How to fix power problem for windshield washer pump?

jimigunne

Veteran Member
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Jul 26, 2014
Location
Corpus Christi tex
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2006 Jetta TDI BRM
Its a 2006 jetta tdi/brm. It doesnt pump any fluid.
I have a Bentley manual. I am good at reading wiring diagrams for American cars, but i cant make heads or tails out of the german diagrams. I did find that the washer pump is on sc42. I opened up fuse panel C on left side of inst panel and found sc42. Its 15 amp, not 20 amp as the Bentley shows. There is a Block with no internals shown identified as the vehicle electrical system control module, but there appears to be no schematic of this module itself. Or any info as to location. Why would a ton of accessory fuses go through an electronic module? They are just ignition key relay enabled loads off the battery, are they not? The little tiny piece of the diagram showing the washer motor itself was of no help, it could not trace power back to switch and fuse, or back to a battery bus.
I checked SC42 15 amp with test light, it did not illuminate. I checked both sides of fuse with dmm, and its at 3.6 volts. I am definitely on right fuse because when i actuate the washer switch, it drops to .4 volts. This is telling me that the switch is working, and also that the motor hasnt burned out/ open-circuited. Its telling me that there is a resistive connection somewhere between the battery bus and the fuse. But i have nothing showing this path so that i can trace it down to the bad connection. Ideas?
 

sptsailing

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2006 Jetta Manual, stock with Panzer Plate & Franko6 modified EGR cooler & CAM
I gave up trying to keep my windshield washer pump working, as the pump and replacement pumps will fail due to what I concluded to be poor design and execution. In addition, I recall that I had to remove the front bumper plastic to even get at it to replace it. The wiring is probably fine, it is just the pump motors quit turning.
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
On an A5 the wiper and washer do not work with the hood open. You can trick the wiper/washer disable feature by unplugging the hood open switch. The plug is locate above the upper charge air pipe at the intercooler. There are 2 plugs there, the hood switch plug is the smaller plug that's sorta hidden above the intercooler.

Important stuff: Don't put 12 volt power to the wiring. you could easily burn out a digital controller.

The wiper and washer are controlled by digital networks called CanBus and LinBus. The controller is a solid state device that switches loads on and off. The wiper motor has a controller built int it but IDKFS where the controller is for the washer. It might be the same controller that operates the wiper motor.
https://www.csselectronics.com/screen/page/simple-intro-to-can-bus/language/en
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjuO1UjoQU0

VCDS would be extremly helpful in diagnosing your issue. In fact it's pretty tough to diagnose a digital car without it.

In the Bentley's diagrams, there is a little tutorial on how to read them in the front of the wiring diagram section. Once you understand the way they are laid out, they are pretty easy to follow.

Almost forgot. The usual reason the squirters quit working on an A5 is because the supply tube rubs through at the passenger side hood hinge.
 
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jimigunne

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Corpus Christi tex
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2006 Jetta TDI BRM
Oh....i see. Well where is this digital electronic controller module? It could be an issue with a connector to it, couldnt it? Is it not a 12 volt washer pump? If i have to remove the plastic molding at back of engine compartment, forget it.....i could see no way to get toe wipers off the drive shafts!
I have vcds....so i should see a fault for the washer pump if its bad reported by canbus?
 

sptsailing

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2006 Jetta Manual, stock with Panzer Plate & Franko6 modified EGR cooler & CAM
There is a VW document that I found helpful, as you may, called "The new Jetta Electrical System Design and Function". A couple years ago, I posted a link to this, but I just checked and that link is now dead. I found the document, VWUSA.COM_SSP_873403_MK5_Jetta_Electrical_System.pdf here today though: http://www.vaglinks.com/vaglinks_com/docs/ssp/VWUSA.COM_SSP_873403_MK5_Jetta_Electrical_System.pdf

The pump itself is located on the water reservoir itself, which is just forward of the starboard front tire.
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
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Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
Oh....i see. Well where is this digital electronic controller module? It could be an issue with a connector to it, couldnt it? Is it not a 12 volt washer pump? If i have to remove the plastic molding at back of engine compartment, forget it.....i could see no way to get toe wipers off the drive shafts!
I have vcds....so i should see a fault for the washer pump if its bad reported by canbus?
Did you read ANY of what I posted? I guess if it's just to much trouble to understand the problem you might as well just give up. Read the document that sptsailing posted until you understand it and then read it again.

Did you try unplugging the hood open switch? The washer is most likely 12 Volts. The digital network that controls it is not 12 Volts. With VCDS you would go into measuring blocks and monitor what the system is actually doing. There is no reason to take anything apart until you understand what the system is actually doing.

Oh and you will not necessarily get a fault code if the system does not actually see a problem. As far as the system knows, everything is working as designed.
 
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Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
There is a VW document that I found helpful, as you may, called "The new Jetta Electrical System Design and Function". A couple years ago, I posted a link to this, but I just checked and that link is now dead. I found the document, VWUSA.COM_SSP_873403_MK5_Jetta_Electrical_System.pdf here today though: http://www.vaglinks.com/vaglinks_com/docs/ssp/VWUSA.COM_SSP_873403_MK5_Jetta_Electrical_System.pdf

The pump itself is located on the water reservoir itself, which is just forward of the starboard front tire.
Thanks for the link. Very much worth a read. :cool:
 

jimigunne

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2014
Location
Corpus Christi tex
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI BRM
I am about to conclude that the power control module is defective. I have run the full system health scan with vcds, there are no faults detected for washer pump circuit. Initially i found that at fuse SC42 for washer pump power there is not 12 volts, only 3.5 volts with pump switch activated, and when pump switch is activated, it falls to .4 volts. I located the washer pump relay on power control module j519. I pulled it up just far enough to allow me to put dmm + probe on the contacts. There I also have 3.5 volts/ .4 volts at pin 3, which is the fuse/supply side of the relay. However pin5, the load side, had no volts. This tells me that the pump relay is not closing its contacts when i activate pump control switch. So theres two faults....no +12 to supply side of relay/pin3, and the relay isnt energizing when contol switch is activated, its inop. I did apply 12v direct to pump motor and it runs good! The fact that when i activate contol switch the voltage is falling to .4v probably means I've still got a good switch. Ignition switched B+ is not being supplied to the washer circuit, and it look like that is supplied from within power supply module j519.
I guess a new j519 module would cost a LOT!
My only other option is to find a good terminal 15/ ignition switched power somewhere, and "southern engineer" a pushbutton-9 controlled new 12v source to the pump.
 
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