problem with VW Tiguan

[PurritoLord]

my brother's got this 2020 VW Tiguan, and he's been pulling his hair out over a recurring problem

so, the wiper fluid pump just stops working when it gets cold here in Minnesota. And believe me, it gets cold a lot!

The weird thing is, I've helped him disconnect the battery three times, and each time, the pump kicks right back on, and the fluid works perfectly for both the front and back windows.

But then, as soon as it gets really chilly again, the pump conks out, and he gets that "low fluid" warning light. It's super frustrating, especially since it's his wife's car, and you obviously need that fluid to clear the windshield in winter.

Any ideas what on earth is going on, or even better, any solutions or suggestions? That pump is in a nightmare of a spot to get to, so we're really hoping for some magic fix!

 

[Jean Valjean]

my brother's got this 2020 VW Tiguan, and he's been pulling his hair out over a recurring problem

so, the wiper fluid pump just stops working when it gets cold here in Minnesota. And believe me, it gets cold a lot!

The weird thing is, I've helped him disconnect the battery three times, and each time, the pump kicks right back on, and the fluid works perfectly for both the front and back windows.

But then, as soon as it gets really chilly again, the pump conks out, and he gets that "low fluid" warning light. It's super frustrating, especially since it's his wife's car, and you obviously need that fluid to clear the windshield in winter.

Any ideas what on earth is going on, or even better, any solutions or suggestions? That pump is in a nightmare of a spot to get to, so we're really hoping for some magic fix!

I think that's just a cold weather glitch messing with the pump's electronics or sensor. It might be worth checking those before diving deep into the pump already The cold can do weird things to wiring and connectors. Lucky for you, it's almost summer LOL.

 

[Umaru_]

How has he tested the fluid itself, could it be freezing in the lines or reservoir despite saying it's rated for cold, and is the pump drawing power when it's not working in the cold?

 

[fast.and.curious]

my brother's got this 2020 VW Tiguan, and he's been pulling his hair out over a recurring problem

so, the wiper fluid pump just stops working when it gets cold here in Minnesota. And believe me, it gets cold a lot!

The weird thing is, I've helped him disconnect the battery three times, and each time, the pump kicks right back on, and the fluid works perfectly for both the front and back windows.

But then, as soon as it gets really chilly again, the pump conks out, and he gets that "low fluid" warning light. It's super frustrating, especially since it's his wife's car, and you obviously need that fluid to clear the windshield in winter.

Any ideas what on earth is going on, or even better, any solutions or suggestions? That pump is in a nightmare of a spot to get to, so we're really hoping for some magic fix!

That's a weird one but my first thought would be that it's not a frozen line or a bad pump itself, but more of a software or electrical glitch.
Maybe the control module for the wipers is getting a false low fluid reading from the sensor in the cold and shutting off the pump as a fail-safe, and the battery reset clears that fault code?
The sensor itself could be causing this as it can get finicky with temperature fluctuations.
Another possibility, though less likely, is a weak connection or a tiny crack in a wire that opens up in the cold.
It's a long shot, but worth checking the wiring harness around the reservoir.
I think your brother should get the car scanned for fault codes, even if the check engine light isn't on.
A good OBD-II scanner might be able to show a code related to the washer system that isn't severe enough to throw a dash light.
That could give you a much better starting point than just guessing!

 

[FolksBaggin']

That's a great point, checking for hidden codes seems like the best move before we start blindly chasing after wiring or sensor problems.