Windshield washers work!

wdb · 10-24-2015, 04:39 PM

I've had my car for a few months, don't really drive it that much and only in good weather, yada yada. So I had never tried to use the windshield washers until last week. They didn't work!

Today I finally got a chance to do some diagnosis and learned that the washer motor was not working. I took it out, learned that doing so is a very quick way to drain the washer tank! Put it back in, found a plug, took it back out and plugged the tank, and took the little bugger inside to my workbench, where I proceeded to take it apart. What the heck, it wasn't working anyway.

I managed to pry off the top plastic cap that covers the electric motor. I wasn't glued down thankfully. Then I clamped the pump in a vise very gently and pulled on the motor itself, which also came loose and slid out. It was rusty looking, and the motor did not turn. Looked like water got in there and did not get out, and everything was frozen up.

So I went to work with a wire wheel, cleaning up the gunk , then clamped the motor shaft in the vise and tried turning the body of the motor. It moved, but it wasn't happy about it. So I cleaned some more, lubed the bearings, and kept working the motor back and forth. Eventually it moved fairly freely.

I applied some volts - it belched a bit in one direction then stopped. Tried reversing polarity - same thing. A bit more cleaning and hand turning, then put the volts to it again. Puff of smoke! Uh oh! But then the motor whirred to life! I put it all back together again, stuck it back in the car, and now I have windshield washers. w00t!

I also have a whole new level of respsect for BMW. A lot of cars would have a part that was welded or glued closed and would have to be cut apart. Instead I was able to breathe new life into the little bugger. Thanks BMW.

chickdr · 10-25-2015, 09:40 PM

Good job getting yours reworked, but if it fails again- the part is very cheap to replace. Mine started leaking a couple of years ago. Got one on EBay for $13...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-323-325i...JUOYHj&vxp=mtr

wdb · 10-26-2015, 05:03 AM

Ok, so I earned roughly minimum wage fixing my old one.

wdb · 06-20-2016, 08:58 AM

Back from the dead, due to my repaired motor being, you guessed it, dead. Again. It looks like the rubber seal around the electric motor shaft allowed washer solvent past, again, and so the motor seized up, again.

This time I said 'enough!' and bought a new motor. I chose one that cost a bit more ($22) but got good reviews, rather than the really cheap one ($8) that got mixed reviews and a lot of complaints about having a weak, errr, stream. I picked up a new grommet/filter thingie while I was at it. Squirts like new again! Now I need to go get another gallon of solvent to replace what I lost in the R&R process. And figure out how to get the stupid windshield trim piece to lay flat! Grrrr.

CONTINENTAL VDO Windshield Washer Pump 2218690121

OES Genuine Washer Pump Grommet with Strainer for select BMW models

inTgr8r · 06-20-2016, 12:13 PM

I remember reading this originally.
You did well to have your repair job last this long.

wdb · 06-20-2016, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

I remember reading this originally.
You did well to have your repair job last this long.

Thanks but to be honest it's hard to say how long it lasted. I probably haven't reached for the washer control in, oh, 8 months? I suspect the repair lasted maybe a month, given the condition things were in when I took it apart the second time.

I continue to boggle at how crappy the rubber bits are on this car. It was a rubber seal that caused the motor failure. Hard, dry, and cracked, just like the other rubber bits I've been replacing.

jpwbrown · 10-31-2016, 02:32 AM

How difficult to replace? tips, step by step instructions.

wdb · 10-31-2016, 05:28 PM

How difficult to replace the washer pump? Honestly it's so easy it's doesn't need a writeup. Disconnect the wire and the hose, pop the motor out, (watch all of your washer fluid drain out,) pop the new motor in, reconnect the hose and wire. It really is that easy. If you're doing the grommet that takes an additional, I dunno, 30 seconds or so to pop out/in.

StickMon · 10-31-2016, 06:39 PM

I think there's one bolt that holds the tank in place.
If you take the bolt out you can move the tank a little to get more space to get your hands in there.

