watching some ‘tube videos about how to replace it and watched a vid that mentioned a known BMW issue with clogged washer bottle filters. So, the technique to replace the bottle is to access it from the right wheel well after the liner is removed. I got the liner moved out of the way after many swear words and got the old bottle pulled out. Let me digress for a moment. I had ordered from RockAuto an OEM (Venmo) washer pump on someone else’s recommendation as they are cheap ($7.99) and match the OE one very well. Glad I had, as part of the reason the back was not working was the outlet/inlets were cracked. But the real issue was the filter in the bottle was caked full of a snot like substance. Spent 15 minutes cleaning that sucker out. So the question I asked myself at this point was did I really need a washer bottle. I figured the snot and the cracked inlets probably figured in all the issues and maybe the sensor was sending a false signal. However, I couldn’t return the bottle at this point so regardless, Lilli the Clubman was getting a new washer bottle. All assembled and now working like a charm. A few things I learned…don’t use cheap washer fluid as it doesn’t have any anti snot chemicals like the BMW fluid supposedly has and if your fluid has a weak stream, your filter is likely clogged.

 

Hi,
Thanks for sharing your experience—super helpful! I'm having a similar issue with my Clubman F54: the rear washer stopped working, but I never got a low fluid warning. A tech told me there's a leak, but couldn't pinpoint where.

A few things you mentioned really stood out to me:

• You said the rear issue was partly due to cracked outlet/inlet fittings—how did you fix or replace those? Was that part of the pump or the bottle itself?
  
• You also mentioned cleaning out the filter that was full of "snot"—how did you know to check that, and what did you use to clean it?
  
• Lastly, you said you watched a YouTube video that explained the filter issue and how to access the washer bottle from the wheel well. Do you remember which video or channel that was? I’d love to watch the same one before I start tearing things apart.
  

Thanks again—your post gave me hope I can tackle this without a $XXXX bill!

 

It's funny you bring this one up as my issue has cropped up again. I haven't had a chance to pull everything apart again, but I expect the pump and filter will be the issue. I ordered another replacement from Rockauto (VEMO V10080204) anticipating having to replace the pump and clean the filter. I may not need a new one, but since I need to access the washer bottle and the pump to clean the filter, I figured I might as well have one on hand. Again, to get to the washer bottle, you need to access it from the right front wheel well. You have to pull the inner liner away from the front by releasing the clips and folding it towards the back. Once you do that you can see the washer bottle which is bolted into the front. I think they were either 10 or 12mm bolts. The pump itself fits into the washer bottle and it is likely where your leak is. The inlets are part of the pump and will come with a new one. When I got the one from Rockauto, it was identical to the original. As far as the filter, I don't recall exactly where it was in the washer bottle, but believe it is right where the pump fits into the bottle. It should be obvious. I'll probably tackle this again on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'll try to take some pictures and post them....

 

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up — that’s incredibly helpful. I really appreciate the tip about accessing the washer bottle from the right front wheel well and the heads-up on the bolts and pump fitment. Good call on having the VEMO pump on hand, even if it turns out you don’t need it — definitely saves time if you end up swapping it anyway.

I’d really appreciate any pictures you can share when you get around to it — that would be awesome and make things even clearer. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience!

 

Was able to attack the low washer issue this morning. Found the filter inlet blocked with some sort of debris. Couldn't tell what it was as it floated away when I pulled the pump out...

Here's some photos that might help you when you try it yourself.....


Inside look of liner before anything done. Note, missing cover. Lost it at dealer at one point, but could never find another one....

Screw/washers that will need to be removed. 10 of them total, 6 inside wheel well, 4 under air dam.

One screw/washer above and clip to lower left that need to come out.


Inner liner partially pulled away.




Washer Bottle now completely exposed.
See next post for more photos....

 

2 bolts at top are T30 torx. I found mine to be loose so on installation, used some threadlocker.

New washer pump installed.

Side view.

Black round thing is the filter that fits under washer pump.

 

That or a weird additive?

I ran orange rainX in both MINIs for a long time and it does stain the bottle over time at the seams, but never had it clog the filter.

Thanks for the insight. I have seen the double pumps fail on the older R56 MINIs and leak.

I was thinking maybe someone did not close the lid on the tank and gunk got in there?

 

Yeah, the first time I dealt with the low fluid message, it was definitely poor quality washer fluid that snotted up the filter. This time, likely I let something get in when I filled it because the filter was clean, but I definitely saw something come out. I probably had left a piece of the seal on the washer fluid fill bottle and it got in.....

As far as the pump, the first the pump still worked, but the outlets were cracked. Even though the 1st replacement pump was still good, I had a new one on hand and figured since I was there, why not. For $8 from RockAuto, might as well.....

 

Thank you so much for the clear explanation and detailed instructions—everything makes sense now, and I can see all the sections clearly. I feel confident I can take it from here. You really saved me a ton of time and $$$!

One quick question: do you have any tips for removing those wire connectors? Is there a specific tool or method you recommend? I’ve never been great at getting those off.

 

Yeah, getting the connectors off is a pain. Basically, you squeeze in from the back and lift off. They are a lot easier to figure out to see how they work once off.....kind of a catch-22.

 

Thank you for the tips!