Winter season is upon us and my headlamp washer system is not functional. I blew out the nozzles & no luck, the trap doors don't open up. I believe a pump malfunction. Is the pump on the fluid tank? and is the removal of the inner wheel well necesssary to gain access. My shop CD manual is not showing this pump in it's diagrams.

 

You have the headlights turned on and are holding the lever for more than 1 second or so when you are testing this right?

 

Yes, They worked in the past but for the summer months I am doughtful if they were ever used so cannot recall last time I saw them fonctional.

 

I thought the headlight washers worked off fluid pressure only. I would check that the flap things can actually move up and down first; they may just be "stuck".

 

Both sides were able to be pulled up and then we pulled off the tips with the nozzles and blew air with no obstructions and had fluid leak out of open ends telling me that there is flow from the tank to the nozzles when doing this. Vehicule is a 02 A6 4.2

 

Has the front bumper been off recently?

I worked on a C5 A6 that had the same problem. Turned out someone broke the quick disconnect coupler when pulling the front bumper. They capped the ww fluid pressure hose to the headlight washers. New $10 coupler solved the problem.

 

Now to answer his first question, you do not have to remove the inner fender to get at the pump, it is located on the front side of the washer resevoire, directly behind the driver side headlight. Taking the headlight out makes servicing this pump much easier

 

Sometimes pulling a C5 A6 headlight requires loosening the front bumper skin via 3 per side front bumper to fender flange nuts & bumper to impact absorber bolts to gain enough clearance so as to not force it and scratch the paint. I've found slight differences between some C5 A6's so loosening the front bumper skin may or may not be required to pull headlight.