[ezmaass]

If the system running dry could cause permanent damage, I'd be surprised. I'm pretty terrible at refilling my washer fluid on-time. I usually let it run dry, and the last few pulls result in a dry pump each time. Granted, my experience is all on the 325 and 335 - I've yet to let the 550 run dry (still too new!). However, it never caused any damage. Usually the light just came on, and sometimes I'd drive around for several days without refilling. So, unless BMW has really started skimping on their washer systems here, I'd be surprised if this alone was the cause... seems like one of those common use cases you'd need to guard against. And if a few dry pump attempts brakes the system, there's a quality problem IMHO.