Hyundai Tucson windshield washer not working – causes and how to fix it

A functioning windshield washer always ensures a clear view when driving. If no fluid comes out of the nozzles when you switch on the washer on your Hyundai Tucson, it can have various causes. What these are and what you can do about it, we explain in this article.

Hyundai Tucson – (photo by Hyundai)

The most common causes that hinders normal operation of windshield washer system on your Hyundai Tucson are clogged spray nozzles, leaking hose, blown fuse, pump failure, frozen fluid or any fault in the electrical system.

1. Clogged spray nozzles

Clogged nozzles are often the reason why the windscreen washer system does not work on Tucson. They are located near the bottom of the windshield, where dead insects, dust, pollen and limescale are often deposited. The impurities can then be collected by the rainwater running off, which then gets caught in the nozzles and gradually clogs them.


Diagnosis: Before you decide on replacing the nozzles, you must rule out any problem with the washer pump or the hoses. The easiest way to check if the pump is working is by doing a noise test. Park your Tucson in a quiet place. Switch on the vehicle and turn down the driver’s door window. Now, stand outside and switch on the windshield washer. You should hear the whirring of the pump. If there is no sound, then it means the pump has failed or there is no power to the pump. If you do hear the whirring sound coming from the front of your Tucson, the pump is working and the culprit is most probably clogged nozzles.

Important: Before replacing the nozzles, make sure the fluid is being pumped normally. Pull the end of the hose out of a windshield washer nozzle on your Tucson, and then turn on the washer system. You should see the fluid gushing out of the hose.


2. Blown fuse for washer pump

The pump of the windscreen washer system on Hyundai Tucson needs electricity to work. In case of a faulty fuse, the circuit is interrupted and the pump can not work.


Comparison between good and bad fuse.


3. Pump failure

The electric pump that feeds fluid to the windshield washer nozzles could have failed in your Hyundai Tucson.

You can do a quick diagnosis by performing a noise test.

  1. Park your Tucson in a quiet place.
  3. While standing outside your Tucson, switch on the windshield washer.

No power to pump

If you do not hear whirring sound of the pump when you turn on the windshield washer system on your Hyundai Tucson, you should first check the fuse for the pump. If the fuse is not blown, check if the pump is getting any power. This can be done by removing the electrical connector from the pump and connecting it to a multimeter. The multimeter should read around 12 volts when you switch on the windshield washer, which indicates that the pump has failed in your Tucson and needs to be replaced. If the multimeter reads very low or zero volts, it indicates a fault in the wiring or electrical connection – all electrical connectors and wires that feed power to the pump should be inspected for damage.

4. Leaking hose

If the pump is working, but windscreen washer still does not work, Hyundai Tucson owners should check the hoses. If they are cracked, loose or leaking, they must be replaced. An exchange is also recommended if the elasticity of the rubber hose at the connection point to the nozzle decreases. However, the hoses can also have easily fallen off due to vibrations in the engine compartment.

Rodent Damage: If bite marks or the like are discovered, there is a high probability that a rodent has let off steam in the engine compartment of your Tucson. Then it is important to carefully examine all other cables and hoses for damage, including electric wires for the windshield washer pump.

Diagnosis: You don’t have to disassemble the engine compartment to check for a leaking hose in your Tucson. Park your vehicle on a dry pavement and turn on the windshield washer for a few seconds. Now look under the front of your vehicle, if you see a puddle forming then there is a leak, otherwise problem lies somewhere else.


5. Blocked hose


Note: If you see washer fluid gushing out of the detached hose when you switch on the windshield washer in your Tucson, but the fluid doesn’t flow when the nozzle is connected, it means the nozzles are clogged.

6. Frozen washer fluid

In winter, frozen washer fluid can also prevent the windscreen washer system from working in Hyundai Tucson. Most of the time, Tucson owners have forgotten to fill in a mixture suitable for winter. If this is the case, all that will help is a warm garage or a long drive to thaw the fluid again. The windshield washer reservoir in Tucson should also be thoroughly examined for cracks and holes. Because: water expands by around ten percent when it freezes, which can lead to a well-filled container bursting.

7. Faulty switch

You turn on the switch that activates the windshield washer system on your Hyundai Tucson, but nothing happens, the pump is not working and you don’t see any volts on multimeter at the pump’s electrical connector. In rare cases, this could happen due to faulty switch. Diagnosing this problem requires removal of the switch from Tucson’s interior and then tested with a multimeter.

8. Empty reservoir

It may sound kind of obvious, but have you checked if there is sufficient fluid in your Tucson’s washer fluid reservoir? You may have just forgotten to refill, or if you have refilled the reservoir recently, it may have been drained out due to a leak in the reservoir or the hose. Double check if there is enough fluid.


There are many reasons why windshield washer may not be working properly on your Hyundai Tucson. When looking for the reason, you should always start with the most obvious cause, clogged washer spray nozzles.


Author: Nabeel K

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