10-24-2015, 04:39 PM	#1
wdb dances with roads 4718 Rep 4,096 Posts Drives: '07 E86, '02 996, '95 Seven Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: the perimeter iTrader: (4)	Windshield washers work! I've had my car for a few months, don't really drive it that much and only in good weather, yada yada. So I had never tried to use the windshield washers until last week. They didn't work! Today I finally got a chance to do some diagnosis and learned that the washer motor was not working. I took it out, learned that doing so is a very quick way to drain the washer tank! Put it back in, found a plug, took it back out and plugged the tank, and took the little bugger inside to my workbench, where I proceeded to take it apart. What the heck, it wasn't working anyway. I managed to pry off the top plastic cap that covers the electric motor. I wasn't glued down thankfully. Then I clamped the pump in a vise very gently and pulled on the motor itself, which also came loose and slid out. It was rusty looking, and the motor did not turn. Looked like water got in there and did not get out, and everything was frozen up. So I went to work with a wire wheel, cleaning up the gunk , then clamped the motor shaft in the vise and tried turning the body of the motor. It moved, but it wasn't happy about it. So I cleaned some more, lubed the bearings, and kept working the motor back and forth. Eventually it moved fairly freely. I applied some volts - it belched a bit in one direction then stopped. Tried reversing polarity - same thing. A bit more cleaning and hand turning, then put the volts to it again. Puff of smoke! Uh oh! But then the motor whirred to life! I put it all back together again, stuck it back in the car, and now I have windshield washers. w00t! I also have a whole new level of respsect for BMW. A lot of cars would have a part that was welded or glued closed and would have to be cut apart. Instead I was able to breathe new life into the little bugger. Thanks BMW.
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10-25-2015, 09:40 PM	#2
chickdr Lieutenant Colonel 140 Rep 1,990 Posts Drives: 2006 M Roadster Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buford, GA iTrader: (0)	Good job getting yours reworked, but if it fails again- the part is very cheap to replace. Mine started leaking a couple of years ago. Got one on EBay for $13... http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-323-325i...JUOYHj&vxp=mtr
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10-26-2015, 05:03 AM	#3
wdb dances with roads 4718 Rep 4,096 Posts Drives: '07 E86, '02 996, '95 Seven Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: the perimeter iTrader: (4)	Ok, so I earned roughly minimum wage fixing my old one.
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06-20-2016, 08:58 AM	#4
wdb dances with roads 4718 Rep 4,096 Posts Drives: '07 E86, '02 996, '95 Seven Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: the perimeter iTrader: (4)	Back from the dead, due to my repaired motor being, you guessed it, dead. Again. It looks like the rubber seal around the electric motor shaft allowed washer solvent past, again, and so the motor seized up, again. This time I said 'enough!' and bought a new motor. I chose one that cost a bit more ($22) but got good reviews, rather than the really cheap one ($8) that got mixed reviews and a lot of complaints about having a weak, errr, stream. I picked up a new grommet/filter thingie while I was at it. Squirts like new again! Now I need to go get another gallon of solvent to replace what I lost in the R&R process. And figure out how to get the stupid windshield trim piece to lay flat! Grrrr. CONTINENTAL VDO Windshield Washer Pump 2218690121 OES Genuine Washer Pump Grommet with Strainer for select BMW models Last edited by wdb; 06-20-2016 at 09:12 AM..
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06-20-2016, 12:13 PM	#5
inTgr8r Lieutenant General 2426 Rep 11,667 Posts Drives: M2 Comp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (10)	I remember reading this originally. You did well to have your repair job last this long. __________________ '21 M2C Hockenheim Silver '18 718 Cayman S Lava Orange (sold) '13 E92 M3 Santorini Blue (sold) '07 Z4 M Coupe Alpine White (sold)
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10-31-2016, 02:32 AM	#7
jpwbrown Private 0 Rep 52 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4 coupe Join Date: May 2012 Location: San Diego, CA iTrader: (0)	Help How difficult to replace? tips, step by step instructions.
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10-31-2016, 05:28 PM	#8
wdb dances with roads 4718 Rep 4,096 Posts Drives: '07 E86, '02 996, '95 Seven Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: the perimeter iTrader: (4)	How difficult to replace the washer pump? Honestly it's so easy it's doesn't need a writeup. Disconnect the wire and the hose, pop the motor out, (watch all of your washer fluid drain out,) pop the new motor in, reconnect the hose and wire. It really is that easy. If you're doing the grommet that takes an additional, I dunno, 30 seconds or so to pop out/in.
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10-31-2016, 06:39 PM	#9
StickMon My other car is on Mars 636 Rep 3,124 Posts Drives: 2006 MR Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Lo-Cal iTrader: (1)	I think there's one bolt that holds the tank in place. If you take the bolt out you can move the tank a little to get more space to get your hands in there. __________________ Warning: May contain traces of nuts.
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