Touring Rear Wiper

The Touring is by far the most executive of the E30 lineup, and is packed with goodies. Unfortunately, time isn't kind to these extras, least of all the rear wiper mechanism.

If your wiper is stiff, sluggish or completely immobile, this guide will outline how to get it working again.

Time: 1-1.5 hours

Tools

• 10mm and 13mm sockets with extension and ratchet.
• Philips and flat head screwdriver
• Pliers
• Cable tie
• Vaseline / lithium white grease
• Brake Cleaner
• Rags
• Replacement 'E' Clips

Procedure

Firstly, get the rear wiper off. This is done by the 13mm nut on the wiper base under the cover. Once off, carefully wiggle the wiper free as it's on a spline and you need to be careful not to damage this.

Once that's off, lift the boot lid and undo the 2 small Philips screws holding the cover on before carefully prising it off.

It's held on with a couple of pop clips which should come away with a bit of a tug. If you do break a few, most motor factors have these on the shelf so they can be replaced.

Once the cover is removed, you'll be able to see the motor mounts and connections.

Using a 10mm socket and rachet undo the mounts and unplug the 4 pin connector. You'll need to prise off the clamp around the wash feed and remove the pipe. Note: when refitting the pipe, use a cable tie to tighten it on the nipple so that it doesn't leak.

Then rotate the motor clockwise once you've wriggled it free of the mounts and the motor should come out without too much issue.

Once you've got the motor free and on a bench, unlatch the connector by twisting it clockwise when looking at this angle in the picture - the little rectangular black bit is the retaining clip

Then move onto undoing the 6 Philips screws holding the mounting frame / front plate on.

When you've got the cover off, you'll want to flush as much of the grease out as you can, and scrape out any rust or grime that's built up inside. Be careful not to damage the gasket as you'll need to reuse this!

Check that the switch in the front cover works (do a continuity test on it to make sure it's working) and that the little nylon rocker turns fairly freely. This can seize up and puts the motor under a lot of strain, it does sit on both a spring washer and a normal one.

On mine the 'E' clip was so badly corroded I broke it getting it off, so had to get a replacement. Again, most motor factors have the right size in a selection box.

Be careful that the nylon piece and the two rubber blocks (red in colour, top right of the motor casing) goes back in the same location as it came out, or that will jam the motor - I found that one out by accident.

Once you've cleaned out as much of the grease as you can and the inside of the casing's had as much gunk removed, pack the gears with Vaseline or lithium white grease to replace the old grease.

From there, it's essentially a reverse of the dismantling project, although it's essential that the nylon rocker that rotates on the post on the cover is in the same position it came off. This is the start / stop position switch, so be careful or the motor won't stop in the right position.

With the reassembly complete, test the motor once it's bolted in, but without the wiper on, to make sure it works.

It really makes a difference and should give you a nice quiet rear wiper mech and a very fast sweep.